TIL why customers always ask for the manager about certain things

I used to think people just wanted to complain for no reason when they asked for a manager about a $2.50 coupon not scanning. But after working the register at a grocery store in Portland for 6 months, I realized it's because we train cashiers to say 'I can't do that' instead of explaining the actual policy. Now I get why that lady named Susan was so frustrated last Tuesday when nobody told her the coupon expired yesterday. Has anyone else noticed this disconnect at their job?

2 comments

2 Comments

harris.vera22d ago

i can't do that" is such a cop out. like, ok but WHY cant you? is it a system lock or a policy you dont actually know? i bet half the time the cashier just doesnt wanna bother looking it up. question for you - did your store actually train you guys on what to say, or was it more like "just say no and call me over if they push back"? because that makes a huge difference in how customers react

mary61422d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, @harris.vera you hit the nail on the head. Where I worked, training was basically "say no and grab a manager." No real explanation why, just a script. So yeah, half the time I didn't even know if it was a system thing or just store policy. It made customers mad for sure.