Sep 23, 2008 00:25
so I got in to work around 2 today, I had been in a training in Farmington this morning and I was already pretty frazzled (training consists of explaining how to use AT&T phones to your colleagues for a couple of hours and starts at 8:30 AM).
I had heard about "a crazy guy" that had made a scene at my store on Saturday. Apparently he had a phone with a broken screen and wanted to return it and was told he can't. Just for the record : the screens don't just break on their own, something has to hit it or puncture it. Extreme cold can do it too, but that is unlikely in the time of year.
I was on hold with IT support when a gentlemen walked in and asked to speak with a manager. My boss it on vacation and they haven't filled the assistant manager spot yet *ahem*; so I told him that I was happy to help him. He seemed really confused when I told him that no one was really "in charge". It's a retail environment and most day to day operations don't need much oversight.
He pulls out a phone with a cracked screen, and I immediately knew that he was the guy that my co-workers warned me about. I let him say his tell his side of the story hoping it would make him feel at least validated. I told him that we can't return the phone, it was broken and that he was responsible for it. I asked him for insurance and he did that "I'm trying to come across as an arrogant prick" laugh.
He demanded that I explain to him how his screen got broken. I told him that I have no idea, that it doesn't matter how it got broken and even if I could or couldn't explain it the situation wouldn't change in any meaningful way.
I tried to make the analogy that if I'm like a mechanic at a car dealer who has been presented a vehicle with a large dent in it. I may not be able to know what exactly happened to the car, but I can plainly see that some force acted on it and it broke.
He did the rational thing and began cursing loudly and I told him to calm down or he'll be asked to leave. He then decided to forgo calming down part....
He shouted some more and I told him that he needs to leave. He winds up and chucks the phone at me, I dodge it but he manages to throw the box at me as well. I deflect the box with my hand, look him in the eye and say in a stern voice "OUT!".
He manages to pick the phone up and starts throwing it against the floor, smashing it into many pieces while he continues to shout obscenities at me. I repeat my new mantra to him: OUT!
He lunges for the door and my coworker tries to block him from leaving (I have no idea why). People are staring, my store is loaded with customers and almost the whole staff. I tell my coworker to get him out of the store just as he is shoved and the customer takes a swing at him.
Luckily it doesn't connect and he storms out, getting in his car and almost hitting a pedestrian and he leaves the parking lot. I look over and see another coworker on the phone, she's talking to the police department.
I stayed at the store for another hour talking to the police, my area manager and company asset protection. I was rather shaken by this whole thing and was told to go home early. The police asked if I wanted to press charges and I said that I wanted to.
I was shaking in sheer anger and frustration. I got home and mixed up a dry martini with top shelf gin and cooled off.
What the fuck is wrong with people?!? Is this what we've come to?