Navigating some companies' return policies can be an unnecessarily difficult experience that may drive you to look for ways you can circumvent their requirements and get a fair go at returning your unwanted item. At times it can feel like these policies are unnecessarily specific and cryptic: “Customer must return an item only when the thrush knocks on the last light of the third day of the second new moon—whilst wearing a hat made of cabbages." After a while of wondering what in the Tolkien yo…

It should be understood, at this point, that straying into a store with a uniform consisting solely of a specifically colored shirt—whilst wearing that same color of shirt—is a risky move. It should also be understood that even wearing a similar color shirt is likely to attract every Karen and disgruntled manager within a 100-meter radius. If you choose to do this, you do so at your own peril, but at least you can write a story about it later to share online. This guy happened to stray into a l…

This is precisely the type of thing you encounter while working in a bike shop. Of all the customer service roles you could ever work, working in a bike shop will confront you with some uniquely bewilderingly entitled experiences. The idea of “you haven't done enough for me for free” will somehow recur time and time again as 1-star reviews bombard you for going out of your way to help someone who doesn't understand how much they don't understand about their bike. Bonus points here for being bla…

Dealing with a demanding customer can be a nightmare—ask anyone in customer service. It's not as straightforward as you might think either—the more you bend and break for them, giving in to their demands, the more they will ask for in return. It's like a lion attacking a herd of wildebeest; the hunter can sense the weakness, and showing any will make you a greater target. Plus, if you actually manage to close a sale with these people, there is an infinitely greater chance that they will become…

Anyone who has worked retail or otherwise dealt with customers knows all too well that customers generally will try anything and everything to get their way. This includes (but is not limited to) quoting irrelevant pieces of legislation, being generally aggressive, hurling insults, demanding a manager, and name-dropping the owner (or some other executive.) In the case of name-dropping, if you actually bother to bother the person whose name is being dropped, they'll usually have no idea who the…