The Life Cineplex 2: More Tales of Horror

Welcome back to the Life Cineplex... While I do work two jobs, I am not only going to talk about just my work at the theater. So what horror story should I share today? Well, I'll try to incorporate some from each of my jobs, past and present throughout these articles. I could mention the time when we had Bowling for Columbine and someone in a Regan mask came and protested the film with a megaphone... Or how about the time we found a used condom rapper in the men's room?

There are countless stories I could tell, but today I bring you one from my experience at Electronics Boutique. There are countless times, especially at Christmas, when parents come into the store and they have no clue as to what their kids want, but still have to buy something because it's either a holiday, or a birthday, or some other gift-giving event.

So as an employee, we try as hard as we can to figure out what it is that their child really wanted. After much deliberation, the clueless parent leaves with their purchase - only to come back after the holiday and demand a refund for it's the wrong item. As it is always our fault for not knowing what their kid wants, we would typically have to refund and exchange the product. However, usually this is not what happens.

Since we have store policies that state that opened materials cannot be returned for refund (only trade in credit), most parents get right pissed off and ask for the manager. Once the manager tells them the same thing that us, as an employee have, the parent vows never to shop at our store again.

There are times, however, that when we spot an unruly parent, we intentionally delay them, perhaps long enough that they leave on their own will, without confrontation. These are the best kinds, because usually they will get their kid to come in and resolve it themselves. People are hostile, and it's always parents who go off on a tangent when they realize they've messed up; refusing to take blame.