For work, I had 10 dead lead-acid batteries from UPSs that needed to be recycled, so I took them down to my local Batteries Plus store to drop them off.
When I get to the store, I bring in a couple of the batteries, and am quickly greeted by a guy behind the counter, who I let know that I'm there to drop off some of these batteries for recycling. He says OK, and comes out to help me take them inside.
When we go outside, he sees my work vehicle, and asks what division I'm with. I tell him, and he hits me with a sales pitch about how they sell these batteries, and would love to sell them to us, and they sell them to other state agencies too, etc etc, no biggie. I tell him I'm not the guy who deals with purchasing, but will mention it to the guy who does.
At this, he asks for the guy's # so he can contact him directly. I delined and repeated politely that I would be happy to pass on the info.
He then gets all serious looking as though he's offended, and asks "So, you won't give me his number?". I can tell he's irked for some reason, so say (politely again), "It's nothing personal, I just don't think it's my place to give out the guy's number for solicitations." To which he immediately replies, "Well then, I won't recycle your batteries."
At this, I'm baffled at his behavior, and look at the guy like he's nuts. He tells me that they "...recycle batteries here as a service to our CUSTOMERS, so if you're not interested in being a customer, I'm not interested in recycling your batteries."
"OK." says I, shrugging my shoulders, and I pick up part of my batteries from the counter and walk out with him in toe, carrying out the ones he carried in. I then go back in to get the last of 'em, with the retard on my heels. As I'm leaving he says that he'll give me his business card, and if my guy decides to purchase from them, they'll come out and pick these batteries up.
Now, I'm even more baffled than I was before, at this guy's behavior, and tell him "don't bother".
I leave and load up the last of the batteries into the van, and as I'm getting in the drivers seat, he comes out the front door, business card in hand, and says "here's my business card...", and I cut him off stating bluntly, "I'm not interested."
He finished the transaction by wishing me a nice day.
I then completed my errand by driving 5 minutes over to the county transfer station to drop the batteries off there, also for free. In the future, it will take me five minutes more to drop off batteries, and I will avoid Lancaster Ave (worst traffic in town) and the Walmart parking lot that the Batteries Plus is located in.
I guess I missed the chapter of the customer service book that this guy is operating from. I now will not only never shop there for myself or for any business purchases I make, I will also badmouth that idiot's business any time the subject comes up. Hell of a way to treat a potential customer, particularly when you're selling a product that can be bought from numerous other establishments locally and over the Intardnet.
What makes this truly fantastic, is that I think I've seen the guy on TV, advertising for the store - ie, I think he owns the franchise.
