Lost and Found

As promised: the story of the woman who accused my employees of being thieves.

In the summer, I was sitting at my small desk working on the schedule when I started hearing someone talking very loudly to an employee.  The employee came to the back with a puzzled look on their face and said that a woman wanted to talk with me.  Sigh, the words every manager dreads.

I go out to see a woman in hysteria, with two young girls bouncing off the walls.  Great start.  She starts yelling at me, asking me where her daughters leather pouch was.  That's when the flashback happened:

About a week earlier, I found a small (7x7inch) faux leather pouch on my desk.  There was a post-it note with a person's name and phone number.  I called the number and heard, "We're sorry, but this caller has not set up their voice mail.  Good bye."  So I checked the contents of the pouch and found a nail file and lip gloss.  Later that day I tried the number again, only to receive the same message.  So I threw it away.  Anyone who works with the public knows that things get left behind or lost frequently.  Unfortunately, I don't have the space to keep all the things that get left behind.  I could have kept that little pouch for a while longer, but in the haste of the moment I threw it away.  Not the best decision, I admit.  I had no idea the consequences that simple action would have.  But in my defense, the employee who wrote the note could have been more detailed, saying that this woman was coming back in the next few days to pick it up.

Flash forward to the screaming customer.  I explained to her that we no longer had the pouch, but I could offer her the monetary value for the pouch or free ice cream.  That's when this woman went ballistic.  She said she wanted her pouch to be presented right now!  How could it be here one moment and now it's not?!  Where is it?  What happened to it?  I told her I was sorry we didn't have it (I was not about to tell her I threw it away.  That would kick things up to a level I was not ready to handle) but I would offer her compensation for it.  She said my employees must have stolen it!  Why high school and college age kids would want that little pouch is beyond me.  I said to her, "Ma'am, my employees are not thieves, and I don't appreciate you accusing them."  Then her children started chiming in, "Are you going to arrest someone?!"

The woman then demanded that I interrogate all my employees to discover the location of the pouch.  Seriously.  I told her that I would ask the employees about the situation, but I wouldn't be able to give her an immediate answer.  She scoffed and said, "Well I want an answer now!  I want the pouch now!"     "Ma'am, I cannot produce the pouch because it is not here.  It is possible that it was moved or thrown away (interject scowls and screams from the children) but in order for me to ask all 14 employees, it will take some time.  Even if I called them all today, I might get voicemail and there is a chance that not all of them will call me back today.  So the best I can do, is to tell you that I will let you know in 2 days."  She then wanted the phone number of my boss.  I gave her his e-mail and she left in a huff, dragging her two screaming children behind her.

She then e-mailed the owner, telling him an exorbitant sob story about her "special needs" daughter who plays softball and loves to come to our store after games.  He explained to her the same things I told her: we have a limited space and many people leave many things behind, it would take time to contact all employees, and we could offer her compensation or ice cream.  For some reason, hearing it from a man via e-mail made it more true than hearing it from me in person.

Ultimately, she did not get her "treasured pouch" back.  She received a years worth of free ice cream, a company t-shirt, and monetary compensation.

I do not have children, so I don't know what's it's like to deal with a child mourning the loss of one of their favorite toys.  But I hope I never create a display to equate this woman's.  It was a pouch worth less $5, and I didn't see the need to react so hysterically.  Now we have a cardboard box that says "Lost and Found."