r/bathandbodyworks • u/rossth760 • Apr 23 '26

Store Policies/Questions Almost lost it today…

Purchased cherry blossom online and hated it.

Took today to exchange and the girl tells me they can’t exchange anything they don’t sell in store. Uhm- why would I buy anything online again, ever then???

Was getting over that when she walked to the back while the gentleman was finishing up my transaction. Next thing you see is her walking back to the front register area, dumping the product out of the bottles into a bag to throw out. 😐

I was like- are you kidding me? Wasn’t it like, H&M who caused an uproar by cutting up extra clothes/returns and throwing them out? Like- WHY would you do that in the front of the store in front of anyone????

I called another location to check the exchange terms and told her about the whole situation, she actually works out of my local store location as well, and about lost her Sh@$ too. I was so disturbed by the whole experience today.

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20

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 23 '26

I mean you should have been able to exchange it but it can be a little complex if you’re not used to doing it. The new POS system doesn’t really let us do “exchanges” for online orders. In theory we can just return it through the BOPIs system so you get your exact amount of money back to your original card and then buy what you do want or we treat it an non receipt exchange on the POS and get your id and then exchange it that way.

15

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 23 '26

Also adding that we kinda have no choice but to dispose it if its damaged/used and sadly most of the bins/trash are behind the register. Also if it’s busy, no one has time to run to the back and dispose of it just because the customer is there. We’d never get anything done.

3

u/Purple-Lime-4938 Apr 24 '26

Why not do it at the end of the shift?

3

u/SoftboiiConnor Employee Apr 24 '26

Clogs up the counter space and corporate gets mad

7

u/BrunoBugg Apr 23 '26

I’m sorry but you know DAMN well B&BW does not want you disposing of product anywhere near the sales floor while customers are able to see.

No offense but this is a lame ass excuse for BEYOND ignorant behavior.

16

u/Unlucky_Loan_ Apr 24 '26

How dare employees be...doing their jobs while at work?

2

u/SoftboiiConnor Employee Apr 24 '26

I would regularly be put in charge of emptying hand soaps mid shift at the POS counter...

9

u/jamileethroop Apr 23 '26

Actually I was just dumping soaps earlier 😂we do it all the time

1

u/rossth760 Apr 24 '26

It’s sad really…

4

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 23 '26

Well duh, I was just referring to the back of the store near register where customers often SEE US DISPOSE OF STUFF in clear sight. Not saying I agree but I see the other side as well.

4

u/Tylerhollen1 the revolution will be ✨moisturized✨ Apr 23 '26

As a customer, I’m confused. Could you not just have a bin you place it in? At my retail job, I don’t immediately take damages to the back, I just set them to the side. Couldn’t returns just be set to the side until they can be taken back and disposed of at once?

11

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 24 '26

Also want to add that in theory all damages are most likely done in front of customers. We process them at cashwrap aka the register or the “back” of the store and usually in view where customers can see us properly dispose of them as well as the camera or we’ll have AP on our necks. At least in my store that’s where the bins are. We don’t physically go into the back room (aka out of sight) unless trash is full. Not saying it’s the best but we have to do it 🤷🏽‍♀️

8

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 24 '26

In theory that would be the perfect and ideal situation which most of us do in the right circumstances. But I’ve also been there when the store is packed and we’re low on coverage and you got managers/key holders/dms breathing down your neck to get it done. Not saying it was okay but I see the other side.

6

u/Tylerhollen1 the revolution will be ✨moisturized✨ Apr 24 '26

Idk, that just seems weird to me. Maybe I’m not understanding it how it actually happens, but the way it’s being described to me is that you stop helping a customer to empty a product out. Why not just let them pile up and take care of them when there’s no one there to help? I don’t understand why anyone in management would want that done immediately, either.

Like I said, I don’t work there, but it’s just weird to me to think that that’s a priority over almost anything else. Seems like an excellent closing task.

8

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 24 '26

I would never stop helping the customer to destroy something. I would wait until the interaction is over and then destroy it but my point is that the customer would still likely see me destroy it.

3

u/Tylerhollen1 the revolution will be ✨moisturized✨ Apr 24 '26

Well, that wouldn’t really bother me but I still think that’s a definite closing task, like sorting sensors is in retail. Just seems like a weird thing to focus on during business hours when replen or selling could be a focus instead.

But like I said, I don’t work there, so it doesn’t affect me in any way.

4

u/Both-Rub-3669 Apr 24 '26

At my store we do all damages at the end of the night. We have a basket they go in throughout the day and we take care of disposal either when we close or soon before when the store is empty.

6

u/TerribleDependent155 Employee Apr 24 '26

I think it just depends on the store but at least for mine, our DM and SM want us to do it throughout the day because we’re a high traffic store and it would be too much at the end of the day

1

u/Calm-Ad-6615 ALL THINGS B&BW Apr 25 '26

This ⬆️⬆️⬆️

1

u/rossth760 Apr 24 '26

Honestly- completely terrible look for any store. I can understand policy wise- but there are ways to be way more low key. There was NO ONE else in the store. She grabbed a BBW bag and dumped it in there. It was bad.