Lesson 5

To develop assertiveness techniques for returning defective items to stores.

Situation:

Mr. Lopez bought a pair of shoes on sale. He wore them one week and noticed the sewing was starting to come out. He took them back to the shoe store and this is what happened:

Salesman: Can I help you?

Lopez: Yes, I bought these shoes last week and now they are starting to fall apart. I would like my money back.

S: Do you have the sales receipt?

L: No, I don't, but I want my money back.

S: I am sorry, but we have to have the receipt.

L: I understand what you're saying, but I want my money back. If you can't help me, who can?

S: No one. You have to have your sales slip.

L: I understand what you are saying but I want my money back. If you can not help me, who can?

S: Well, the manager. But he will tell you the same thing I am telling you.

L: I want to talk to the manager, please.

S: Just a minute.

Salesman goes through a door in the back of the store, comes back in a few minutes with another man. The salesman points to Mr. Lopez and the other man comes toward Mr. Lopez.

Manager: Hello, I am the manager. Did you have a problem with something?

L: I bought these shoes last week and they are starting to fall apart and I want my money back.

M: Let me see the shoes, please. Oh, this is no problem at all. We can fix these for you again in no time.

L: I don't want them repaired. I want my money back.

M: It is not our policy to refund money.

L: I understand what you are saying, but I want my money back.

M: Listen, Mr. ...?

L: Lopez.

M: Mr. Lopez, if we refunded everybody's money, we would have a bookkeeping nightmare. We just can not afford that. Surely you can understand.

L: I understand what you are saying, but I want my money back.

M: But you have worn these for a week. We can not give you all your money back.

L: I know I only wore them for a week and they started falling apart and I want my money back.

M: (Sigh) O.K., come with me and I will see that you get it back.

Activity 1: Discussion Questions

How did Mr. Lopez take care of his problem? What method did he use?

How did the salesman and the manager try to make Mr. Lopez feel guilty? (What kinds of things did they say?)

How did they try to "pass the buck" (avoid responsibility)?

How did Mr. Lopez react to the salesman and the manager?

What do you think of Mr. Lopez's method?

Would you like to use his method? If so, in what situations?

Activity 2: Discourse Strategy

Explain the philosophy behind the technique, namely, persistence pays off. Point out to the student that limited language ability should not be a disadvantage for them with this type of technique.

Activity 3: Creating the Situational Dialog

Have students tell about times when they were wronged as consumers and what, if anything, they did about it.

Divide the class into pairs and have them create situational dialogs following the example. The following examples of incidents may help to get them started:

1. Being short changed at the checkout counter.
2. A landlord does not want to make household repairs.
3. Returning faulty merchandise.

Have students read their dialogs and enact them before the class.