Having A Whine About The Wine

(I work at the fish counter in a well-known supermarket chain. This exchange takes place just before nine am on a Saturday, one hour after opening. A well-dressed woman walks up.)

Me: *smiling* “Hi, there, what can I get you?”

Customer: “I’d like four of the salmon fillets in two oven bags with lemon butter.”

Me: “No problem.” *printing the barcode labels to stick to the bags* “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but how much longer will you be in the store for?”

Customer: “What do you mean?”

Me: “It’s just that I notice you have milk, meats, and various chilled items, as well as your fish.”

Customer: *looking suspicious* “Does that matter?”

Me: “You also have several bottles of wine in your trolley.”

Customer: “I don’t see the problem here.”

Me: “Alcohol can only be sold during licensing hours, which here is 10 ’til 10. You’d have to be in-store for at least another hour before you can buy any.”

(By this point I have bagged the salmon, heat-sealed it and am now sticking on the labels.)

Customer: “But I need this wine today! I’m having friends round for dinner; that’s why I need the salmon!”

Me: “It’s no problem. You could leave the wines here at the counter. The aisle’s just there and we’re not busy yet, so I can put them back, or I can hold them here at the counter for you until you come to get them after 10.”

Customer: “I don’t have time for that! I’m having friends round and I need to cook!”

Me: “Well, nobody can sell alcohol before 10, so that’s really your only option, unless come back later and redo your whole shop, but that’s just inconvenient for everyone.”

(I hand her the bags of salmon, which she throws in the trolley.)

Customer: “Never mind, then.”

(She then flounced off, leaving the trolley parked in front of the counter, full of shopping. I called after her; she ignored me and left the store. I had to call colleagues from various other departments to take the trolley back, root through it, and take the items from their departments back to the shelves and fridges/freezers. I just cut open the salmon bags and put the fillets back on display.  The kicker, though? I came back from my hour lunch break a little after one, and she was having a go at the colleague covering me for “not keeping all her shopping aside for her, ‘like that stupid little kid promised.’” I took a great deal of pleasure informing her she’d have to redo the lot.)