Less Dress Codes, More Codes Of Conduct

(I’m wearing a shirt and khaki pants while shopping at a certain discount store; I am not an employee. Another customer approaches me. )

Customer: “Do you have any more of these in back?”

Me: “Sorry, I don’t work here.”

(I push my cart down the next aisle and continue my shopping.)

Customer: “Excuse me! Don’t ignore a customer! That is rude!”

Me: “I don’t work here. If you pick up the phone at the end of the aisle, they will send someone over to help you.”

(I walk away and continue shopping.)

Customer: “I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET FIRED FOR BEING SO RUDE! IN THIS ECONOMY, GOOD LUCK FINDING ANOTHER JOB!”

Me: “I don’t work here. I can’t help you!”

Customer: “How rude!”

(Later on, as I am pushing my cart of purchases out of the store, I see the customer talking to a manager.)

Customer: “HIM!” *points at me* “He is the jerk who ignored me in your sporting goods department! You should be ashamed of how rude he is to customers. I won’t shop here if that is the kind of employee you hire.”

Manager: “That man is not one of my employees.”

Customer: “Then you need to make sure customers don’t come to the store dressed like employees!”

(The customer stormed off, but the manager handed me a coupon for a free coffee from the store snack bar for my trouble.)