I’m outside in my store’s garden center. I am the only cashier out there — and sometimes the only employee out there at all. I have a small line, but it’s nothing too serious until the woman I’m serving speaks up.

Woman: “You need to call security. The woman behind me has been stealing.”

Startled, I look to the woman behind her, who thrusts her cart forward abruptly, nearly hitting the woman who called her a thief.

Woman: “Can I have six feet distance, please?! That is not six feet!”

Of course, I want to report her if she’s been stealing, but because I haven’t caught her at it, I can’t. The two women begin arguing as I continue to ring the woman out, and I try to figure out if it would actually make things worse to call a manager. I’m worried things may get physical.

Finally, I finish ringing the woman out, but instead of leaving, she merely moves forward enough for the “thief” to push her cart up to the register. Now I’m VERY worried, as I consider a physical confrontation almost inevitable, but I’m still scared of “involving” myself by acting to stop them.

They continue to snap at each other for a few minutes, and then both give each other a haughty glare before falling silent. I continue ringing out the second woman quietly, nearly having an anxiety attack, when the first woman turns around again and holds her purse out to her adversary.

Woman: “Did you want to use my card, mom?”

I almost broke down right then. I’d been terrified that I’d have to intervene in a fight, assuming I didn’t start it myself by calling a manager on them, and it had been a joke the whole time! Once I’d calmed down — long after they had gone — I was furious.

I used to live and work in a small everybody-knows-everybody town. I’ve had a few incidents related to that fact. Once, my boss got a complaint about me for not greeting a customer, while I was outside, walking, on my day off.

On another occasion, I ran into a customer in a department store in a nearby city.

Customer #1: “You shouldn’t be here! You should be back in [Town], working!”

Then, she threw a toy at me and told me to look up the price.

And, one sunny day in the same city, I was minding my own business in a larger grocery store when an older couple (also from my town) came up to me with a couple of coupons.

Customer #2: “Where are these items?”

I ended up moving to a larger city farther away from my hometown where I could be more anonymous. What bliss.

We’re a small electronic store. The customer is a semi-regular known for always trying to haggle despite our prices being firm and him being reminded of that every single time he comes in. I personally had to deal with him quite a few times, so it comes as a relief when the owner decides to handle him this time around.

Customer: *Chooses a cheap flip phone* “How much is this one?”

Owner: “$40.”

Customer: “Is that with the discount?”

Owner: “I’m sorry, there is no discount on this model.”

Customer: “Last time there was a discount.”

Owner: “When was that last time?”

Customer: “You know, last time.”

Owner: “Well, I don’t recall this model ever being on discount, sorry.”

Customer: “What was the price, again?”

Owner: “$40.”

Customer: “$30?”

Owner: “No, sir, $40.”

Customer: “$35?”

Owner: “Our prices are firm, sir.”

Customer: “Come on! It’s a cheap phone. Can’t you do a better price on it?”

Owner: “Fine, $50.”

Customer: “I said a better price!”

Owner: “It’s better for me; I get to keep the difference!”

The customer stormed out.

Related:
Can They Haggle? No Or No?, Part 2
Can They Haggle? No Or No?

A customer is checking out at my register and reads my name tag.

Customer: “[My Name]. You know what I think of when I hear that name? A girl riding bareback on a horse. Naked.”

I respond before I can stop myself.

Me: “What the actual f***?!”

The customer looked shocked, stammered something or other, and then hurried out of the store.

A woman came into our store and asked me a bunch of questions about adult diapers. She bought them and then came back to me.

Woman: “Where is your bathroom? I want to try these out!”

She walked around the store after that trying to talk to me. I couldn’t find enough hiding spots.