I am working in the drive-thru for the afternoon shift. A customer drives up and orders a milkshake. They pull around to pay for it.

Me: “That’s one large milkshake; that’ll be [price].”

Customer: “Why is it so expensive?”

Me: “It’s the price on the menu for a large shake plus sales tax.”

Customer: “Well, we don’t have to pay sales tax in Delaware!”

Me: “This is Maryland, ma’am; you have to pay sales tax.”

Customer: “Well, then, I just won’t buy it!”

She then drove off, and seeing as there was no manager on duty, I kept the milkshake in the fridge until he came in for the night shift. He said I could keep it after telling him what had happened.

Related:
I Drink Your Milkshake!

I work at a call center placing orders for a major retailer. I am working with one woman who has trouble placing her order on our website. We came to the part where she has to tell me her card details.

It doesn’t go through; her information isn’t matching.

I advise her that she will need to contact her credit card provider and verify that all of her information is correct.

Customer: “But it is my information; they just extended my date and gave me a new card. Use it!”

Me: “Ma’am, I can’t put your card through; the information will not verify. It is possible that your credit card provider hasn’t got all of your information correctly updated. You just need to check with them and then contact us back with the correct information.”

Customer: “I don’t want to deal with all that; just make it work.”

Me: “The card will not work without that information. It is part of our security program. Without those details matching, we can’t use the card. It is for your protection.”

Customer: “Hmph! Everyone else takes it; why won’t you?”

Me: “It is part of the security, ma’am, to keep people who aren’t authorized from using your information. You need to verify it with your bank.”

Customer: “Well, this isn’t customer service! I’ll just take my business to [Competitor]. You just lost a sale!” *Click*

At least she won’t be calling back to complain that we used her card without her permission.

A young customer approaches my till.

Me: “Hi there!”

Customer: “Hello.”

Me: “Do you have a points card with us?”

Customer: “Yeah.”

Me: “Okay! What’s your phone number?”

Customer: “Umm… I don’t know that. But I have a phone number.”

Awkward silence. Then, the customer speaks a bit more loudly to make sure I hear him.

Customer: “Can you look it up with that?”

Me: “Yeah.”

A little boy and his grandpa approach my counter and I ask to take their order. The grandpa orders his meal and then asks his grandson what kind of kids’ meal he would like. We are currently out of one kind of toy, so I mention it, offering to show him what other toys we have to offer. The boy starts repeatedly chanting loudly:

Boy: “I WANT A BOY TOY!”

Grandpa and I both had to contain ourselves and he got a “boy toy.”

I just started as a lifeguard two weeks ago. I am still a tad nervous about certain rules. My boss says, “Go with your gut instinct. If you’re not comfortable, blow the whistle and stop it.”

I am in the office making phone calls about swim lessons when one of the guards needs to go home. I am to cover her once she leaves. As she comes in, she explains how these certain brothers, about the ages of ten to fourteen, are coming in. They are regulars but they are notorious troublemakers. She warns me that they are a handful and wishes me luck. I mark each boy with a colored marker, which designates how deep they are allowed to swim, and they jump in.

At first, they are pretty easy going. They are shooting hoops at the small basketball net we have. Soon, they start to hang on the rim of the net, which it states clearly in big, bold letters, “Do NOT hang on the rim/net.” I blow my whistle. 

Me: “Hey, guys, please don’t hang on the net. It could fall on you or it could break.” 

Boy #1: “Tsk…” 

I am ignored by the other. Then, they find the small beach balls and start to whip them at each other, especially in the face. There is another family in the open swim area, as well, two parents and their two young children. They occasionally get hit with the ball, too, and get annoyed. I walk over to the edge of the pool.

Me: “Guys, you can throw and catch the balls, but please be respectful of other members.”

Boy #2: “Okay. Hey, let’s go down to the deep end.” 

Boy #1: “Yeah, sounds good.”

I’m thinking by now, “Awesome. I got them to still have fun but keep the other people happy, too.”

Haha, no.

From here, they decide to race across the pool deck and median whipping balls at each other. 

First off, the median is for lifeguards only. It’s the small strip of wall that allows us to walk in between the kiddy pool/shallow end and the lap pool. Second, there is no running on the deck. Period.

These two are all over the place, jumping over the wall and the railing, sliding under the netting, jumping and running on everything. The other guard that was on with me blows her whistle a few times; they just ignore it. Same with me.

Me: “Guys! You need to stop right now. No running on the deck; you can slip and hurt yourself. If you don’t stop, you will be asked to leave immediately.” 

Boy #1: “Whatever.”

They ignore me and continue it. I’m getting so frustrated because I’m still a newbie and I’m still unsure of myself. I don’t want to be the bad guy, but I finally psyche myself up enough courage to say they need to leave. Just as I am about to, the eldest brother throws a ball right into his little brother’s face, and then proceeds to slip on the pool deck. I rush down to help him.

Me: “Are you okay?! This is why you need to follow the pool rules; people get hurt.”

He’d scraped his knee and elbows on the tiles. He grabbed his brother and they ran away, embarrassed and angry. I heard them curse a few times while storming out.

I have seen them back once, but they couldn’t swim because the swim team was using the pool.

Worst part is, I’ve heard from my boss they still keep ignoring the rules and that wasn’t the first time they’d hurt themselves.

Related:
Pooling Together All The Bad Behavior