Unfiltered Story #67092

(I work on third shift at a gas station and I have a problem with customers coming in late at night and giving me loads and loads of change. I’ve been told multiple times by my coworkers that I can refuse large amounts of change if it isn’t grouped in rolls. A lady comes in asking to buy a phone card.)

Customer: I hope you like quarters because I have a bunch of them.

Me: Sorry, but I can’t take them if it’s more than ten dollars and if they aren’t in a roll.

Customer: Are you serious?

Me: Yes. A lot of people pay with their change and it adds up. Sometimes I will end up 20-30 dollars in loose quarters at the end of my shift and it’s a hassle to get it all counted down for the next shift.

Customer: I don’t believe this. You’re telling me that my money isn’t good enough?

(I begin to panic slightly at this point, because I didn’t expect her to get so angry over it. I saw that she even had atleast four or five 20 bills in her wallet before she started digging the quarters out…)

Me: No. That’s not what I meant. It’s just that it’s hard to keep so many quarters together–

Customer: Well, if you’re going to pull that, I want a card with your corporate’s number. I’ll call them and let them know the conversation *insert my name since she saw my name tag* and I had.

(I was stunned in silence before I told her that I’ll get the number for her.)

Customer: Trying to tell me you can’t accept my money. Now what’s it going to be? Accept my change or am I going to have a nice conversation with your corporate office?

(I don’t know if I was more angry that the lady was trying to ‘blackmail’ me for trying to follow procedure or more upset at the chance of getting in trouble with corporate. But, I give in because I really don’t want to get in trouble. A jerk customer isn’t worth getting reprimanded over.)

Me: *voice cracking because I started to cry a bit* Fine.

Customer: *opens her mouth to say something else, but stops when she noticed me wiping my eyes*

(For a moment, she just counts out her quarters, having 20 dollars worth for a phone card. I have nothing else to say to this woman and just do my best to get her out of the store quickly. Luckily no one else was around, so I had a few seconds to quietly sob in frustration. Despite this, the woman stands outside in the parking lot beside her car, adding the phone card in.)

(A younger, male customer comes in and asks me if I’m ok.)

New customer: You look like a puppy that was kicked.

Me: *trying to still not cry, but my voice is very obvious and still wiping at my eyes* You could say that.