The Couponator 28: Panic Attack!

I’m helping out on the register against a huge line.

Me: “Hi, how are you?”

The customer doesn’t respond, just puts things on the table. She has a lot of things. While I’m bagging some wooden items, she snaps:

Customer: “Don’t drop those!”

I take that as a sign to be extra careful with her things. When I’m finished, she gives me a coupon… which has just expired literally today. Usually, this isn’t a hard problem to fix, but…

Customer: “Well, this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t taken two hours to ring me up!”

Me: “I didn’t take two hours; it was five minutes tops! I can do the coupon manually—”

Customer: “You’re the slowest cashier I’ve ever had! You shouldn’t be in customer service!”

I have anxiety, and this triggers an attack. My hands are shaking, I have a hard time breathing, and my manager is too busy to assist.

Customer: “This is so unprofessional!”

Me: *Wheezing* “Y-You… insulted me… and that…”

Customer: “You can’t even breathe right now!”

Me: “FINE!”

I stormed out and left her there, going to the break room so I could calm down. My manager sympathized with me, so I didn’t get a write-up.

It’s funny in hindsight. If she had let me do the coupon manually instead of riling me into a panic attack, she would’ve been out of that store MUCH quicker!

Related:
The Couponator 27: Red Friday
The Couponator 26: Father’s Day
The Couponator 25: The Cheese Explosion
The Couponator 24: My Funds, My Rules
The Couponator 23: The Time Destroyer