A False Cart

(I work in a superstore in a mall with three floors. The first and second floor have the only entrances/exits and the only registers, so that’s where we keep the cart returns, but the escalators have a mechanism to bring carts up and down between floors. The third floor is all merchandise. I’ve brought a cart upstairs for my own use, to hold cleaning supplies, defective merchandise, etc. I already have some equipment and my own jacket in it. A customer approaches me with a full handbasket.)

Customer: “Excuse me, where can I get a shopping cart?”

Me: “That would be downstairs, on the first or second floor.”

Customer: “There’s none up here?”

Me: “No, I’m sorry. Since the only entrances and exits are on floors one or two, that’s where we keep the carts.”

(He seems less than satisfied, but by this point I’ve gotten to the employees-only supply room, and bring my cart inside to fill it. A coworker comes in a moment later with his own cart.)

Coworker: “There’s a customer out there asking for a cart. Like, he wanted me to give him mine.”

(I laugh, but brace myself. Sure enough, when I exit the customer is loitering by our employees-only door. At this point he would have spent less time going downstairs and getting his own cart.)

Customer: “Hey, I want to speak to your manager.”

Me: *brightly* “Sure! He’ll be down on the second floor, at the service desk. Just right of the cart return.”