Abuse With The Shoes

(I work on the children’s department of a shoe store. We ask customers to take a ticket when they come in so everyone can be seen to in the order they arrived. There are three other staff members available to come serve customers if it gets busy.)

Manager: “Can you go check everyone’s ticket numbers and make sure the ticket counter is up to date?”

(There are four sets of customers on the floor. I explain to each that I am checking the numbers to see which order they are to be served in. They all politely show me their number and wait their turn. I’m asking the third customer when the fourth approaches me.)

Me: “I’m just checking the ticket numbers. May I see yours?”

Customer #3: “Of course. Here you—”

Customer #4: “I want this shoe in a five.”

(She proceeds to shove a children’s boot into my hand and stare at me. I don’t see a ticket in her hand or a child with her and assume she just wants to take a pair without fitting.)

Me: “Okay, I’ll call one of my colleagues from the back to get you these as I’m currently sorting out the customers with tickets.”

(She looks angrily at me, grabs the boot, slams it back down on the shelf where she found it and proceeds to storm past me towards the door.)

Customer #4: “This is horrid customer service! You should be ashamed! You’ve lost a customer and you’ve lost a sale!!”

(I stand there speechless and confused then look towards the third customer again.)

Customer #3: “I don’t know what just happened either.”