Behavior That’s Not Newsworthy
We have a regular older guy who would wait outside our store at 6.55 AM every day. We opened at 7 AM, and he would come in and try to buy his daily newspaper with a $100 bill.
Every… single… day.
We used to have an extra $100 in change in the register to be ready for him, but then our store got a reputation as “the one that always had lots of cash” and we got robbed too many times for comfort, so we started going back to the old rule of not having more than a hundred in the register at any given time.
This did not go down well with the customer.
Customer: “It’s real money! You have to take it! It’s my right!”
Me: “Sir, no one is questioning the bill; I am sure it’s real. But for reasons already explained, we can no longer accept hundreds, and especially right at opening when we only have a hundred in change in the register.”
Customer: “That’s not my problem! I’m a customer, and it’s your job to accept my money and make change!”
Me: “Actually, sir, it isn’t. We’re allowed to refuse a sale if—”
Customer: *Going apoplectic at the word.* “Refuse?! Refuse?! You would dare… refuse a sale?! Are you stupid, boy?! Get me your manager! Now!”
I get the manager, and he tries to explain the situation again.
Customer: “If you’re worried about robberies, then hire security or get a gun! It’s not my problem! I expect to come here and get my newspaper and pay however I d*** well please!”
Manager: “Sir, if you expect to get enough change back, I will need to go into the back office to count out the money. I can only do that when I have completed my other opening duties. Will you wait?”
Customer: “Fine, but hurry up!”
The customer stands aside to let other customers be served. My manager goes out the back to continue processing the inventory that arrived overnight. Then he takes a phone call from the district manager. Then he starts putting out some promotional items.
Customer: “What the f*** are you doing?! You said you were gonna get change!”
Manager: “Yes, after all the opening duties are done. It should be another half an hour or so. Then I should be able to get to the safe. Hmm, I do hope I remember the combination…”
Customer: “This is f****** ridiculous! I’ve been here for almost twenty minutes, and all I want is my f****** newspaper!”
Manager: “You could have been out of here by now if you’d paid with one of those fives I see sticking out from your wallet.”
The customer just growls, while my manager continues to ever-so-meticulously put out the display items, making doubly sure they’re all facing the same way and lined up nicely.
After another ten minutes, the customer growls again, throws a five-dollar bill on the counter, takes his newspaper, and leaves. He didn’t even wait to get his change.
It took three more mornings like this, going through the exact same routine, before the customer stopped coming in altogether.
