Customer Service Required Even Where There Should Be No Customers  

(I work in a discount retail store where, since it’s getting close to Christmas, we are receiving Saturday shipments of merchandise and the usual stockroom team will not come in on the weekends, which is why I am here. I’m currently in the stockroom where I am processing clothing to go out to the floor; we are also overloading with shoe carts that need to go out to the floor. I notice a customer peeking through the small window on the stockroom door and knocking on it. My coworkers look at me since I am a senior employee. I eventually open the door to see what the customer needs.) 

Me: “Hi! Is there anything I can do for you?”

Customer: “Shoes, I need the runner to run the shoes so I can purchase them; his name is [Coworker].” 

Me: “Oh, I apologize but that employee has already left for the day. We typically can’t run anything when we are short of stock staff on the weekend, but it will be run to the floor on Monday!” 

Customer: “No, you don’t understand. [Coworker] always runs the shoes when a truck comes in.” 

Me: “Yes, ma’am, but we are on a tight budget on weekends, so [Coworker] has gone home for the day and the shoes will be run on Monday. If is there a particular shoe I can find for you?” 

Customer: “Are you f****** kidding me? How does a business expect to stay open if shoes aren’t being put on the floor?! I need [Expensive New Style of Jordans that we won’t carry for another year]! ARE YOU THE MANAGER?!”

Me: “I do apologize for the inconvenience, ma’am, but I can’t do anything for you and no, I am not the manager on duty. And no, we do not have any Jordans back here. Our merchandise should be out any later than Monday. Have a great day!” 

(I close the door and go back to my duties. The customer pushes open the door and starts browsing the selection of shoes in the cart.)

Me: “MA’AM, YOU CANNOT BE BACK HERE! THIS IS FOR EMPLOYEES ONLY.” 

Customer: “You said you couldn’t bring them to the floor, so I thought I could just come to look at them.” 

(I got written up for the incident because I couldn’t provide proper customer service, even though I asked her if she was looking for a particular brand.)