Do Not Trust This Man To Operate A Grill

(I work at the service desk of a grocery store where we do, among other things, propane grill tank exchanges. There is a gas station associated with the store at the far end of the parking lot, which is a good walk away, and we have never done tank exchanges out there. A man comes up to the service desk carrying his propane tank. After exchanging the customary greetings, this conversation takes place.)

Me: “Do you have any other shopping to do?”

Customer: *nods*

Me: “Okay, I’m going to have to ask you to please leave the tank outside while you shop and when you go to check out at the registers, tell the cashier that you’re exchanging a propane tank.”

(I wave behind me in the direction of the cash registers as I mention them. The man nods again and heads out. Thinking that is the end of it, I return to what I was doing. I turn around to see the man standing at the desk again.)

Me: “Did you have a question, sir?”

Customer: “So, you mean that I have to go way out to the fuel center to do my exchange?”

Me: *slowly* “No.”

Customer: “I have to do it here?”

Me: *starting to get annoyed* “You said you have other shopping to do, right?”

Customer: “Yeah.”

Me: “Tell the cashier at checkout that you have a propane exchange.”

Customer: *stares at me blankly*

Me: *wondering how to tell him without being too condescending* “So, what you want to do is grab a shopping cart and do your shopping. Then, when you’re all done and ready to check out, you tell the cashier up there at the register that you have a propane tank outside and you would like to exchange it for a new one.”

(As I am explaining to the man, I wildly point in the direction of each thing I mention, hoping he understands.)

Customer: *grumbles as he walks away* “You could’ve said that in the first place.”

Me: *trying to not rip my hair out due to frustration*