Don’t Discount The Pettiness Of A Retail Worker At Christmas

It is December 23rd, and I am working in a high-end homewares store. The mall where the store is located is open until late at night, and it’s getting to that angry, stressed-out, desperate stage — the stage where you could wrap a turd in Christmassy paper and someone would buy it.

A middle-aged woman comes in with her teenage daughter. The daughter is a walking cliché: eye-rolling, glued to her phone, and answering her mother with grunts and theatrical sighs.

Mother selects an expensive cookbook and stand, and she wants them wrapped together. I am not an expert gift-wrapper, so it takes me a while. We give Mum a ticket, and she comes back about thirty minutes later.

Something has clearly transpired between Mother and Daughter by the time they come back. Daughter is looking sulky, and Mother is fuming. She slaps the ticket down.

Customer: *Harshly* “I’ve changed my mind! I want a refund!”

Then, the floodgates open.

Customer: “This store is too expensive! Your products are tacky! You should be open more hours! You took too long, and your attitude sucks!”

Me: “Okay… here’s your refund, ma’am. Merry Christmas.”

She was back ten minutes later with some stuff she had fished out of our discount section, and she wanted it wrapped IMMEDIATELY.

So, I did.

I also left the discounted price tags on everything.