Enough To Have Misogynists “Foam” At The Mouth
(During college, I spend three years as a part-time employee at a popular fabric and craft store. It is a busy day around the holidays and I am working at the cutting counter. My next customer is a man carrying a big, three-inch piece of our green upholstery foam, along with an old, oddly shaped cushion.)
Me: “Hi. What can I get for you?”
Customer: “I need this foam cut in this shape so I can reupholster this bench seat. I need three pieces in this shape.”
(We aren’t allowed to cut things into custom shapes because if we mess up that item has been wasted and the customer is upset. Our job is simply to get people the amount of fabric, or in this case, foam, that they need so that they can do their project themselves.)
Me: “I’m sorry, sir. I’m not allowed to do custom cuts. I can cut this foam at the length you need, but I can’t cut it into the shapes you need.”
Customer: “I don’t understand. I just need this foam cut into three pieces in this shape. I even brought the old cushion so you could do it exactly as I need it.”
Me: “Again, I can’t do custom cuts like that. I can cut it to the length you need but not the shapes you need.”
Customer: “That’s absurd. How am I supposed to cut this at home? I don’t have the right tools.”
Me: “Actually, sir, we use either a bread knife or an electric turkey cutter.”
Customer: “But why can’t you just do it for me? I don’t understand.”
Me: “It’s against policy, sir. I could lose my job.”
(This goes on for about ten minutes, with me trying to explain that I can’t do a custom cut and trying to come up with a solution for him. We’re both getting frustrated and, honestly, the customer is getting aggressive. I want to avoid getting the manager because it is busy and I hope I can solve the problem myself and not bother them, but I finally suggest I call one.)
Me: “Sir, would you like me to get the manager?”
Customer: “Yes, you do that!”
(I call a manager, she comes over to the cutting counter, and I explain the situation. She tells him the same thing I did, and they argue back and forth for a moment before my manager finally relents.)
Manager: “All right, sir. If you buy the full amount of the foam and pay for it first, then I’ll cut the foam into the shape you need.”
(The customer agrees and I print him a ticket for the amount of foam he needs. He goes to the front and pays, then comes back to the cutting counter and my manager pulls out the bread knife and starts cutting it for him. He looks at me with a terrifying grin and drops this nightmarish line.)
Customer: “I never take no from a woman.”
(I stared at him, stunned. I glanced at my coworker, who had been handling the line during all this. My coworker looked equally horrified. I don’t know if the customer meant for it to sound as bad as it did, but I definitely had someone walk me to my car for the next couple of weeks.)
