Entitlement Can Be Found On Every Aisle

(Working as a cashier for four years has taught me a great deal of patience, but one particular woman always tries to cause a huff when she comes into the store. Today, however, we are short staffed. I am at my register and can not leave the front end, my manager is unloading the truck by himself in the back of the store, and we have one person working in the print department, who also can not leave her station, leaving no one working on the floor. It’s beginning to pick up and I notice the offending woman entering the store. From my register I see her quickly pace up and down the front of the store a couple times looking increasingly irate. She turns around to look at me.)

Customer: *suddenly yelling* “Isn’t there anyone working on the FLOOR?”

Me: *having to speak much louder than normal due to the distance between us* “My apologies, ma’am. We are a bit short staffed at the moment, but I will see if someone is available.”

(At this point the customer forcefully sighs and throws her arms in the air but stays where she is. I radio to my manager that the customer needed assistance ASAP. Before I can even finish speaking over the radio she starts up again.)

Customer: *yelling to no one in particular* “I can’t believe there’s no one working on the FLOOR!”

(I radio again to my manager, sounding a bit more desperate to have this lady out of my hair, and try to explain the situation. Eventually my manager comes out from the back and walks right up to the customer.)

Manager: *very calmly and with a smile* “My apologies for the wait, ma’am. I have lots of other customers who think they are the most important thing in the world, too.”

(The customer and I kind of looked at him in shock. She mumbled to him the item she wanted and I rang up the transaction trying very hard not to laugh. She left without another word.)