Failing To Register

(It’s early morning and we have just two people working, one person to take money, the other to get the order. This is how we are trained to work, and we function quickly and efficiently this way. A regular customer has begun complaining about the way we run the bakery every day she comes in, and has tried several times to cut in line. On this day, she cuts in front of another customer I’m serving to complain yet again.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but she is ordering with me right now. It’ll be just a moment.”

Regular: *steps off in a huff* “Why are two people helping one customer? You need to open another register.”

(After the other customer is done, the regular rushes to my register again.)

Me: “Good morning.”

Regular: “Why do you need two people to help one person? It’s bad business!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am. What would you like today?”

Regular: *gives her order* “You people have become so slow! You used to be good, but recently you’ve been giving really terrible service.”

(I want to explain that this is the slowest month of the year, and the management has cut the amount of staff in half to accommodate for the lack of business and ease up on labor costs, but I don’t want to start an argument.)

Me: *repeats her order* “Would you like anything else today, ma’am?”

Regular: “No. You need to have more registers open, it’s bad business!”

Me: “That’ll be [price]; for here or to go?”

(She gives me the money as she continues to rant about how slow we’ve gotten and then turns away in a huff. Meanwhile, there’s another regular, a city police officer, who is sitting at the table immediately next to my register. She stands up and watches the regular stomp away.)

Officer: “Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

Me: *whispering* “She’s like that every day!”

Officer: “Really?”

(I turn and discover that the first regular has flagged down my manager, and is continuing her rant loudly.)

Me: *still whispering* “Oh, great, now she’s harassing him.”

Officer: *loudly and in the regular’s direction* “There is nothing wrong with how these young ladies run this business! Leave them alone! If you have a problem with them or this establishment, you can go somewhere else!”

(All I could do was stare as the regular leaves with her food as quickly as possible; I haven’t seen her since!)