Good Customers Help You Weather The Bad Ones

(I work in an ice cream parlour that is very busy during the few hot days of summer we have. This occurs on a day with 28°C (about 82°F) temperatures, which is very high here. An elderly woman with a child in tow storms up to me after I served her a few minutes ago. On her way, she skips a queue of about twenty people.)

Customer #1: “Look at this! This is absolutely horrible!” *she gestures at her ice cream which is beginning to melt*

Me: “I’m very sorry, but since our ice cream is freshly made, some of it hasn’t quite set yet. There are napkins over there in the corner if you want.”

Customer #1: “No! This is unacceptable! I have just paid money for this and I want you to give me a new one!”

Me: “All right, but then I must suggest you either choose peanut, chocolate, or elderflower, since these have been sitting in the freezer for the longest amount of time.”

(The customer completely ignores me and tells me to get her strawberry. I comply, but inform her again that our ice cream is freshly made and not completely set yet. I give her her ice cream and she leaves, but comes back not five minutes later again skipping ahead of the queue.)

Customer #1: “Make the ice cream stop melting!”

Me: “I’m very sorry, but as I informed you before—“

Customer #1: “I don’t care; just make it not melt!”

(By now the other customers have started giggling and a man speaks up.)

Customer #2: “Hey, lady, the only way she can make your ice cream stop melting is by changing the weather.”

Customer: *looking at me* “See? This man knows how it’s do—“ *she realizes what she is saying, turns bright red, turns on her heels, and storms out with the child*