Got You Working Down To The Wire

I work at a well-known home and hardware store with extended trading hours. Obviously, we don’t have the full team on at seven am as we do at, say, ten am. I am working at the checkout.

Me: “Hi, how are you?”

The customer ignores me and slams down a piece of electrical wire he had cut.

Customer: “Just this.”

Me: “Now, did anyone cut this for you, so I can look it up in the system?”

Customer: “No, I just cut it myself.”

Me: “That’s fine. Next time, just try to get someone to cut it for you as it can be a little difficult to find on our system up the front and I don’t want you to wait longer than you need to.”

Customer: “NO! I waited around for fifteen minutes and no one helped me. You should have people running up and down the aisles to serve me. There was no one there!”

Me: “Sorry about that. We have a big blue desk in the middle of the back section of the store. There’s generally always someone there to help.”

Customer: “Why should I have to do that? That’s what you guys are paid for!”

It must have been unknown knowledge to him, but my colleagues actually have stuff to do in the morning when it is quiet; they can’t just meander around waiting for a customer! Furthermore, we had only been open for about fifteen minutes and it would have taken him at least five minutes to put through the rest of his order.