He Pried To Get A Rise Out Of You

My store opens at 9:00 am, but the staff is there early to do opening tasks. We have staggered shifts so not everyone comes and goes at once; the front door is not locked so that the staff can come in when they arrive, but the automatic sensor is turned off. Most of our customers know that if the automatic sliding door doesn’t open, we aren’t open.

We are in our morning meeting when there is a loud knock at the door. We all look to see a man standing outside. The store manager goes to the door but does not open it.

Store Manager: “Hi, can I help you?”

Customer: “What are you doing?”

Store Manager: “Just having our morning meeting. The store doesn’t—”

Customer: “Why is this locked?”

Store Manager: “We don’t actually open for another hour.”

Customer: “I hate this store anyway.” *Stomps off*

Store Manager: *To the team* “Okay, so… back to business.”

Half an hour later, we are doing our opening tasks when the same man walks up behind me.

Customer: “Hey!”

He pokes me twice in the lower back as he speaks. Startled, I drop a glass jar.

Me: “Oh f—” *realizing he’s a customer* “—fffffudge.”

Customer: “Where is everyone?”

Me: *Looking at my watch* “Sir, we don’t open for another half-hour.”

Customer: “Meet me at the checkout.” *Walks away*

I walk off to find my manager in the office.

Me: “Hey, that guy you turned away is back.”

Store Manager: “Tell him we don’t open until nine.”

Me: “Yeah, he’s in the store. He came up behind me and I dropped a glass bottle, which I have to clean up, too.”

Store Manager: *Frustrated sigh* “Why did you let him in?”

Me: “I didn’t.”

Store Manager: “Well… fine. I’ll open a register early, but you can take care of him.”

Me: *Knowing how this will go* “Thanks.”

I clean up the broken glass and meet the man at the register. He has a single small jar of mayonnaise in his hand.

Customer: “Took you long enough.”

Me: “I had to clean up the glass I dropped when you poked me.”

Customer: *Shrugs* “You were no help anyway.”

Me: “Well, sir, as I said, we open at nine.”

Customer: “Then why were the doors open?”

Me: “To allow our staff to come in.”

Customer: “Stupid.”

Me: “Okay. Your total is $2.12.”

He hands me a $100 bill.

Me: “I can’t break that, I’m sorry.”

Customer: “You can and you will. It’s your job.”

Me: *Frustrated* “We aren’t even open yet and you’re trying to give me a $100 bill for a $2 sale? No, I’m not dealing with this.”

We stare at each other for a moment before he puts the bill away.

Customer: “F*** you.”

He left without the mayonnaise.

He called the store later that day to make a complaint, claiming I opened the door for him and harassed him. The store manager checked the video and saw that he’d pried the doors open himself and walked up to me. I didn’t get in trouble for talking to him that way, but we did change the policy to locking the front door before opening. Now one of us has to stop what we’re doing when team members knock, but at least customers can’t let themselves in.