He Said The Quiet Part Out Loud… And In Front Of A Crowd

I used to work in a craft store infamous for being understaffed. This problem was made worse with the global health crisis, as bored people were flocking to us for crafts and we weren’t hiring anyone to keep up with the workload.

On top of that, corporate added curbside to our duties, bragging on our website that we could have an order ready in two hours. We were never able to get an order ready that fast, leading to a barrage of complaints.

One weekend, I was ringing up a huge line of customers when a man came in.

Customer: “I’m [Customer]? I’m here for my order?”

Me: “Did you receive an email telling you it was ready?”

Customer: “Well, no.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but your order isn’t ready yet. Once it’s complete, you will receive an email.”

Customer: “But your website said it would be ready in two hours!”

Coworker: “We’re sorry. We do work to get orders as fast as we can, but we have a very short staff and a lot of people, so you’ll have to wait just a bit longer.”

Customer: *Outraged* “I still have to wait for my order?!”

Me: *Fed up with him* “So does everyone else!”

Customer: “I DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSE!”

At this, the crowd of customers all turned to glare at him. He became sheepish and sulked off.

Customer #2: *To me* “Boy, the people you put up with…”

In the end, our manager finished his order next and he received it, and apparently, he apologized for losing his temper.

Sometimes you have to appreciate the power of an angry mob.