He’d Just Like To Point Out That He Doesn’t Like To Be Pointed Out

I’m helping one of my coworkers ring to get the line down when the next customer in line goes to my coworker’s register to ask if we have a particular item.

Customer: “Do you know if you have any eyeglass cleaning travel kits? You can just point me in the direction.”

Coworker: “I’m not sure.”

My coworker turns to me since the line has gone.

Coworker: “Do you know if we carry eyeglass cleaning travel kits?”

Me: “We might have some at the eyeglass stand by the pharmacy.”

Customer: *Looking annoyed* “And where is that?”

Me: “If you go right in front of the pharmacy, there is a stand with eyeglasses. It should be somewhere over there.”

The customer rolls his eyes for what we fear is annoyance that we won’t show him directly, even though I am now ringing out another customer and he told us to just point him in the direction. My coworker steps up since she is free to go look with him at the eyeglass stand while I continue to ring out customers at my register. Shortly, they come back and the line is gone again.

Coworker: “We couldn’t find any eyeglass cleaning kits. Only the repair kits.”

Me: “Well, then, I think all we have are the individual spray bottles and wipes. Would that be all right, sir?”

Customer: *Rudely* “No, that would not be all right! Your company makes these kits and I have bought them at [Store] before!”

Me: “Have you bought them at this particular store, sir?”

Customer: “No, but your company makes them!”

My coworker calls my manager who is upstairs in our overstock room to check and make sure we don’t have any lying around, and I check our computer system to make sure, as well. Lo and behold, nothing shows up in my system and the manager says he didn’t find any.

Me: “Well, sir, unfortunately, if corporate doesn’t think we would sell many of them, they won’t give them to us to sell. We simply don’t have them. I can call neighboring stores for you and see if they have any in stock. Would that be all right?”

Customer: “No! Is there any way you can order them?”

Me: “We might be able to, but the soonest we would get it in is next Friday, if we get it at all.”

Customer: “Yeah, well, put in a request to get them!”

Me: “All right, sir, I’ll let my manager know.”

Customer: “So, do you know how many you’re getting?”

Me: “I don’t know that, sir. I’m sorry but there is no way for me to know that.”

Customer: “So, how do I know I’m going to get one when it gets here?”

Me: “If we get them, I’ll put one on hold for you. Let me just print up a hold slip.”

I print up a hold slip from my register and take his information. I also write a note for his request and tape both onto the office door so the manager will see it and the customer abruptly leaves.

Coworker: *To me* “Oh, my God.”

Me: “I know! Why would he be willing to wait a week, if at all, for something instead of just driving down the street to get it?!”

Later, I relayed what had happened to my manager who was coming downstairs and he was equally confused as to why the customer would refuse me to call stores that at most are ten minutes away from ours to see if they carried what he was looking for.