Her Threat Is Not Worth The Paper It’s Written On

(My store offers customers the choice between paper and plastic bags. As we are very busy in the days leading up to Easter, we run out of paper bags and only have plastic. It is now the day after Easter. An old woman comes up to my register with a small cart of items.)

Me: “Hello, did you find everything you needed?”

Customer: “Yes. I need all this in paper.”

Coworker: *who is bagging* “I’m sorry, ma’am, we ran out of paper bags.”

Customer: “Now, I said I’d NEVER shop here again if you ran out of paper bags.”

Me: “I’m sorry; we ran out just Saturday. It—”

Customer: “Well, [Other Grocery Store] never runs out of paper bags! This store is just too cheap to buy enough paper bags.”

Me: “I’m sorry but I can’t speak for [Other Grocery Store]. All I know is that it was very busy Friday, very busy Saturday, and paper bags don’t come in until Tuesday.”

Customer: *gives me a look of pure hate*

Me: “Your total is [total].”

(I finish bagging her grocery in silence and hand her her receipt.)

Me: “All right, you have four bags. Would you like some help outside today?”

Customer: “No, just put it in the cart.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, we’re not allowed to let the carts outside of the store. I’d be happy to help—”

Customer: “Just keep your d*** groceries!”

(The customer walks right out the door and leaves behind her paid-for groceries. I don’t know what to do, so I just go and tell my supervisor. She freaks out and gets me freaked out about what our store manager will say to both of us. The customer’s groceries are still just sitting at my register. 15 minutes later my customer comes back, somehow looking both haughty and intensely embarrassed.)

Customer: “Well, since they’re mine, I’ll just take them.”

Me: “Do you need help out—”

Customer: “NO!”