His Magnetic Personality Won The Day
(I am an African-American male. When I was 13, I was in a car accident that has left me with a little bit of a limp since. I have two metal rods in my leg from the accident. An elderly customer comes into my lane for checkout.)
Me: “Hello, how are you today, ma’am? Did you find everything you were looking for?”
Elderly Customer: “Actually, I couldn’t find this brownie mix.”
(The customer shows me a coupon for the mix.)
Me: “Oh, I can get that for you! Just a moment!”
(I start to walk away. My limp is showing, as it always is. I hear the woman speak up from behind me.)
Elderly Customer: “Excuse me!”
Me: “Yes?”
Elderly Customer: “I know that you guys like to walk like that, but could you hurry? I’m in a bit of a rush!”
Me: “What do you mean, ma’am?”
Elderly Customer: “The way you young lazy n****** walk these days. I’m surprised your pants are even up!”
(Now I get what she’s saying, and I feel I should show her something. We keep fridge-magnets for sale near the checkout. I call out to a nearby coworker)
Me: “Hey, [coworker], can you toss me a magnet?”
(My coworker tosses ones to me, and I stick the magnet to my leg.)
Me: “My mother and I were hit by a drunk driver when I was 13 years old. I am lucky I can even walk, since my leg is held together by metal rods.”
(The customer is now screaming incoherently; the only words that could be made out are racial slurs and shrieking. My manager walks up.)
Manager: “Excuse me, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave the store immediately. You cannot speak to my employees like that.”
Elderly Customer: “Fine! I don’t care! I wouldn’t buy anything any n***** touched anyway!”
(The customer continues screaming the whole way out, slowly being drowned out by people cheering her out. When I look at who has been behind her in the line the whole time, I see the girl from the coffee shop next door. I have had a little crush on her for a while. She says that was the most amazing thing she has ever seen, and asks me out!)
This story is part of our Juneteenth roundup!
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
