It’s Not Fun For Them If They Have No Control Over You

We have a regular customer that’s known in our store for being absolutely miserable to deal with every time, slinging verbal abuse at employees, and demanding free stuff for nonsense reasons.

This is the story of the first time he encounters our new assistant manager. I see him roll in, hovering around the next department over. Strangely enough, he walks away without incident.

I brace myself for a conflict when he then walks to my department with a scowl on his face, only for my dread to turn to confusion when his face twists into anger, and yet he again passes over without throwing one of his trademark tantrums.

He then heads for the door and comes back in, pushing a shopping cart, briefly flashing a mischievous grin before stomping back to my department with his famous scowl. He stops one of my coworkers.

Customer: “Get me a manager! NOW!”

My coworker does as instructed, and our new assistant manager comes down.

Assistant Manager: “Hello, sir, I’m the manager, how may I—”

Customer: “Do I have to call corporate? MY SHOPPING CART DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A CUP HOLDER FOR MY COFFEE!”

Assistant Manager: “Yep, call ’em.”

With that, he walked off.

Our regular customer stood there stunned, quietly sputtering as though still trying to find words to argue with the manager’s quickly disappearing backside. Defeated, he sheepishly shuffled back to the door to return the shopping cart, then resumed his shopping, somehow managing just fine without a cart or cupholder.

I think I’m going to like our new manager.