It’s Now In The Auda-City Landfill
I’m working the register at the cafe inside a grocery store. We sell pre-made salads, hot meals, and custom sandwiches. It’s about 3:45 PM on a weekday when a man comes up to the counter looking very determined.
Customer: “I left a sandwich here yesterday. Was it handed into your lost and found?”
Me: “…Sorry, you left a sandwich?”
Customer: “Yeah. Turkey club, no tomato, extra mayo. I ordered it around 1 PM, but I got a phone call, had to leave fast. I left it on the table, right over there.”
He points to a small corner booth now occupied by a teenager doing homework and a grandma drinking decaf.
Me: “So you ordered a sandwich yesterday, didn’t eat it, and forgot it on that table?”
Customer: “Well, I had a couple of bites.”
Me: “…”
Customer: “So I’d like to get it now, please.”
Me: “…It’s been twenty-seven hours.”
Customer: “I know.”
I think he’s joking, but his face is dead serious.
Me: “Sir… we clear tables hourly. If it was left out, it would’ve been thrown away yesterday afternoon.”
Customer: *Frowning.* “No one bagged it up for me? You just tossed it?”
Me: “We don’t hold leftovers. Especially not for a full day.”
Customer: “Well, that’s on you then. I want a replacement.”
Me: “Sir… it was a sandwich from yesterday. You abandoned it. We didn’t even know it was yours.”
Customer: “So you expect me to pay for it twice just because you people don’t keep track of inventory?”
At this point, he’s loud enough to make the grandma glance over.
Me: “I can get my manager if you’d like—”
Customer: “—Yeah, do that. Get someone who understands customer service!”
My manager arrives. I give her the abridged version, while the man crosses his arms.
Manager: *Calmly. “Sir, we dispose of unclaimed food items for health reasons.”
Customer: “I want it replaced. Or comped. That’s all I’m asking.”
Manager: “That’s not all you’re asking. You’re effectively asking for free food. Our job is to make food, not babysit it overnight. If you want another sandwich, you need to pay for it.”
Customer: “So you threw away my sandwich and won’t replace it. That’s basically stealing!”
Manager: “I can give you the address of the landfill where our waste goes? You’re welcome to go looking for it there.”
Customer: *After a pause.* “The sandwich looked gross anyway!” *Storms out.*
