Karen Sounding Like Scratching Plates
(I am talking to a customer on the phone when I pause beside a register to read the ingredients on an item. Apparently, this means that I am opening the register, so two customers — a man and a woman — come over.)
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not on the register.”
Male Customer: “Then why are you standing here?”
Me: “I’m on the phone with another customer.” *gestures to the phone still in my hand* “You can check out at the registers with the lit numbers.”
Male Customer: “Oh. Sorry.”
Female Customer: “I’m not leaving.”
Me: *gives her a questioning look*
Female Customer: “You heard me. Do your job.”
Me: *points to the phone* “I am.”
(I turn away and leave her standing at the register. A few minutes later, my name is called over the loudspeaker with a request to go back to the same register. I do so and see a manager standing beside the woman, who looks quite pleased with herself.)
Manager: “[My Name], please ring out this woman.”
Female Customer: “If you don’t, I’ll call corporate and tell them what you did.”
Me: “[Manager], can I talk to you for a minute?”
Manager: “After you’re done with her, you can come to see me in the office.”
(The woman unloads her purchases as I sign on the register.)
Female Customer: “You deserve this. Aww. Poor little girl. Someone made you do your job.”
(There are two small ceramic plates, generally used under potted plants, with a piece of tissue paper between them.)
Me: “Do you want the paper between these plates?”
Female Customer: “If you had just done what I told you to do in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Me: “Ma’am, the paper?”
Female Customer: “No. You could have just checked me out and– What are you doing?!”
Me: “You said no.”
Female Customer: “You’re going to scratch them!”
Me: “I asked if you wanted the papers; you said no.”
Female Customer: “I did not! I’ll be sure you’re fired. You’ve been horrible this entire time.”
Me: “Your total is [total].”
Female Customer: “And now you’re trying to push me out the door!
Me: “Just doing my job, ma’am.”
Female Customer: “Your generation is so disrespectful!”
Me: “Cash or card, ma’am?”
Female Customer: *swipes her card* “Everywhere I go, terrible service!”
Me: *handing her the receipt* “Maybe it’s not the associates.”
(I walked away, once again leaving the women at the register. I did have a talk with my manager. She sided with the customer at first, saying I should have opened the register. When I told her what the woman said when I was checking her out, she changed her mind.)
