Making Hard Times WAY Harder

I work at a very popular pizza place. Ever since the health crisis started, we’ve been super busy, as we are the only food place with regular hours in my town. We’ve also been understaffed up until recently, so a big chunk of our staff is new. Right now, we have a deal for 50% off all pizzas. All of these things added together means that our wait times are a little longer than normal, but still in a reasonable thirty-five- to fifty-minute time frame on our bad days.

It’s a Friday night, mid-dinner rush. This lady approaches the front and gives her name.

Customer: “I’m here to pick up my order.”

Me: “I’m afraid it’s not ready yet.”

She’s annoyed but understands and waits. About five minutes later:

Customer: “Is my food ready yet?”

Coworker #1: “I’m so sorry, but no. It’s still being made. We’re very busy right now, and we’re understaffed. I can offer you some coupons to make up for the delay.”

Customer: “I don’t want any coupons. I just want my food.”

She starts complaining to everyone in the lobby.

Customer: “I put my order in an hour and a half ago, and my food is still not ready!”

That’s actually impossible; none of our orders are that old. Most of the other customers don’t pay attention because they understand that we are understaffed and busy.

Not much time passes before she comes back up to the front and starts swearing at my coworker.

Coworker #1: “We just put it in now; it will be ready in less than ten minutes.”

We even put her pizza in before a few other orders, I might add.

The customer continues to swear. My coworker walks away so she can actually help some other customers get their food.

This woman then proceeds to walk BEHIND OUR COUNTER AND GRAB SOME RANDOM PERSON’S PIZZA. She throws a five-dollar bill down at the person who is taking pizzas out of the oven.

Coworker #2: *Not yelling but loudly* “That’s not your pizza.”

Customer: *Screaming* “I need my food!”

Coworker #2: “That’s a combo, not a pepperoni; that’s not your pizza!”

Customer: “Well, where is my food?!”

Coworker #1: “I told you it’s in the oven and will be out in a minute, ma’am.”

The customer then slammed down the pizza and left the store. Some people.