Maybe He’s A Vulcan?

I have recently transferred to a new store, stepping down from my old position to a new one where I run the truck and stock. This is largely due to the burnout I am experiencing with customers. My patience has worn down to almost nothing over the years, and it shows.

One day, the cashier pages for a manager, and I walk to the front.

Me: “How can I help you?”

Customer: “Let me tell you something: your cashier has an attitude! And when people get an attitude with me, I get an attitude with them!”

Me: “Okay.” *To the cashier* “What’s the problem here?”

Cashier: “He wants to exchange these two items.”

Me: “All right. Sir, I’ll take you over at this register, and we can exchange them over here.”

The customer huffs and fusses the whole time I have him at the register, refusing to tell me what exactly my cashier did that ticked him off so much. Eventually, another manager arrives on the scene.

Manager: “What seems to be the problem here?”

Me: “He says [Cashier] has an attitude problem.”

Customer: “Your cashier said I’m not logical! He insulted me!”

Manager: “That’s terrible, sir. I’ll be sure to have a talk with him.”

Customer: “I want him written up!”

Manager: “Sure thing, sir. I’ll definitely have him written up.”

Customer: “Let me tell you something. I asked him why [the exchanged items] were different prices, and he said he didn’t know, and he cracked a joke about ‘some things not being logical’! He insulted me! I’m a minister, you know! Why doesn’t he know why the prices are different?”

Manager: “He’s new, sir. I’ll be sure to deal with him. He’s actually a minister, too. Isn’t that interesting?”

Customer: “I want corporate’s number! I’m going to go all over social media about this. This is the worst customer service I have ever seen! I want that man to apologize to me!”

The other manager actually agrees and swaps me with the cashier so the three of them can talk near the office. Our cashier apologizes, assuring the customer that he misread the situation and cracked a joke about CORPORATE not being logical with their pricing, but the customer is having none of it.

Customer: “Your manager here says that you’re a minister?”

Cashier: “Yes, sir.”

Customer: “Well, people like you give us Christians a bad name! I have some serious doubts about your salvation!”

Cashier: “Well… I forgive you.”

He walked away. The customer eventually left, still fussing and threatening to “go to social media.” He took his wife with him, who had been silent throughout the whole event and looked completely dead inside. Our cashier did not get written up, but he did become a bit of a legend among his coworkers.