More Registers, Less Patience

It is Black Friday, and it’s my last one before I leave retail to go to college. I was hoping to avoid this holiday but it looks like I have to endure one more.

One thing that always gets me about Black Friday is that many customers are shocked that there are lines on the busiest shopping day of the year. This year, however, is my last year, and my patience is running out.

I am checking out my line as fast as I can. Our store opened at midnight, and it is now almost three in the morning. The woman behind my current customer is trying to cause a scene. She has two young children who are arguing and grouchy (and who likely should be asleep). The children also keep kicking the customer I am currently serving, who has told them to stop, but their mother has done nothing.

Next Customer: “Why don’t you open more registers?!”

Me: “We currently have twenty-four registers, ma’am, and all are open.”

Next Customer: “Then you should build more!”

Me: “Build more? For one shopping day of the year?”

Next Customer: “Well, yeah! You need to build more and hurry up! I have kids!”

Current Customer: “Well, ma’am, we all make mistakes, don’t we?”

This story is part of our Black Friday 2023 roundup!

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Read the Black Friday 2023 roundup!