Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 9

This story reminds me of a time I attempted a joke with a customer.

I was sixteen, working as a cashier at a computer store. A man came through my line with a T-shirt that read, “One by one, the penguins steal my sanity.” He was in a good mood, so I decided to play along. I pointed at his shirt, gasped, and spoke in what I thought was clearly a joking tone.

Me: “The same thing happened to me! But no one believes me except for my friend deep inside the earth!”

The man’s eyes went wide, and he backed up a couple of steps. I immediately realized my mistake and dropped the act.

Me: “Sir, I’m sorry. I was just going along with the joke on your shirt.”

The man looked down at his shirt and started laughing.

Customer: “Oh, my gosh, I forgot I wore this today!”

And that is how I learned to let customers start joking interactions first, not the other way around.

Related:
Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 8
Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 7
Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 6
Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 5
Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 4