Not A Fitting Use For The Fitting Rooms

(I am sixteen years old and it’s my first day of working at a clothing store. After I clock in for the day, a bewildered-looking customer approaches me.)

Customer: “Excuse me, miss? I was just in the fitting room and I think you need to go in there right now.”

(Confused, I follow her to the fitting room. When I enter it, I hear two people in the handicapped room and it is obvious they are having sex. The customer laughs at the look of horror that is on my face and says she is just as uncomfortable as I am, so I ask the customer to follow me to the registers. Then, I go to the storage room to call my manager.)

Me: “Hi, [Manager]! I am sorry to bother you, but could you come down to the juniors department? There is… erm… a situation in the fitting rooms.”

(I explain the situation, and the first thing she says is:)

Manager: “Oh, my God, [My Name]! Are you kidding me?! Please don’t let anyone go into that fitting room until I get down there; where do these people come from?!”

(Luckily no one else has been in the department throughout this whole time, and ten minutes later, my manager and security come into the department. My manager apologizes to the customer while the security officer enters the fitting room. A couple of minutes later the couple walks out, looking as mortified as we all are, and are escorted to the loss prevention office as some of the clothing items they took in with them are damaged. When the couple is out of earshot, the manager turns around to me, looking apologetic.)

Manager: “I am so sorry this happened on your first day on the job, [My Name], but you handled the situation very well.”

Customer: “This is your first day?!”

(I nodded. I was still obviously uncomfortable so my manager sent me on break. While I was gone, my manager offered the customer who reported the incident a 20-dollar store gift card. Because I handled the situation so well and the customer felt bad about it happening on my first day, she insisted the manager give the card to me, instead, and wrote a good review about me to corporate. The next day, I found out from my manager that the couple had damaged at least $500 worth of merchandise.)