Not In Line And Out Of Line, Part 3

(I’m standing in line to checkout at a local home furnishings store. It’s the holidays, so naturally the line is long even though both registers are going as quickly as they can despite many customers with large, complicated orders and many items needing to be wrapped. I overhear an employee nearby arguing with another customer.)

Customer: “But I need to check out now! That girl over there said she’d be right with me! My husband’s locked himself out of the house!”

Employee: “I understand you’re in a hurry, but I can’t allow you to jump the line. These other customers have been waiting patiently.”

Customer: “But there’s an empty register!”

Employee: “I’m sorry, but that one’s down for the moment. Please go back to the end of the line. They’ll be with you as soon as possible.”

Customer: “Why can’t you just check me out now? I’m in a hurry!”

Employee: “I understand that, but so are many other people. I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”

(Throughout this whole exchange, the employee’s been nothing but polite even though the argument is clearly starting to frazzle her.)

Employee: “Look, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll check you out right now if you go to every single person in the line and explain to them why you’re getting to cut all of them.”

Customer: “I’m not going to do that!”

Employee: “Then please go to the end of the line. My coworkers will be with you as soon as they can.”

Customer: “Fine! You’ve just lost a sale!” *she storms out*

(The kicker was that even though the line was long, it was moving well. In the time she’d spent arguing with the employee, she probably could’ve paid and been out the door!)

Related:
Not In Line And Out Of Line, Part 2
Not In Line And Out Of Line