Not Keeping Their Cool Over The Cooler

(I am working a sandwich shift at a high-end retailer. Basically, I closed the night before and I’m opening the next morning. Therefore, I’m more aware about what has been going on in the store, but also more sleepy. We serve upper-class individuals, and right now we are selling a lot of holiday-themed items. I come up to customer who is looking around a bit confused.)

Me: “Hello, ma’am. Are you finding everything you’re looking for today?”

Woman: “Well, I wanted this cooler that I saw a few days ago; it was big and red.”

Me: “Ah, the picnic cooler. I apologize, but we sold out of those last night.”

Woman: “But they were here yesterday.”

Me: “Yes, we sold out of our entire stock last night.”

Woman: “So, you don’t have any more in stock?”

Me: “At this particular store we do not. I know because I did a check last night and they said that we did not have any more. There are some coming in after the holiday.”

Woman: “That’s not acceptable; I need one of those for tomorrow.”

Me: “Well, we can order them to be shipped to your house, which you’ll get free shipping for, since we didn’t have them in stock, or I can check local stores which have them.”

Woman: “Okay, search which stores have them.”

Me: “Okay, so [Nearest Store] has six in stock. They are about twenty minutes’ drive a—”

Woman: “I don’t have time to go there; do you send them between the stores?”

Me: “No, but I can run a back order from the warehouse.”

Woman: “No, I need you to send someone out there to pick two up for me and come back and bring them to me.”

Me: “We… don’t do that.”

Woman: “Well, I don’t see why you don’t have those in stock. I wanted to buy one and you should have saved it for me.”

Me: “We can’t have saved it for you if you didn’t order it for pick up. Someone else saw it and they bought the last available ones.”

Woman: “But I didn’t buy it.”

Me: “Okay, but somebody else did last night.”

Woman: “But it wasn’t me.”

Me: “That’s correct; it wasn’t you. Now, I can back order them, I can ship them to your house, or I can give you other options, but those are the only things I can do for you today.”

Woman: “I need them. You didn’t tell the person who bought them last night that I needed them for tomorrow.”

Me: “He saw them, he liked them, and he was here when we had them. If you had purchased them yesterday afternoon, then you would have had the ones you wanted.”

Woman: “But don’t you know who I am?”

Me: “Who you are doesn’t make a difference to me, apart from that you’re a guest like he was. Now, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I’ll ask you how I can help you keep your cool.”

(The woman left without ordering the coolers, looking a bit upset about it. Even though we were indoors with soft lighting and good AC, she NEVER took off her Gucci sunglasses.)