OCD About BLT

Health & Body, Impossible Demands, Sandwich Shop, UK | Right | August 17, 2021

I work for a famous sub sandwich shop. We have a regular evening customer that all the employees complain about because she’s super picky about how her sandwich is made and takes forever to have her sandwich made correctly, but I’ve never served her as I usually work the morning shift.

We have a couple of staff changes, so the manager asks me to switch to evenings, and on my first shift, I’m on the veggie station. The cashier recognises this customer as she comes in and gives me the heads-up.

The order seems to be going normally until the sandwich reaches me. I ask what veggies she wants.

Customer: “I need to do these one at a time. Lettuce.”

I put lettuce on the sandwich.

Customer: “Tomato.”

I put tomato on the sandwich.

Customer: “Sorry, that’s not right. Can you take them off and put them on again?”

Me: “Okay.”

I take off the tomato slices and put new ones on.

Customer: “Oh, no, I don’t need new ones. You can put the same slices on… but they’re not right. Can you take them off and put them back, please?”

Me: “Um…”

I take off the slices, hold them in my hand, and put them back on. The customer smiles.

Customer: “Okay, and now cucumber?”

I put on the cucumber slices.

Customer: “Sorry, can you take them off and put them back on?”

Me: “Uh, yeah.”

I do.

Customer: “They’re still not right. Can you do that again, please?”

Me: *Suddenly realising the problem* “Would it be better if you couldn’t see the sandwich? I can do it like this.”

I hold up the sandwich paper nearest the customer so she can’t see the actual sandwich.

Customer: “Er, maybe? Right, can I have onion?”

I put onion on the sandwich so the customer can’t see.

Customer: “Oh, my God, yes! This works! Olives and peppers, and then barbecue sauce, and that’s all!”

I complete the sandwich. The customer thanks me and the cashier several times and then pays and leaves. The cashier and other employees are staring at me, and as soon as the customer is out the door, they all ask what happened.

Me: “I have OCD. I have to redo some things until they feel ‘right’. I figured she’s the same, so if she can’t see what I’m doing, it can’t be done ‘wrong.'”

She’s been in every week and is just as quick to serve as other customers as long as she can’t see her sandwich being made!

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