One Missed Call Away From Going Berserk

(We’ve had many “customers” use our phone to coordinate drug deals, so we have put a sticker on the phone saying that it is not a public phone. We are allowed to call people cabs but they cannot use the phone themselves. I also sometimes offer to charge their cell phones for them to be able to use if they are polite. I have never seen this woman before in the store. She comes up to the customer service counter. She looks to be in her late 30s, at least.)

Customer: “Hey, can I use the phone to call my boyfriend to come get me?”

Me: “Sorry, but we don’t have a public phone for you to use. I can call you a cab, or I can charge your phone for you here, but I’m not allowed to let you use the phone.”

Customer: “Excuse me? I am a paying customer! I have a full cart of groceries right now in the clothes section! I want to use the phone!”

Me: “I’m sorry, but this is not a public phone, and I cannot let you use it. As I said, I can call you a cab or charge your phone for you.”

Customer: “This is ridiculous! I understand why you’d say that to people who come in off the street, but I am buying things in the store right now! I want your manager!”

Me: “Okay.”

(I call over my supervisor.)

Me: “She wants to use the phone.”

Supervisor: “Okay.” *starts looking for the portable phone to give to the customer, since my supervisor likes to be nice to everybody*

Customer: “What is taking so long? I just want to use the phone to call my boyfriend! Why can’t I use this one here?” *waits about twenty seconds* “Never mind! I’m never shopping here again!”

(The customer storms off towards the clothes section. About five minutes later, the customer brings back a nearly-full cart which must have taken at least an hour to fill up.)

Customer: “Here you go! I was planning to buy all of this today, but since you are so rude, I’m leaving!”

(She left behind a nearly full drink — from a slightly expensive smoothie place that isn’t near our store — in her cart, covered by her groceries. She never came back for it, so I was happy to throw that into the garbage!)