And Pop! Goes Their Patience

(A lady comes in with a child who looks to be about eight or nine. The lady is talking on her cell phone.)

Me: “Hi! How can I help you?”

(The customer throws her ID on the counter and continues talking.)

Me: “Ma’am?”

(She gives me a dismissive wave and continues talking. Meanwhile, her daughter is eyeing my basket of lollipops, and a line is starting to form.)

Me: “Ma’am? What can I help you with?”

Customer: *to caller* “Hold on.” *to me* “$300 cash, obviously! Geez.”

Me: “And how would you—”

(She turns her back on me, and continues the conversation.)

Me: “—like that back? Great. A guessing game. How fun.”

(I process the transaction, and wait for her to finish up her call so I can count back the cash. Her daughter scoots closer to the counter.)

Child: “Excuse me, miss lady. May I please have a lollipop?”

Me: “You sure can! You can have more than one, for being so polite.”

(She smiles, selects two, and quickly puts them into her jacket pocket.)

Child: “Mom? MOM? The teller lady is all done! Can we go now?”

(The lady waves off her daughter.)

Me: “And YOU get two more lollipops for being patient! Here you go!”

Child: “Cool! Thank you!”

(The mother hung up her phone, snatched her cash off the counter, and headed out the door. The daughter was right behind her, hiding her lollipops behind her back.)