(I work at a gift shop directly on a cruise terminal, and it’s not unusual for people to come in looking to either break up big bills or trade smaller bills for the larger ones. My coworker and I are both female and in our early twenties, as are most of my other coworkers. There are seventeen females to every three males so it’s common not to have a male present. A gentleman of East Indian descent comes into the store, looks at the people in it, looks at my coworker and me behind the counter, looks at the other people again, and reluctantly turns back to us.)

Coworker: “Hello, sir! Do you have a question?”

Customer: *looks around again, still looking a bit puzzled* “Is it just you two girls working?”

Coworker: “Yes, sir. Do you need any help?”

Customer: “So, there’s no one else? Not your grandfather?”

(It should be noted that while it is a family business, neither of us recognize the man, and she has been working there for seven years and me for three; we don’t know how he knows to ask for her grandfather.)

Coworker: “No, sir, but my father, the manager, is right outside.”

Customer: “Okay.” *leaves without a backward glance*

(Both my coworker and I are thinking that there’s a problem with the washroom or something else that he would be uncomfortable talking about to a woman. He later comes in with our manager to get rid of small bills. That is all he does. Both my coworker and I are a little peeved, to say the least. It’s not just that he thought we couldn’t do it, but he didn’t even ask because we’re women. After he leaves, my manager can see we’re a little upset.)

Manager: “It’s just his culture.”

Me: *softly to my coworker* “Yes, I understand. Because we have uteruses, we absolutely cannot do simple addition!”

(I work in a deli, which also has a full espresso bar. I have a first-time customer come in with her husband and child. They each order a sandwich, and then she orders espresso drinks for each of them; hers is a triple-shot mocha, while his is a standard vanilla latte. A few minutes after I take their drinks out to them, this exchange happens.)

Customer: “Excuse me. Could you add more chocolate to this? All I can taste is the espresso.”

Me: *inwardly face-palming but still smiling on the outside* “Sure thing, thanks for letting me know!”

(I add more chocolate and milk to it, and then give it back to her.)

Me: “Try it and let me know what you think; I don’t want you to be unhappy with your mocha!”

Customer: “Much better, thanks.”

(Two things: first, how did she not know that adding an extra shot would give it more of a coffee flavor? And second, because I don’t want to end this on a negative note, at least her husband told me that mine was one of the best lattes he’s ever had in his life.)

(Our office computer is out of date, and so lately it’s been acting really slow. It only happens once during my shift. A customer runs up to me.)

Customer: “Excuse me. How far is [Place] from here?”

Me: “I never heard of that place; let me check on my computer.”

(Unfortunately, the computer decides to freeze on me, so I let out a sigh of frustration. The antsy young lady becomes aggressive.)

Customer: “You know, I can ask somewhere else! Do you want me to go ask someone else?!”

Me: *realizing* “No, uh, I was sighing at the computer, not at you; it’s very slow. It’ll only take a few minutes, I think…”

Customer: *glowering* “No, you weren’t! That was a sigh of annoyance, at me, your customer! You know what? I’m just going to go!” *flounces off*

Me: “…”

(Later, she wrote to my manager and complaining about my sighing.)

(A regular customer in about his mid-thirties comes in and immediately begins complaining to his friend as they grab a drink. They then walk up to the counter, where my manager serves them.)

Customer: “My buddy came in here last night to get me a pack of cigarettes, but you gave him the wrong ones. Can I exchange them?” *holds out the unopened pack of cigarettes*

Manager: “Sorry, sir, but policy states that once the cigarettes walk out the door, I cannot take them back into stock.”

Customer: “But, I’m here every day! You know me! You know what I smoke! The girl gave my buddy the wrong ones!”

Manager: “I’m sorry, and I understand, but policy states we cannot take cigarettes back once they have gone out the door.”

(The customer starts throwing his fists around and stomping.)

Customer: “I can’t believe this! I know it’s policy, but you know me! I’m in here every day! I can’t believe this! Oh, man! This is so unfair!”

(The customer’s friend is just standing there, watching all this happen. They finally pay for their drinks and leave.)

Me: *turning to my manager* “What is he? Two?”

(A customer comes up to the service desk with an expensive five-pack of underwear. This customer frequently refunds stock without a receipt, so I’m wary.)

Lady: “Hi, can I return these, please?”

Me: “Uh… How come?”

Lady: “Well, see, I bought these for my husband a few weeks back, because he doesn’t wear underwear, and I’m trying to get him to. However, he still won’t wear them, so I was just after a refund.”

(I am shocked at her being so open.)

Me: “Awesome, thanks for telling me that.”

(Anyway, it was the last refund we processed for her; she went shopping straight after, and we caught her stealing on the CCTV. She and her underwear-less husband are now banned!)