(A customer is buying $100 in gift cards to a couple different stores and restaurants. It is company policy that a manager must verify any credit card used to purchase gift cards with photo ID.)

Me: “That will be $100.00. And how are you paying today?”

Customer: “Credit card.”

Me: “All right, I just need my supervisor to verify the transaction.” *calls supervisor over*

(My supervisor verifies her card with ID and the customer pays silently. After the payment goes through, the customer speaks up.)

Customer: “Why do you have to check my ID?! I mean, what if it was really busy? They trust you with cash so why don’t you just do the sale? This is so inconvenient.”

Me: “I apologize, but it is company policy that  a supervisor must verify your credit card with ID to prevent credit card theft. We’ve had stolen credit cards used here in the past.”

Customer: “I get that it’s for security, but, like, this is so inconvenient!” *storms off*

(I work at a big chain grocery store in the deli. We have several regular customers who are bad enough to earn nicknames. This guy is simply “the a**-hole.” He is always rude and will ask for excessive condiment packets which our manager finally limited because of him. I get to deal with him after the limit was set.)

Customer: “Can I get a corn dog and some mustard?”

Me: “Sure thing.” *packs up the corn dog and four mustard packets, making sure he can see*

Me: *prints the tag* “Here is your corn dog and I gave you four packets of mustard in the bag.”

Customer: *snatching the bag from me* “Can I get more mustard and some ketchup, too?”

Me: *grabs two packets of ketchup* “I can give you the ketchup, but I can’t give you any more mustard.”

Customer: “What the f***? Give me some more.”

Me: *used to the swearing and bad attitude from him* “Sorry, but we have a limit on how many packets per customer. I actually gave you more than I am supposed to.”

Customer: *goes off on a rant full of swearing*

Me: *upset and annoyed, I don’t even try to pretend to be nice* “Can I get you anything else today?”

Customer: “F*** you, you f****** b****!”

Me: “Have a nice day, sir.”

(As we only have one other customer and my coworker is with them, I quickly walk away before letting my language slip, but can’t manage to shake off the insults. I am not being paid enough to put up with his BS and still be nice to him. The next few times he comes in, I don’t even bother to put up a fake smile for him. He always grumbles about the condiment limit and I ignore him and move on to the next customer, all smiles again. Surprisingly, he not only notices, but it turns out he cared because after a couple weeks, this happens while I’m alone.)

Customer: *rushes up to my counter as I finish up with a customer* “Hey!”

(I think, “here we go again” and take a deep breath, but before I can say anything:)

Customer: “No, no, no. I don’t want to buy anything. I just wanted to say I’m really sorry.”

Me: *genuinely surprised* “Oh? Um… okay.”

Customer: “I’ve been having a really bad couple of weeks and I’ve been an a**-hole to you. I’m really sorry. You’re just doing you’re job I won’t do it again. Do you think we can be friends?”

Me: *completely taken aback* “Um… yeah. Sure. Thank you for apologizing. Do you need anything today?”

Customer: “No, I just wanted to make sure I’d catch you whIle you were working.”

(He left and my coworkers came back a few minutes later.  I told them “the a**-hole apologized” and they didn’t believe me until I told the story. He was never rude to me or anyone else after that. I have no idea what caused it, but it was a nice change!)

(A customer comes up to my till, places her items on the counter, and immediately takes out her phone.)

Me: “Who was helping you pick your items out today?”

(I work at a boutique that gives employees bonuses based on the sales they make. Thus, I need to know who was helping each customer so I can enter it into the register.)

Customer: *doesn’t react*

Me: *a little louder* “Was anyone helping you pick out your items today?”

Customer: “Huh? Oh, no, I didn’t even try them on. I’m in a big hurry.”

Me: “Okay, no problem.”

(I’m relatively new to the job, and still trying to get the hang of the cashiering process, but hearing that she’s in a hurry, I do my best to get her checked out quickly. However:)

Me: “May I have your phone number so you can get your membership discount?”

Customer: *no reaction, still looking at her phone*

Me: “Ma’am, what’s your phone number?”

Customer: “Hm? Oh, it’s [Number]”

(This continued for the entire rest of the transaction. She’d immediately go back to her phone after answering my questions, and she was so absorbed in whatever she was doing that I’d have to ask twice. Every. Single. Time. This effectively doubled the time she spent at the register. Pro tip: if you’re in a “big hurry,” maybe pay enough attention to the transaction that I can actually get you out quickly?)

(A man approaches the bar with a carton of almond milk he’s bought from another shop.)

Customer: “Can you guys just steam this and put it in a take-out cup for me?”

Coworker: “Uh, no…”

(I’m quite short and petite, so many customers mistake me for a teenager and patronise me even though I’m actually 20. This isn’t helped by the fact that it’s currently school holidays.)

Customer: “I need three metres of this fabric. But I need you to cut it straight.”

Me: “Of course, ma’am. We make an effort to ensure that every cut has been measured currently and is straight.”

(I measure out the fabric and take normal precautions to ensure it is properly lined up with the ruler so the cut will be straight. The customer apparently doesn’t think I’ve done this correctly, and moves the fabric. I firmly move it back and begin to cut. She starts to move the fabric while I’m cutting.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s impossible for me to cut the fabric straight if you keep moving it.”

Customer: “But it’s not straight!”

(She keeps moving the fabric.)

Me: “I’d really appreciate it if you’d leave the measuring and cutting to me. I’ve been working here for over two years and I can assure you that you will receive three metres of correctly cut fabric. After I’ve finished cutting you’re welcome to measure the piece for yourself. If it’s incorrect I’ll happily cut you a new one.”

(She went red and kept quiet after that. To add icing to the cake, my colleague in her mid-40s approached me while I was processing the transaction and asked me how to place a complicated order. Never assume that someone who looks young is inexperienced.)