(A customer and her five-ish-year-old son are checking out at my register. There is a magazine display nearby. One of the magazines’ cover is a tribute to a comedian who recently committed suicide.)

Customer’s Son: *pointing at the magazine* “Mommy, he died. Did you know he died?”

Customer: “Yes, it was very sad.”

Son: “He committed suicide. What does ‘committed suicide’ mean?”

Customer: “It means he hurt himself badly. Now, let’s go.

Son: “He hurted himself and died? I don’t understand. Can I skin my knee and die?!”

Customer: “No, it’s not like that. He was very sad.”

Son: “What? He died of being sad? Why was he sad? Someone said he was ‘depressed.’ What is ‘depressed?'”

Customer: *to me* “Can you explain this to him? I don’t want to.”

Me: “Um, well, I don’t really feel comfortable doing that; I’m sorry.”

Customer: “What? I hate this store. You’re so unhelpful. I’ll be talking to your corporate office.” *drags son out the door*

(I think even corporate will agree that explaining mental illness to a customer’s five-year-old is not my job.)

(I work at a mattress retailer.)

Customer: “I want to see your [price] queen set.”

Me: “Okay, right this way.”

Customer: “Yes, that looks just like the one I bought at [Competitor] for [price $50 higher]. Do you guys have a price match policy?”

Me: “Yes, if you find the same product cheaper somewhere else we’ll match it.”

Customer: “Well, then, I want my $50 refund.”

Me: “Pardon?”

Customer: “Under your guarantee, you have to refund me my $50!

Me: “But… didn’t you just say that you got it for $50 higher than our price at [Competitor]?”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “So, you want us to refund you the $50 despite the fact that our price is lower, and you have never purchased anything from us.”

Customer: “Yes! How hard is this to understand? That’s what a price match guarantee is!”

Me: “Uh… I’m sorry ma’am, but I can’t refund you money you never spent, plus the price match only applies if you buy the product from us and then find it cheaper somewhere else.”

Customer: “Don’t try and confuse me! You have to give me $50. It’s in writing and I’ll sue you for false advertising if you don’t! You’ll be fired!”

Me: “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am, but what you need to do is go to [Competitor] and enquire about their price match guarantee. If you want to return your product there, I would be happy to sell you this one for [price].”

Customer: “I can’t believe your lack of customer service! I’m never shopping here again!”

Me: “Ma’am, you have yet to purchase anything from us in the first place.”

Customer: “Well, I never!”

(She stormed out of the store. I have no idea if she got her $50, but good riddance!)

(Near the end of my night shift I have been held up. The doors are smashed to pieces, there are at least four police cars on the forecourt (including the dog unit), several police in the store and crime scene tape across the entrance. While being interviewed by a detective I notice a regular walking up to the door.)

Policeman: “You can’t go in there, ma’am.

(He is on the other side of the forecourt, too far away to stop her. The customer ignores him and moves the cones.)

Policeman: “Ma’am! You can’t go in. They’re closed.”

(She ignores him again, ducks under the tape and weaves her way through the shattered glass past two more shocked policemen. After picking up the newspaper she walks to the counter.)

Manager: “We’re closed.”

Customer: “Oh. Really? Why?”

Me: “Thank you for calling. How may I help you?”

Caller: *has a strange, whistly and whiny voice* ” Hi, I’d like some organ music by Bach, played by Bach.”

Me: “Well, we have a lot of recordings of Bach’s organ music but we don’t have any of him performing it.”

Caller: “Well, why not?”

Me: “Recording technology hadn’t been invented when Bach was alive.                 ”

Caller: “Well, why not?”

Me: “Well, in the late 1800’s, Thomas Edison invented—”

Caller: “[My Name], it’s [Coworker].”

(One of my coworkers had played the perfect music nerd prank on me!)

(I am called over by a customer to the kitchen department.)

Customer: “I’m looking for a metal ladle. I need it to match my other utensils.”

Me: *showing her the three plastic ladles we have, no metal ones* “Sorry, it seems we only have plastic ones, not metal. You could possibly check online.”

Customer: *clearly annoyed* “No, I need a metal ladle. I don’t want to go online for any crap you’re trying to sell me.”

Me: “I’m sorry. We’re a lot smaller than other stores. We don’t have as large of a variety as the other ones do.”

Customer: “I need my ladle. You’ll order one for me and I’ll be here to pick it up in three days exactly.”

Me: “We can’t do that, ma’am. We have thing shipped to us through a system. We get bulk orders of items that the systems recognizes we need, whether we have run out or they are sent for a new season.”

Customer: “I’ll be back in three days.” *to her daughter in the cart* “The customer is always right, sweetie. You demand, and then you get. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’ll get my ladle and they can’t do anything about it.”

(She walked away while I tried to explain there was no way we could order one of an item, again…)