(I am a cashier at a popular home improvement store, and on this particular day I am working on refunds. A customer comes into the store pushing in a new ride-on lawn mower.)

Me: “Good morning, what can I do for you today?”

Customer: “Your incompetent associates sold me this tractor, and it doesn’t even work! I demand a refund?”

Me: “No problem, sir. May I see your receipt?”

Customer: “I don’t have my receipt, but I bought it yesterday. All I want to do is get another, and I need it NOW!”

Me: “Well, I need to call an associate from the department to see what is wrong with the tractor. Maybe it can easily be fixed.”

(I phone a season associate and he comes over to look at the tractor. He proceeds to ask the customer what is wrong with it.)

Customer: “I spent thousands of dollars on this. You…” *points to seasonal associate* “…sold me this piece of s***! I turned the key and it doesn’t even turn on!”

Other Associate: “Sir, there’s no gas in it.”

Customer: “Of course there’s no gas in it! Give me a working one NOW!”

Other Associate: “It needs gas to run. You know, like a car.”

(The customer angrily argues that gas will not fix the problem and refuses to listen. My fellow associate takes it outside, puts gas in it and it starts right away. The other associate walks in alone and the customer drives off with his working tractor.)

Me: “Is it going to be that kind of day?”

Other Associate: “Yep, I think so. Put gas in it and it’s working just fine. Guy was too embarrassed to come in and apologize!”

(At our bookstore, we don’t employ cleaners; everyone pitches in, including the manager. At the end of one day, I am mopping the floor. There is still one customer browsing around after making purchases.)

Customer: “Hey, weren’t you my cashier?”

Me: “Yes, I was.”

Customer: “Then why are you cleaning? Where are your cleaners?”

Me: “No cleaners here; everyone pitches in.”

Customer: “Why? Only the lowest of people should be cleaning. You’re better than that.”

Me: “The manager does the cleaning, too.”

Customer: “That’s ridiculous! He’s the manager. No manager in their right mind would clean! I would never clean if I was a manager.”

Me: “Well, ours does. Do you have a problem with that?”

Customer: “Yes! I’m not coming back here again!” *storms out*

(My friend, a former coworker, comes in on a Saturday to say hello. She is standing by the counter chatting with me when a regular customer comes in. I immediately go to serve her.)

Customer: “I’ll have a latte.” *looks at my friend* “You’re wearing that to work?!”

(My friend is wearing ripped jeans, a local band shirt, and boots you could kick through a wall with, as well as her nose stud and four rings in each ear.)

Friend: “I don’t work here anymore.”

Customer: “Well, no wonder, if you started showing up like a hooligan! Young people have no sense of professionalism these days! If I met you in the street, I’d think you were going to mug me!”

Friend: “Actually, I quit because I started a new job.”

Customer: “Doing what, exactly? Scaring children?”

Friend: “Sort of. I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

Customer: *gasps, grabs her latte, and runs out the door*

Did you find this story using our Teacher roundup?

Click here to read the next story!

Click here to get back to the roundup!

(I’m ringing a customer up, when suddenly she runs her fingers through my hair as I’m leaning down to write something.)

Customer: “Sorry! Couldn’t resist. Such soft hair! I have a hair fetish… and a foot fetish. But only if they’re clean. You have clean fingernails! So, you’re good.”

Me: “Uh, thanks…”

(My friend and I are out doing some shopping. Note: my friend had sprained his ankle earlier that day, so I’d leant him a walking stick I happened to own to help him around the store. A rather disheveled old man, also with a cane, approaches us out of the blue.)

Old Man: *to my friend* “Nice cane!”

My Friend: “Thanks.”

Old Man: “Did you get it here?” *turns to an employee who is stocking shelves beside us* “Did he get it here?”

Employee: “Uh—”

Old Man: “Handy things, canes! Great for clubbing people!” *swings his cane wildly* “It’s honestly something no senior should be without; they’re great for self-defense. If anyone tries to attack you, or mug you, you can just smash them!”

(The old man begins to mime beating someone with his cane. My friend, the employee, and I exchange glances.)

My Friend: “Yeah… good…”

Old Man: “Do you know what else canes are good for? MOUNTAINS. Have you been to the mountains? They’ve got these great canes up there; huge branches that they’ve carved into. Great for bushwalking, but what I think they should do is just whack one of those little rubber things on the end and sell them as regular old walking sticks. I think there’s a serious market for those!” *turns to the employee* “Would you stock something like that?”

Employee: “I—”

Old Man: “And do you know what else? You could sell self-defense DVDs with the walking sticks, teaching people the weak spots in the human body and the best way to swing your cane! THE BALLS! Aim for the balls! Or the nose or stomach; that’d work! Even just getaway attacks, like taking out the knees, giving you time to run. You know, even if people didn’t want the walking stick, I think they’d still buy the DVD; that’s really handy knowledge!”

(He stops as it looks like a thought dawns on him, while the three of us just stare at him, speechless.)

Old Man: “There is a genuine market for these!” *points at me and my friend accusingly* “It’s mine! You know it’s mine and you can’t have it! Try and steal it… AND I’LL WHACK YA!”

(He lunges at us with his cane and we jump back when he swings it at us. He laughs maniacally and rushes off without another word, leaving us dumbfounded and a little scared.)

Employee: *whispers* “Don’t steal his idea, whatever you do…”