Showing Their True Colors

(At our store, if you mis-tint more than four cans of paint in 30 days, you are docked the cost of paint. It’s very rare to go over four, but one talentless employee has managed nine already. She proceeds to ruin 10 cans in one night. A customer has brought back some of the worst mis-tints I’ve seen. I note the employee, remix paint, and send the customer over to our cashier for a gift card. The coworker sees customer.)

Coworker: “I’m so glad you liked the paint!”

Customer: “I didn’t; I had to return it.”

Coworker: “No way! I’m perfect there!”

Customer: “Uh…”

Cashier: “Sir, here’s your gift card. I’m sorry about your trouble.”

Coworker: “F*** You!” *points at customer* “You did that at your ghetto box you live in! Give me my f****** money back! You are just scamming me, like the f****** a**-hole you are.”

(The coworker then grabs for the customer.)

Me: *to coworker* “You do know the store does video and audio recordings?!” *to customer* “I am very sorry. If you don’t mind, I will call you tomorrow with a resolution, as I can’t authorize anything further myself.”

Coworker: “What?! You can’t do that!”

Customer: *to me* “That’s fine; here’s a good daytime number. I’m sorry you have to work with this.”

Coworker: “Hey!”

Me: *to coworker* “Go clean the cutting bay.”

Coworker: “I don’t f****** have to listen to you! I’m not cleaning; it’s dirty!”

Me: “Clean or go home. I’d rather you left, but since you now have 10 cans of paint to pay for, I figure you’d like the final hours.”

Coworker: “F*** you also! I’m leaving!”

(My coworker turns and stomps out. The nearby cashier has been watching the whole exchange.)

Cashier: “Hey, she listened for once!”

Me: “Don’t you dare.”