*Sigh* Time To Start Packing A Lunch

I work in a shop within a shopping centre in Australia. A part of the employee uniform is an apron with the store name embroidered on the front IN BOLD, so it’s not hard to guess where I work if I’m walking around the shops on my break. As well as the apron, we also have a name badge with the company name on it.

I’m on my lunch break, and I go into a supermarket where they wear green shirts as a uniform and NO apron. I’m minding my own business with my earphones in as I generally don’t like conversing with people, and my break is the time when I get to avoid that momentarily.

As I am filling my basket with some stuff for my lunch, as well as fruit and vegetables for my bird, this lady approaches me and asks where something is. I take out my earphone because I can’t hear her properly. I guess that’s when she realises I have earphones in?

She loses her s*** yelling at me.

Customer #1: “Employees shouldn’t be listening to music on the job! Customers come first!”

And on and on. Mind you, she’s yelling LOUDLY. I try to cut in to explain to her I don’t work there, and she begins to cry crocodile tears because:

Customer #1: “I have never been so disrespected in my whole life!”

At this point, there are few people in the aisle, and they’re looking at me with sympathy as they can clearly see I don’t work here. My brain is still in customer service mode, so by default, I kind of just stand there awkwardly and wait for her to finish her tantrum. However, there is no sign of her stopping.

Finally, another customer walks over.

Customer #2: “Look at her apron! She doesn’t work here!”

The lady huffs and replies in a very condescending tone.

Customer #1: “Well, she should’ve just told me that! It’s her fault!”

I TRIED TO TELL HER!

A five-minute shopping trip ended up taking ten minutes, but luckily, my manager is nice and let me restart my break.