A Small To A Medium To A Large Reaction
(I’m working with a supervisor who has shown, numerous times, that he cracks easily under pressure. While I’ve never seen him angry, he tends to run away from problems. Recently our buy-nine-get-the-tenth-coffee-free cards have been changed so your free drink has to be a small. If you want a medium, you have to pay the difference, which is 40 cents. Management has been very strict about making sure customers pay the difference. A woman who has harassed and shouted at every employee walks in with her card.)
Customer: “I want my medium coffee, now.”
Me: “All right, that’ll be 40 cents.”
Customer: “No, it’s free.”
Me: “Yes, as I told you last time, they’ve changed the cards so you get a small free instead of a medium. You need to pay the difference.”
Customer: “No, I don’t.”
(My supervisor sees this and instead of helping, sorts random stuff just within earshot.)
Me: “Ma’am, I was instructed by the owners that the cards will only be accepted for a small coffee. I can’t do anything for you.”
Customer: “I’m not leaving here without my free medium coffee.”
Me: “Hey, [Supervisor], could you talk to this customer for me?”
Supervisor: “Just give her the coffee.”
Me: *stupidly deciding that disobeying my supervisor is better than disobeying the owners, who are very strict* “The owners have told us all that we’re not supposed to give away free mediums anymore. I’m not going to run her card as a medium.”
(The supervisor then walks up to me, pulls a dollar from his pocket and slams it on the counter.)
Supervisor: “HERE’S YOUR F****** DOLLAR!”
Me: *stunned silence*
(Every customer in the store just stood there. I continued to serve customers and I left the dollar on the counter. The woman paid the 40 cents. I left at the end of the summer and was very happy to never go back. The store went through several owners over the next few years and I met my old supervisor while shopping a while back. He’s working at a grocery store now, and he’s thankfully not in a position of authority anymore.)
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
