Someone’s Having A Beef, Part 3

I’m working as a clerk in a meat department. Due to packing facilities having their own troubles with the global health crisis, the supply chain is completely broken and the store is receiving less than half of the meat and produce ordered. As a consequence, certain items are placed under a weight limit: you cannot buy more than three pounds of one product. Most customers understand this system, but not all.

Customer: “I’d like to get five pounds of [meat].”

Me: “Well, sir, that item’s under restriction, so I can only get you up to three pounds. Would that be okay, or would you like to switch to something else?”

Customer: “Whatever. Three pounds, then. And wrap it separately.”

Unfortunately, the item he’s chosen can’t be weighed out to exactly three pounds; it comes out closer to two and a half.

Customer: “I need more.”

Me: “I can get you as much of you like of [different meat], but any more of this and it’ll be over the limit.”

Customer: “Stop being a stingy a**hole and just get me my d*** meat!”

I’ve only been cursed or yelled at once previously at this store, as we’re known for having very polite, typically older customers in a religious area. I turn to my coworker for support, but he is looking back and forth between the customer and me, wide-eyed, without saying anything. I choose to ignore the outburst and continue with the order.

Me: “I really can’t sell you any more of this, sir. Even if I did, the cashier wouldn’t be allowed to check you out.”

Customer: “Whatever.”

He motions for me to go on, and I start packing his order.

Customer: “What are you doing?”

Me: “Packing them separately, sir.”

Customer: “Why would you do that? I didn’t ask you to do that. But you don’t listen, do you? You just do whatever you want, because you’re an a**hole.”

I’d let it go once, but I have to say something by this point.

Me: “Please don’t curse at me or anybody else in this store, sir.”

Not exactly the scathing criticism of his behaviour I want to make, but I am still trying to keep this in the realm of polite customer service.

Customer: “No, I’m gonna say what I want, and I call you an a**hole because you’re an a**hole. I’m not politically correct, you know. I say what I mean.”

By then I’d finished packing his order, and he grabbed it and left, not responding when I said, “Have a good day!” Later, he called management to complain and management chewed me out.

Apparently, we’d received an extra-large shipment of that particular item that day, so the weight limit had been removed. Management had chosen not to tell anybody in the hope that customers wouldn’t try to stockpile on the suddenly available item. Had they said anything, both that man and I would have been perfectly fine.

Related:
Someone’s Having A Beef, Part 2
Someone’s Having A Beef