I work the registers at a big box store. Our registers have a screen that sometimes pops up when coupons are scanned, basically saying that it isn’t valid and asking if we want to accept it anyway.

One day, this terrible woman comes through my line. I scan her items and all of her numerous coupons. Almost all of them go through just fine, but one coupon gives me that screen. As a courtesy, I click the button to accept the coupon and then finish the transaction. After the receipt prints, she stands by the end of the register to look at it. I don’t think anything of it, checking out the next customer in line, who leaves.

She then comes back up to me.

Me: “Can I help you?”

Customer: “Did that coupon go through?”

Me: “Yes.”

Customer: “Okay, because I saw that screen that said it was denied. Can you show me where on my receipt it’s listed?”

I look and I can’t find it, which doesn’t mean it didn’t go through. There are a lot of coupons and it’s possible it’s just part of the dollars off at the bottom. I try to explain this, but she does not like that. She keeps trying to hand me the receipt and have me point it out. Meanwhile, my line is building. Finally, she comes up with this gem.

Customer: “I don’t actually care about the money; I just want to make sure you’re doing your job right.”

If I was doing my job “right,” I wouldn’t have accepted that coupon at all. The screens said it was denied, so I had no obligation to approve it.

She kept needling me about the coupon and I tried to send her up to guest services for help. I tried telling her that I couldn’t do anything for her from my register; I don’t have return powers and even if I did, it has to be done at guest services. I pointed out that my line was building, and the woman behind her said that [Customer] had every right to make sure she was charged correctly. By this point, I was literally in tears.

Thankfully, my register was right by the self-checkouts, and the lovely woman manning the self-checkouts that day noticed me crying and came over. She sent me into the back with a manager and took over.

My manager let me sit in the break room until I calmed down, and thankfully, I didn’t get in trouble for any of it. I don’t know what happened with the customer, but I never saw her again.

The coupon was literally for fifty cents off a large purchase.

I am checking out at an outdoor retailer, and I hand over my dividend card to get credit for the purchase.

Cashier: “Huh, [My Last Name]. I’ve only ever seen that name once. That was my fourth-grade teacher, but she left to have a baby.”

Me: “Oh, yeah? Did you grow up in [Town]?”

Cashier: “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Me: *Waves* “Hi, I’m the baby!”

This story is part of the Editors’-Favorite-Stories Of-2022 roundup!

Read the next Editors’-Favorite-Stories Of-2022 roundup story!

Read the Editors’-Favorite-Stories Of-2022 roundup!

I was grocery shopping on a busy weekend. I considered myself lucky to find a line with only two customers in it. The person in front was already paying, so they were basically done. The other customer was a lady with a pretty full cart, but I figured the wait wouldn’t be too bad with just one person, compared to the other lines backed down the aisles.

The first customer finished up right as I got in line. I saw the lady was pushing an empty cart in front of her while also pulling the completely loaded grocery cart behind her. There was also a pile of disposable chucks — like the kind you’d see in a hospital or to house train puppies on — sticking out of the cart, and I noticed that all the groceries currently on the conveyor were on top of the same chucks. The cashier greeted the customer, who then pulled what was presumably her own gallon-sized sanitizer from the bottom of the cart and had both the cashier and the bagger sanitize their hands with two massive squirts. She then handed each of them a pair of disposable gloves and would not proceed until they put the gloves on — and then she gave them more sanitizer on top of the gloves!

I then witnessed one of the most insane checkout experiences of my life. I try to have empathy and not to judge the different things people are doing to feel safe, but this was something else.

Everything — not just produce but boxes of cereal, cake mix, peanut butter, etc. — was already in what looked like at least two plastic produce bags. Even though they were already wearing gloves, the customer still did not want the cashier or bagger touching her things directly. She made the bagger hold a plastic bag to pick up her already bagged items, scan them, then pass them off to the bagger.

The bagger, however, couldn’t just hold the bag open to receive the items but had to hold a separate bag to touch the items and then use that bag to put them into double bags. She also interrupted them every few items to make them re-sanitize their hands. The bagger then placed each bag — which had to be about 40% plastic bag and 60% actual grocery content — into the empty cart, now lined with more disposable chucks, where the customer would wipe each bag down with a Clorox wipe.

At one point, the customer shoved what looked to me like twenty or thirty empty produce bags on the conveyor belt and told them to — you guessed it — bag the bags.

I’m pretty sure every single other customer who came into the grocery store at the same time as me had already left by the time this lady was all checked out. I considered moving lanes several times, but human stubbornness being what it is, after fifteen or so minutes I just decided I was in for the long haul, no matter what.

At the end of the transaction, she asked for help to her car. The bagger volunteered to do it, probably figuring it would save someone else getting subjected to this lady. I would’ve thought he had been sanitized enough at this point. Nope. She made him change his gloves and slather the new gloves with more sanitizer on the way out!

When it was finally my turn, I asked the cashier if that customer came through often. He said, “I’ve never had her until now, but yeah, she comes once a week or so. Chewed out my manager last time for suggesting she just get her groceries delivered. Sorry for the wait.”

I tried to give the guy a tip, but he said they weren’t allowed to accept. God bless the essential workers, for real.

The retail location where I work does a Mother’s Day gift basket giveaway every year. All you have to do to enter is fill out a small slip of paper with your name and phone number on it. We are told to offer this to all customers and show off the products that are part of the gift basket.

I am restocking shelving attached to the side of the register while my coworker rings up an older man. He has said nothing the entire transaction, despite my coworker’s efforts.

Coworker: “Would you like to enter our raffle for our Mother’s Day gift basket?”

Customer: “My mother is dead.”

Coworker: “Oh… I’m sorry. Well, you could always enter for your wife—”

Customer: “My wife is dead.”

Coworker: *Very flustered but still trying* “Oh… I’m so sorry… You could always gift it to a sibling or a daughter or—”

Customer: “No. Everyone’s dead. They’re all dead.”

He dropped exact change on the counter, grabbed his things, and walked out.

A customer comes and dumps some frozen product on the counter.

Customer: “I’m not done. I’m just leaving this here.”

Later, the customer comes back with an armful of dog treats.

Customer: “I’m not done; I just can’t carry any more.”

Me: “Would you like a bag?”

Customer: “No, I’m not done.”

Later, after she is finally done:

Me: “So you didn’t want a bag, right?”

Customer: “Of course, I want a bag. I have so much stuff!”

My county recently started requiring us to charge for bags but only the biggest size we have. I reach for a small bag.

Customer: “No, I always get a big bag. I have so much stuff.”

I get her a big bag and add the charge. Then, I start packing up her stuff.

Customer: *Holding up a dog treat* “I don’t like the way they changed these. Can you talk to someone?”

I’m briefly stunned that she thinks I could possibly do anything about that.

Me: “…I guess I could talk to my manager.”

But the customer has already moved on:

Customer: “I should be getting a discount.”

I haven’t told her her total yet. I go to the next screen, which gives me her total including the discount.

Me: “Yep, your total is [total].”

Customer: “I guess I need to train you.”

Me: *Gritting my teeth* “Do you want your receipt, today?”

Customer: “Of course I do.”

Most customers don’t, actually, but fine. I stuff it in the bag. I’ve left her frozen stuff out, because the condensation on it will get everything else wet, but I ask anyway.

Me: “Did you want these in the bag, too?”

Customer: “Of course. I’ll get you trained.”

Me: “…”

All in all, one of the more frustrating interactions I’ve had at this job. And it’s only Monday…