I work at a clothing store in the mall. People ask us all the time if they can keep the hangers, which is understandable; free hangers are nice. But per policy, we have to keep them for reuse.

Every time I tell this to people, they usually don’t mind at all, seeing as the majority of stores (especially in the mall) don’t give out free hangers. But then there’s this lady.

She walks up to my register with two of our jackets from the sale section. They are both nice jackets, but we have all coats on sale to make room for the summer season. Together, they are under $40 sale price.

Me: “Hello! How are you doing?”

Customer: *Ignoring me* “Can these be left hung?”

Me: “Sorry, we have to keep the hangers.”

I expect this brief Q&A to be over, but what I don’t expect is for this lady to gasp and look at me in such utter contempt. It’s as if I just told her I step on kittens for fun.

Customer: “Well, way to kick me when I’m down!”

She says it in such despair, it really does sound like I have ruined not only her day but her will to go on. I don’t know how to respond! It is my first transaction back from break, which I spent on the phone with the vet talking about my dog’s next surgery. I am already stressed out, and it really rubs me the wrong way that she’d be so dramatic about something so trivial.

Me: “Er… Yeah, sorry. It’s just the store policy.”

Customer: “Well, can you at least fold them nicely?”

She asks it so bitterly, as if I planned to fold them as horribly as possible! So, I make a big show of slowly and carefully folding them for her before putting them in the bag. They are a somewhat slippery suede material, though; I know that with one rustle of the bag they’ll come unfolded.

Me: “Receipt is in the bag. Have a good day.”

Customer: “Did you take the sensors off?”

Me: “Yup!”

There weren’t even any sensors on them, considering we don’t sensor items under $19.99, but I didn’t have the energy to even tell her that. With that, she walked away, of course not returning my polite good day. Typical.

My coworkers and I had a good laugh about it later, though, especially after I had some better customer interactions that lifted my mood. “Way to kick me when I’m down” will definitely be my go-to phrase whenever life mildly inconveniences me!

We have a regular customer whose favourite pastime is to fill a trolley with clearance items. These are a nightmare as you have to reduce the prices on the till manually. Management is worried about scanning fraud and so have disabled the multiplication button on the till. This means that each item has to be scanned and discounted individually.

Once all of her items have been scanned and discounted, this always happens.

Customer: “That’s the wrong price! You’re overcharging me! Call your manager!”

The manager comes over and the situation is explained:

Manager: “That is the correct price, ma’am.”

Customer: “Then I’m never shopping here again!”

She storms out, leaving a full trolley of goods to put back. This happens all the time and she always comes back.

One winter, we have an especially heavy snowstorm. Our policy in this case is to clear the car park access to the spaces closest to the door. We do this as very few people come out when it’s snowing, and it lets people park as close as possible. Not this regular, though. Oh, no.

She pulls into the car park, drives into the uncleared section, and tries to drive through a snowdrift, hitting a covered bollard in the process. She clomps into the store.

Customer: “Where’s the manager?!”

She then yells at him point-blank.

Customer: “Why didn’t you clear my usual parking space of snow?!”

Our manager responded by banning her from our store for being abusive towards staff.

I was working in customer service. A lady bought two items on clearance for $10 each. We have 5% tax, so the total came out to $21. She came back later.

Customer: “The sticker on these items actually says $5.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll refund you the difference.”

I processed the refund, including the tax, so the refund came to $10.50.

Customer: “Wait. Shouldn’t I be getting $10 back? The difference in price is only $10. I want $10 back on my card, not $10.50.”

Me: “Ma’am, the register does the calculating, not me.”

I refrain from pointing out that a sixth-grader could do this math. Since it was on card, the register had to put the extra $.50 on; if it was cash and it was bothering her, I’d have kept the $.50.

The worst part is that she worked in offices upstairs and brought the OFFICE ACCOUNTANT to come down and discuss why I wouldn’t put the $10 on her card. I explained. The accountant nodded. The customer nodded.

And on the way out, the lady turned to her accountant and said:

Customer: “I still don’t get it.”

I am working as a cashier at my local supermarket. We are swamped with people; I have at least seven people waiting in my line. One of my good friends from high school is in my line and I am talking to him as I am ringing up his stuff.

After he leaves, I welcome the next lady in line.

Me: “Hi. Did you find everything okay?”

At least that is what I try to say, but before I can get a word out:

Customer: “I want to speak to your manager.”

I call the manager over.

Manager: “How may I help?”

Customer: “Your cashier was having a conversation with a high school friend.”

Manager: “Did the conversation delay the checkout process?”

Customer: “That’s not what this is about! They should have included me in their conversation!”

I definitely let my manager handle that one! She didn’t even chime in or anything and I’ve never seen her in my life!

Me: “Can I see your ID, please?”

Customer: “Why? I clearly look of age.”

Me: “I’ve met twelve-year-olds with full beards and a twelve-year-old with grey hair, so I have trust issues.”

The customer laughed and handed over their ID.

I often use this line when people complain or ask why they need to show ID, and it usually makes them laugh.