When I was working at a fast food chain, they implemented a new policy — which none of us liked! — stating that all customers were to be greeted with, “Welcome to [Restaurant]! What will your order be today?”

One night, unbeknownst to us, a local football game at a university was playing and we were suddenly SLAMMED with a massive crowd of fans who stopped in to fuel up after the game. Number of cashiers to deal with them: yours truly. Kitchen staff: two people, maybe? And one drive-thru crew member.

After FINALLY melting the crowd down, I turned to the shift manager to ask if I could go to the break room for a much-needed nervous breakdown. This was when a couple approached my register.

Couple: *In unison* “Welcome to [Restaurant]! What will your order be today?”

They burst into laughter as I stared back, jaw half-open, wearing my best “Just kill me” expression. The manager and my drive-thru coworker stared back as well, clearly irritated.

The couple’s laughter slowly died down.

Couple: “Um, okay can I have the number seven with…”

I was working at the register, talking to a lady who worked for a loan company about how to get a loan for Christmas shopping. She gave me some information and then left. I checked out a few other people and then got back to doing some neatening up around the register.

A woman approached my register and handed me $100. She had overheard my conversation with the loan lady, so she withdrew the money for me. I made sure with my manager that I could accept the money and he said yes. It was a real shock, and I was thankful for the generosity.

I work in a family-owned pet food and supply store. We have this program that often has deals like “buy one get one free” for certain products, and when a deal is going on, we’ll put a little paper sign up by the product.

A woman comes in and buys three things: a case of the most expensive cat treats we carry — the case is like $40 — and two small bags of freeze-dried meal mixer things. I ring her up and tell her her total, and the woman gives me the ugliest look.

Customer: “One of these is free.”

She grabs one of the freeze-dried meal mixer bags.

Me: “It didn’t ring up as free…”

Our system is weird. Some of the time, it’s up to date with the program’s deals and will automatically ring it up as such. Other times, we need to enter the stuff into a completely different system to redeem the deals and rewards. It’s a pain.

The customer gets angrier and more aggressive.

Customer: “The sign said it was ‘buy one get one free’.”

I’m about to tell her that she may be right and that I will go check the sign when my manager speaks up.

Manager: “That’s for the kibble. You buy a bag of kibble and get one of the freeze-dried bags free.”

The customer responds in the nastiest tone I’ve heard from someone yet:

Customer: “That’s not what the sign says.”

My manager gets up, and she and the customer go to check the sign. It’s quiet for a moment, and then the woman comes storming from around the corner.

Customer: “YOU KNOW WHAT?! FORGET IT!”

She was absolutely irate. She stormed out the door without any of her stuff. My manager returned to the counter. Just like she’d said, the deal was to buy a bag of kibble and get a bag of freeze-dried meal mixers free.

I work at a stationery store that also provides a printing service, and most of our customers have recharge cards that they can use for our self-serve printing machines. These recharge cards can also be used at the regular till to pay for their printing, but the transaction process will be a bit more complicated.

Me: “Okay, that’ll be $1.70.”

Customer: “Can I pay with my recharge card?”

Me: “Yeah, of course.”

While putting through the transaction, I forget how to do it halfway, so I refund the rest of her card balance into cash which I will then put back into her card.

Customer: “It’s no worry if it’s too complicated to use the card; I’ll just give you this $10 note.”

Me: “No, it’s fine. Thanks for being patient, though.”

The customer puts the note back into her wallet.

Me: “So, you’ve paid for your printing already, and I’ve refunded your remaining balance into cash, which I’ll just put back onto your card for you.”

I put the balance onto her card and close the cash drawer.

Customer: “So, where’s the $10 note I gave you?”

Me: “Ma’am, I didn’t end up taking it from you.”

Customer: “But I saw you put it back into the cash drawer.”

Me: “Yes, that was from the balance I placed back onto your card.”

Customer: “No, that’s the one I gave you.”

The customer then checks her wallet and sees her MISSING $10 note.

Customer: “Oh, haha, oops.”

I work at a large department store in the jewelry department. We’re severely understaffed and I am the only person in the department. I’m wearing multiple crystals along with large, witchy-looking earrings. I have just helped a woman pick out some jewelry and I look back to see a line forming at my register.

Me: “All right, ma’am, now that we’ve found something for you, if you’d like to get in line, I can check you out as quickly as possible.”

I walk to my register and start checking the other customers out. I finally get to this woman after just a couple of minutes.

Customer: *Before I can say anything* “Get me your manager. Now.”

Me: “Of course, ma’am. Was there anything wrong with your experience today?”

Customer: “Manager. Now.”

I call my manager, but it takes a couple of minutes for her to come downstairs and get to my department.

Manager: “How can I help you?”

Customer: “Your employee was helping me and then made me go to the back of the line to check out. I want to buy these, but I don’t want her getting credit for it.”

We have sales goals that she somehow knows about.

Manager: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but that’s not possible. She’s the only employee today, so she’s the only one able to check guests out in this department. I apologize.”

The customer throws down all of the jewelry she is holding.

Customer: “Then I don’t want any of this. How can you hire such rude people to work here?!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but the other customers were waiting in line and I’m required to help customers in order of the line.”

She glares daggers at me, and then she sees my jewelry.

Customer: “You are the rudest employee I have ever met. The customer is always right! I’m… I’m gonna put a hex on you!”

She storms out of the store.

Me: *To my manager* “Did I do anything wrong here? I’m the only one, and I called for help but nobody came.”

Manager: “No, you’re fine.” *Walks away*

I guess some people think they deserve the rules to bend for them and nobody else.