I work as a drive-thru and front counter packer at a fried chicken place. During summer, it is extremely busy and the store is full of people. We have understaffed our cooks so we occasionally run out of some chicken items like tenders, chicken fillets, etc.

Customer: “Hi. I’d like a large zinger box, please.”

Me: “Sure, was that all?”

Customer: “Yeah, that’s fine, thanks.”

About five minutes pass. and now he and several other customers are waiting for food. I am told that there will be a ten-minute wait on the chicken fillet for his burger, but I have already made the rest of the meal, so I decide to compromise.

Me: “Hi, sir, I’m really sorry, but I’ve just been told we’ve run out of the fillets for your burger and it’s going to be a ten-minute wait. As you can see, we are really busy, so if it helps I can give you the rest of your food while you wait?”

The customer sighs but seems understanding.

Customer: “Yeah, no worries; that’s fine. I’ll just have the rest of my food now.”

I hand him his food and he sits down and eats it while he waits. Ten minutes later:

Me: “Hi, I’m so, so sorry about the wait, but here is your burger.”

The customer is suddenly in a full fit of rage.

Customer: “THIS IS F****** UNBELIEVABLE! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR TEN WHOLE F****** MINUTES! LEARN TO DO YOUR JOB! YOU’RE WORTHLESS!”

He then slams the burger on the floor amidst all the customers, stomps on it so it goes everywhere, picks up the remainders, and throws it all at me behind the counter.

Customer: “CLEAN THAT, YOU STUPID C***!”

Me: “At least I didn’t spend $13 and wait fifteen minutes to throw my food on the floor like a child.”

He could’ve just gotten a refund! Thankfully, he then stormed out of the store.

Related:
The Chicken Is Done, And So Am I

I work as a packer at a fast food chain. A couple has come through the drive-thru with a massive order that comes in boxes so they won’t need a bag.

Me: “Hi, here are the meals!”

I begin handing out four boxes of food.

Me: “All right, there you are. Have a nice day!”

The customer looks at me, shocked and confused.

Customer: *Getting frustrated* “Um… no. I want a bag for the food. Are you serious?”

Me: “Oh, I’m really sorry, but we don’t actually have bags that big to fit the boxes of food.”

Customer: “That’s ridiculous; you’re lying to me.”

I go and get the biggest bag we have, which is too narrow to fit the boxes.

Me: “This is the largest size, sorry. Unless you maybe change the way you put the boxes in it?”

Customer: “You’re literally no help! Have fun getting a complaint, honey; then maybe you’ll do something about the bag sizes for next time.”

She threw her food in the back seat, wound up the window, and zoomed off.

Related:
Thinking Outside The Box, Part 5
Thinking Outside The Box, Part 4
Thinking Outside The Box, Part 3
Thinking Outside The Box, Part 2
Thinking Outside The Box

My store is cutting costs, which includes reducing inter-store transfers. Instead of transferring each week, it is now done fortnightly.

A customer has asked me to see if another store has a product that she has just purchased our entire stock of. I call around and find one in a store that is half an hour’s drive from us.  

Me: “Okay, I just found that [Location] has one in stock; would you like me to get held there for you or to have it sent here?”

Customer: “Get it sent here; I’ll be back this afternoon to pick it up.”

Me: “I’m sorry but it could take up to two weeks to have it sent here.”  

Customer: “What do you mean, two weeks?”

Me: “Our inter-store deliveries are sent every two weeks.”

Customer: “No. I need it today.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but the only way that you will get it today is if you can collect it yourself.” 

Customer: “I’m not driving all that way for a $5 item; send it by courier.”

Me: “Okay, but I’ll need to find out the cost for a courier, and if I can find one that works on a Sunday, you’ll need to pay Sunday rates.”

Customer: “What do you mean, I’ll have to pay? It’s supposed to be free.”

Me: “Yes, if you use our delivery service it is, not for a courier delivery.”  

Customer: “Well, make them hold it, then. I’ll have to see if someone can get it. I don’t see why we have to be the ones who do the running around. They’d better be there, too, because I am not having you ruin my wedding if I don’t have the right amount of invitations.” *Stomps off*

I work as a consultant within the retail sector, getting assigned tasks to be performed at different locations. Sometimes I’m on my own, but for larger tasks, a helper is usually assigned. Then, it’s up to me to contact them with the time to meet or any changes.

I am assigned a coworker that I don’t know, so I send a message to my manager asking for her contact details. I receive a reply that just contains a phone number. I don’t have regular physical contact with my manager — we work with emails and messages — and I learned early on to get everything in writing as she rarely answers calls.

Over the course of a week, I send messages to the coworker but get no reply. I phone and leave voice messages. I message my manager and get no reply. With the hope that she has seen my messages, I turn up at the job, but the coworker doesn’t show. I send an email to my manager to let her know what has happened and to say that I am getting another coworker instead and have to reschedule dates. Again, I get no reply.

I get another task with the missing coworker as a helper a week later, and again, I’m not able to contact her, so I arrange to have her replaced. Again, I let my manager know what is going on, and again, I get no reply.  

A third assignment is sent to me. This time, I am unable to do it, so I send an email to my manager a month ahead of time. She immediately replies asking for a screenshot which I send right away. I also remind her that I have never been able to contact this particular coworker. I keep having to email over the next three weeks because nothing has been done to remove this task. Eventually, I get a reply saying that my manager hasn’t found a replacement. I end up talking with another coworker and she agrees to take the task, and because of this, I can contact the head office to do the change.

Again, I email my manager with all the details and again remind her that I still can’t contact the other coworker. This time, I get a single line reply three days later.

“She’s been overseas for weeks; you should have had her taken off and found a replacement.”

I was involved in… erm… liberating a family of abused dogs from a backyard breeder. This is the only time I’ve ever done something in my life that would be considered wrong in the eyes of authority; I’ve always been very straight-laced. However, my brother has fallen on the wrong side of the law quite a few times.

I call my mum to give her an update on the situation and let her know I’m safe, which she’s glad to hear, but she’s also annoyed that I’m doing something she considers to be wrong. 

Unfortunately, I decided to cheer her up by saying, “Well, I guess my brother and I do finally have one thing in common; we’re both criminals!”

I’m going to hear about this for the rest of my life.