If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit, Throw A Tantrum
(I work in a charity shop. We can only sell items that have been donated to us. An elderly customer walks in and starts looking at our shoe display.)
Customer: *holds up a shoe* “What’s the size of these?”
Me: *busy with a line of customers waiting to pay* “I don’t know, I’m afraid, if you look in the other shoe there will be a tag with its size.”
Customer: “You work here; you should know.”
(Another customer from the other end of the shop goes to help the lady as I cannot leave the till in the middle of a transaction. He tells her the shoe is a size 8. She huffs and puts the shoe back. She appears right beside me, almost behind the till, as I’m still serving other customers and thrusts another shoe in my face.)
Customer: “Size?”
Me: “I’m really sorry but I am busy with other customers. If you can just wait while I finish here I’ll be happy to help you with looking for shoes.”
Customer: “Fine.”
(She walks off. About ten seconds pass and I am still serving a line of people.)
Customer: “These. What are their size?”
Me: “I am really sorry but I am busy here and cannot help you right this moment. If you’re struggling to read the sizes, why don’t you pick out some that you like and I’ll help you in just a moment.”
(She appears in my face again and thrusts another shoe at me, almost hitting me.)
Customer: “Size. Now.”.
Me: *gently pushes the shoe away from my face* “As I have said, I am busy. Please wait and I will help you when I can.”
(By now, the customers waiting to be served have been waiting a lot longer than they would usually have to because of this woman and are now, like me, starting to get annoyed.)
Customer In Line: “For god’s sake, wait! She’s told you she is busy. And stop putting shoes in her face.”
Customer: “This is none of your business. I need to know shoe sizes. I will wait by the shoes.”
(I smile at the customer who stood up for me and thank her. She tells me I am an asset to the shop for putting up with the woman so well, and then leaves.)
Me: *walks out from behind the counter and to the shoes* “What size are you looking for?”
Customer: “Six.”
(I look at all the shoes after establishing she wants a lace up pair and find we have none that fit her.)
Customer: “Go look in the back. You always have more in the back.”
Me: “Ok, then.”
(At this point I am grateful for the opportunity to get away from her for a minute and tell the manager for the day what has happened.)
Manager: “Well, the only lace up shoes we have back here are too big or too small.”
Me: *smiles* “What a shame!”
(I go back out to the shop and tell the customer we have no shoes to fit her.)
Customer: “This is ridiculous! I need shoes!”
Me: “Unfortunately, as s a charity shop, we can only put out and sell what’s donated to us so if someone with size six feet who likes lace up shoes doesn’t donate their old shoes we can’t sell any.”
Customer: *throws shoe she is holding* “For f*** sake!” *starts walking out of shop*
Me: “Have a wonderful day!”
Customer: “F*** you!”