(My company sells both stone and bulk gravel. I have a family of four comes in to look at stone an hour before we close, and I help them for about thirty minutes before they go to leave. They drive to the back of our location where the gravel piles are, but as this is common before customers leave I think nothing of it.)

Coworker: *fifteen minutes later, coming in from the back* “Did you know that the family you waited on is climbing and playing on the gravel piles?”

Me: “No. They were finished looking and didn’t say anything about gravel. But they’re actually just playing on the piles?”

Coworker: “Yeah, the parents and kids both are playing on the top of some of the smaller piles.”

(We occasionally have kids climbing on the gravel piles, but never adults. I try to let them leave without being told, as they know we are closing soon, but eventually at closing time I head back to them. All four are sitting on top of a gravel pile laughing and joking.)

Me: *in my car, clearly trying to leave, as my coworkers have already left* “Hello. I’m sorry but we’re actually closed now. If you could come down and pull out of the gate so I can lock up, I’d appreciate it.”

Father: “Oh, but the children are having so much fun! Can’t we stay a while longer?”

Me: *disbelieving* “No, sir. We closed a few minutes ago, and I need to lock up. Please come down and pull your car out of the gate.”

(I then had to sit there as the family slowly crawled down the gravel pile while grumbling the whole time about having to leave when they were having so much fun. We’re not an amusement park, folks.)

(My mom and I are taking a trip together and have a layover at a large airport in Texas. We learn upon landing that there have been some severe storms in the area and all flights are delayed. We don’t mind, since we are early, anyway, and we tend to be pretty laid back about that kind of thing, especially when it’s something beyond the airport’s control. We are waiting in the seats by the service desk just in case our flight time changes again. A 25-ish year old woman in a suit two-times too small for her comes running up, pulling her suitcase so fast that it’s bounced off the wheels and is dragging on its side. My mom and I watch the whole thing go down.)

Woman: “I was just told my flight is delayed! Why is my flight delayed?!”

Agent: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there are severe thunderstorms moving through the area, and for the safety of our passengers we have delayed all flight times out of [Airport].”

Woman: “But… but…” *immediately drops her suitcase and starts BAWLING at the customer service counter* “But I need to catch this flight!”

Agent: *temporarily shocked* “I do apologize, ma’am, but it’s really out of our control at the moment. We’ll be happy to reimburse your ticket.”

Woman: “No! NO! I can’t miss this flight! Why are you doing this? Why are you being so mean?“

Agent: “I’m sorry, what?”

Woman: “You’re being mean!”

(She is crying so hard now, my mom is afraid she is going to pass out, and tells me to be ready to call for medical help.)

Woman: “WHY ARE YOU BEING SO MEAN TO ME?!”

Agent: “Ma’am, I promise that we are not being mean to you; we are concerned for your safety.”

Woman: “WHY?! Why did you change my flight?!”

Agent: *starting to look worried too* “Because of the storms, ma’am.”

Woman: “That’s so mean! Why are there storms right now?!“

Agent: “Um… act of God?”

(The agent handled herself really well, considering. This went on for nearly 15 minutes before a manager and a security guard came to escort the woman to a place where she could calm down. The storms passed through pretty quickly, and most of the flights were back up and running within an hour. My mom and I were even bumped up to first class since we were willing to wait longer than some of the other passengers!)

(I have been in retail for over six years. A sweet elderly lady comes into the TV department.)

Customer: “I have a bug in my TV.”

Me: “Can I ask what issues you have been having?”

Customer: “There is a bug inside my TV. I have pictures.”

(I was thinking it was a panel issue or something she could capture on camera. Then, she pulled out the photos, and sure enough, there was a real-life insect inside her TV, crawling around so that it was being projected onto the screen. I didn’t know what to tell her, and to be honest, I did laugh a bit. I took her over to the repair desk to ask for any suggestions and after they laughed at this odd situation, all they really had to say was to either let it die, take off the back cover, or try compressed air. This just goes to show that you will always be surprised, and sometimes the customer actually is right.)

(I am working at the checkout counter, and we have a special on avocados from South America: two for the price of one. There are about four people in the queue; one of them is a regular. I see that he is holding two avocados and muttering to himself. As it is his turn, he hands me the avocados.)

Me: “Hi, would that be all for you?”

Customer #1: “No.”

Me: “No?”

Customer #1: “No, they are not ripe. You picked them too early!”

(And he hands me the avocados and walks away, having queued about ten minutes just to hand them back.)

Me: “…?”

(The next lady in line approaches.)

Customer #2: *laughing* “Yeah, you picked them too early.”

Me: “I guess I can have a sleep in tomorrow, then.”

(I work the customer service desk at a very large mall.)

Customer: “Where is [Store]?”

Me: “Second floor, down the hallway to the left.”

Customer: “How would I get to the second floor?”

Me: *gestures to elevators about twenty feet in front of us* “Those elevators right there.”

Customer: “What elevators? How do I get to the elevators?”

Me: “They’re right there, sir. Just go through the doors and it’ll take you right up.”

Customer: “Hmph! I guess I’ll have to take the stairs, then!” *walks back in opposite direction of elevators*