I am the accessories manager for a wedding boutique; in addition to dresses, we carry handmade, made-to-order bridal accessories.

We have samples in the store for brides to try on. Then, they can select customization options (ribbon color, metal color, stone color, etc.) and the design team will make it to order. They allow additional small customizations, but they all have to be cleared by the design team, signed off by the customer, and paid for if they involve extra materials or labor.

I have one bride come in to pick up her accessory order and, per policy, I go over every item with her and her mother. We go over her headpiece, earrings, necklace, the mother’s accessories, the bridesmaid’s jewelry, etc. She went all out with this order, and so far, they are so happy with every piece.

We go over the few small customizations that were clearly noted on the original order, placed by the boutique manager who is just as detail-oriented about these things as I am, and everything is perfect.

The last item is her sash. She picked one of our sash designs and a specific ribbon color. The ribbons are cut to a standard size, and she tried on the length on the sample; they’re a beautiful 100% silk French ribbon and just the material is pretty pricey.

She loves the design and the color, but apparently, it’s shorter than she expected. It’s not just a few inches shorter; we’re talking several feet shorter. I show her the original order form that she initialed and signed; nowhere does it say a custom sash length.

Mother Of The Bride: “No! We definitely ordered a custom length! It should be over three feet in length so it can be tied in a bow and drag on the ground with her train!”

Me: “Sure, let me hold onto the sash, and I’ll get a quote from our design team for that length.”

Mentally, I calculate that it would be a couple hundred extra for a toddler’s length worth of this ribbon, but maybe they’ll give her a little price break for that quantity.

Mother Of The Bride: “What? No! It was supposed to be that length already; we’re not paying any extra!”

Me: “I’m sorry, I checked with the manager who took your original order, and no custom length was discussed or ordered. I’m happy to get a quote for the custom length.”

Mother Of The Bride: “Absolutely not! I’d hate to have to take you to court over this.”

Me: “There’s no need for that. I just need to check with my accessory team for a quote for the additional length, and we’d be happy to redo the sash for the custom length.”

Mother Of The Bride: “There’s no way we’re paying extra. That was already included in the amount we paid.”

Me: “As we confirmed with your order sheet, the cost of the sash is the standard amount with no additional length. Again, I’m happy to offer the length you requested, but I need to check on what the custom price would be.”

Mother Of The Bride: “We want it three feet long, and we’re not paying more for it!”

Me: “Then there’s nothing more I can do. The other customizations were done as noted and signed off, and you confirmed they were all correct.”

Mother Of The Bride: “I’d hate to have to sue you for this!”

We went round and round with the manager and the owner, and she kept threatening legal action, but we had super detailed records.

I had a lot of unusual experiences in that role, but I kept having to ask myself, did someone really threaten to sue me over a ribbon?

I am a cashier at a discount clothing store. Our employee discount is 20% and relies on the employee’s associate ID number.

Coworker: “I have a friend coming through in a minute. Her name is [Friend], and I want to give her my discount.”

Me: “Okay.”

A customer comes through, [Coworker] tells me his employee number and I put the discount in. Then, I turn to the next customer, who is a complete stranger.

Me: “Hello, how are you? Would you like a bag today?”

Next Customer: “Yes, and I want your discount.”

Me: “…excuse me?”

Next Customer: “I want you to give me your discount, too.”

Me: “Why?”

Next Customer: “To save me some money!”

Me: “…I’m not allowed.”

I wish I’d told him sure, he could have my discount; he just needed to fill out an application and successfully complete an interview!

Related:
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 24
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 23
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 22
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 21
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 20

I’m a bridal stylist; I help people find their wedding gowns. I love my job, and 99% of the time, it’s a happy, wonderful job with great coworkers and customers.

And then there’s the 1%.

I had a bride today who was very sweet but just didn’t connect with the gowns we had. That’s okay; it happens sometimes. She was fine. But her mom (and somehow, it’s always the mom or the aunt) was decidedly not happy and decided to s***-talk me in Spanish the whole time.

Mom: “Does this woman know what she’s doing? She’s pulling nothing but ugly gowns!”

Said gowns were selected by the bride.

Mom: “I hope you don’t ever get as fat as her.”

And so on. Lovely.

Now, I am whiter than a jar of mayo, and I don’t necessarily look like I speak Spanish. However, my parents are from a Spanish-speaking country, even though they’re not ethnically Hispanic. I knew a LOT more as a kid, but l still know enough to get around.

So, I waited until the end, and as they were leaving, I spoke to the bride and her mom in Spanish.

Me: “I hope you have a great day. Please, feel free to come back any time you’d like; we have lots more gowns you can go through if you’d like.”

You know how good it feels when you’re in a ton of pain, and the doctor finally gives you something that works, and you’re suddenly not feeling any pain anymore? Or when you’re craving a specific flavor of ice cream and you manage to find it?

Seeing the look on that bride’s mom’s face when she realized I’d heard and understood the entire hour of her ripping me to shreds was SO much better.

Related:
If You Wouldn’t Say It To Their Face, Don’t Say It Near Their Ears, Part 2
If You Wouldn’t Say It To Their Face, Don’t Say It Near Their Ears

We have discounts very regularly, typically some “40% off the whole store” stuff. It’s very typical to receive questions about the post-discount pricing on various items; big percentages off are easy to calculate, but I can understand why customers would want to verify their purchase beforehand all the same.

A girl, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old, comes up to me.

Customer: “Can I get a price check on this dress?”

I find the tag.

Me: “That’s $20.”

She stands there confused for a second.

Customer: “So, what’s 50% off of that?”

Me: “$10.”

I carry on with my work. Whatever, it’s dark, the music is loud, and people are stupid. I likely would forget about it, but she returns a few minutes after standing in line.

Customer: “Are you sure?”

I nod, but she still just stands there and continues to look extremely unsure. I would simply dismiss it as her hesitating to make the purchase –– you’ll note I’m mentally offering her many chances to redeem herself –– but then, she whips out her phone.

Customer: “Can you show me how to calculate it?”

Related:
Math Is Your Friend, Part 11
Math Is Your Friend, Part 10
Math Is Your Friend, Part 9
Math Is Your Friend, Part 8
Math Is Your Friend, Part 7

When my sister and I were kids, my mother took us to a clothing store and made a Mom Joke.

Salesperson: “And today, this particular sweater is 50% off.”

Mom: “Oh, does that mean half of the sweater is missing?”

Salesperson: *Completely serious* “No, actually, it means we take half off the price.”

For years, Mom told this story as a funny example of someone not understanding what should have been obvious humor. Now that I’ve read NAR, I see it completely differently: either the salesperson legitimately thought my mom was a stupid customer because that’s not too implausible, or the salesperson had heard so many similar jokes and just wasn’t having it anymore.