I work at a newspaper agents where we sell lots of things, including prepaid cards to charge your phone balance. This particular customer has a reputation for being constantly angry and shouting at the employees. She once shouted at us because the site for the prepaid cards was down and she couldn’t charge her balance that day.

Customer: *Angry* “You need to fix my phone! You were the ones who broke it.”

Me: “What’s wrong with it?”

Customer: “Since you charged my phone last week, I can’t call one specific number anymore! All my other numbers work.”

Me: “It’s not possible to break something that way by charging the phone.”

Customer: *Even angrier* “FIX MY PHONE!”

My boss comes in and tries to help her figure out the problem.

Boss: “Ma’am, the number you’re trying to call has one digit too many.”

Customer: “No, the number is right! Fix my phone or I’m calling the police!”

She keeps shouting some more. Eventually, she does figure out that she put an extra digit in the number and that’s why it won’t work.

Boss: “You need to apologize for shouting at us.”

Customer: “You’re the ones who were wrong! You deserved it!”

Boss: “Ma’am, you are no longer allowed in this store. You can buy your prepaid cards somewhere else.”

I have a feeling I’ll see her back next week being angry about not being allowed in anymore.

My boss does not tolerate nonsense from anyone. A woman comes in to claim that I spit on her when she paid, and she wants a refund on the gas she purchased.

Boss: “I will look at our security camera.”

Woman: “Is my word not good enough for you?”

Boss: “No.”

She had a beautiful look on her face when he told her that. And the camera showed she was a liar.

I’m at a convenience store at a train station, buying toothpaste. The store has one regular checkout and five self-checkouts. No one ever uses those, so usually when I go there, there’s a long line for the regular checkout while the self-checkouts are completely empty and I can pay for my things super quickly.

Today, two of the self-checkouts are being used, there’s still a line for the regular checkout, and the cashier for that checkout is helping three women at the self-checkout. An older man at the front of the line walks over and starts yelling at the cashier.

Customer: “Hurry up and come over! I have a train to catch in five minutes!”

Cashier: *Calmly* “Please wait. I’ll be with you in a moment.”

This repeats a few times in circles. I’m somewhat amused because every time the man talks again the cashier has to stop helping the women to turn around and reply. Basically, it takes even longer because of this. I’m considering pointing the man toward one of the self-checkouts, but I’ve worked retail for a while and it’s obvious that he’s the type of customer who would refuse to use them. In the end, while I’m on my way out, I hear a woman from the line snap and shout.

Customer #2: “This is a train station! Everyone is in a hurry! Go back to your spot or get out!”

This is shortly after our store has started using chip readers for cards. I am cashiering and have an older lady come through. She tries sliding her card, which doesn’t work. 

Me: “Try inserting the card into the slot.”

Old Lady: *Shouting* “It’s a virgin! Please be gentle!”

It took everything in me to not fall over laughing at her. She definitely made my day so much better.

I own my own little corner shop. A grumpy old customer comes in to buy cigarettes, and when it’s time to pay, he flings his coins at me instead of handing them to me. I am forced to pick some coins up off the floor.

Customer: “That’s it, [South Asian slur]. On the ground where you belong.”

Me: “Don’t worry, sir. Considering how many of these you’re smoking and how terribly old you look, you’ll be in the ground while I’ll be on it for a long while yet. I’ll even do a little Bollywood dance on your grave.”

Customer: “How dare you!”

Me: “Goodbye, die soon!”

He stormed out as I turned up the Indian music on my radio.

This story is part of our Best Of June 2021 roundup!

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