(I work at a popular arts and crafts store as a manager. We frequently get customers who don’t pay attention to our ads, which have the terms of our sales printed in large, plain letters. On this day, the amount of people doing this has been ridiculous. I finally get fed up with bending the rules for people, so I try to enforce our policy.)

Cashier: “Hey, [My Name], this customer says that these were marked as $8.99, but they’re ringing up as $16.99. Can you check for me?”

Me: “Sure thing. I’ll be right back!”

(Sure enough, I go check the product and see that the ad sign is outdated. It is also not placed near the product that the customer picked up.)

Me: *over the radio* “So, the ad isn’t for that product.”

Cashier: “She’s coming over to check.”

(At this point, I’m frustrated. I step out and sure enough, the customer is walking intently down the aisle toward me.)

Customer: “See? They’re $8.99!”

Me: “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but this ad sign is outdated…” *I indicate the date on the ad* “…and it is also not hanging near the product you brought up.” *I indicate that the product she has is not beside the ad sign*

Customer: “But you have to honour the price! It’s advertised!”

Me: “I’m very sorry, but—”

Customer: “I want to speak to your manager.”

Me: “Ma’am, I am one of the managers here.”

Customer: “Then I want to speak to someone above you! Every other store I go to would honour that price!”

(After a couple minutes of arguing, I decide it’s just not worth it to argue with a customer.)

Me: “I’m sorry about that, ma’am; I’ll get the cashier to honour that price for you.”

Customer: *smiling* “Well, I wouldn’t have wanted you to do something you weren’t comfortable with!”

Me: “Have a good day, ma’am.”

(I work in a locally owned craft store. An elderly man brings a bouquet of balloons to the register.)

Customer: *hands me the price slip* “I guess you want money now, don’t you?”

Me: “Um… Yes. Just let me calculate your total.”

Customer: “Well, that’s just like a woman, isn’t it? They always want money!”

Me: *speechless*

(I’m a cashier at an arts and crafts store, and one of my jobs at the register is to answer the phone. This particular day I happen to get a call from a telemarketer.)

Me: *answers phone* “Thank you for calling [Store]. This is [My Name]. How can I help you?”

Caller: “Why, hello there, [My Name]! You look very pretty today!”

Me: “We’re talking on the phone; how do you know what I look like?”

(I work at an arts and crafts store. We are doing a fundraiser involving a kids’ after-school program, and I am explaining this to a couple in hopes that they might make a donation.)

Me: “Maybe your kids can join. Who knows? It could be fun for them.”

Woman: “Oh, no thanks; we don’t have kids.”

Man: “Well, we can make some, tonight…”

(It’s a busy day in the store, and I’m called up to the front, since the lines have gotten long. I get up there to find that a customer has her cart-full of items laid out on the counter of my register. I stand there for a second, unsure of what to do, until another customer asks me to open.)

Me: “Um, excuse me.”

Customer: “Oh, do you need this register? I’m just counting my things.”

Me: “Yes, sorry. They assign me to a register, and I can only use this one.”

Customer: *annoyed, she starts slowly putting the items back into the cart* “Is there somewhere else I can do this?”

Me: “Unfortunately, no.”

(I sign in, but can’t call anyone over because she is still blocking my register. The customer gets about half of her items into the cart, when she pauses and says:)

Customer: “You know what? I might as well check out. Can you just ring me up?”

Me: *making eye contact with all the people who’ve been waiting* “Well, you could ask the people in line if they’d mind if I took you before them.”

Customer: *somewhat testily* “I’m not going to ask them.” *finally clears enough room for me to call the next in line*