I work in a craft store as a front-end supervisor, which means I am stuck at the customer service register all day. What keeps it from being unbearable are the many awesome coworkers I have. One of them, [Coworker], is a fairly quiet and very sweet guy.

One night, it is close to closing time. One of [Coworker]’s primary closing duties is to grab the push-broom and do a quick sweep of the store. This particular night, there happens to be a couple and their two kids shopping just before closing. The mom comes up to my register by herself to pay for their shopping while the dad, presumably, wrangles the kids.

After the mom has paid, she asks:

Mom: “Can I speak with a manager?”

Me: “Of course, but is it something I can help you with?”

The mom gestures in the vague direction where [Coworker] is sweeping.

Mom: “That employee was trying to push my kids with the broom!”

Knowing [Coworker] as I do, I know that is absolutely not something he would do. I also know [Manager] would agree with me, but figure it’s better to have her deal with this ridiculous complaint. She is standing nearby, so I wave her over.

At around the same time that [Manager] reaches us, the dad and the kids also arrive.

Manager: “How can I help you?”

Mom: “That employee with the broom was using it to try and push my kids out of the way!”

The dad’s attention snaps to the mom with a baffled look.

Dad: “What are you talking about? No, he wasn’t. He stood there and waited for the kids to get out of the way so he could finish sweeping.”

The mom’s look immediately switches from offended by [Coworker] to embarrassed that her husband has called her out on her lie. Without continuing the complaint, they grab their bags and leave.

Manager: “Yeah, there’s no way I was about to believe that [Coworker] did something like that.”

Me: “No kidding. At least the husband called her out on it.” 

Hopefully, their kids wound up taking after their dad and not their mom. I don’t know if the mom’s motivation was racism since my coworker is Black, but I am glad she didn’t get away with it.

I am at an arts and crafts store in search of picture frames. I’m searching for a precut natural white matte board in my desired size because the store is grotesquely understaffed and there is a line at the framing counter. I hear [Woman #1], an older lady, ask [Woman #2] for assistance; [Woman #2] is wearing a shirt that matches the employees’ smocks.

Woman #2: *Quickly and almost rudely* “I don’t work here.”

She grabs her cart and walks away.

I don’t know why this attracts my attention. Maybe it’s the desperation in [Woman #1]’s voice, or maybe it is store acoustics funneling their voices to me. I really don’t know.

[Woman #1] stands for a moment before she uses a seeing-impaired cane to walk toward me in the main aisle.

Me: “I don’t work here, but can I try to help you?”

She gives a huge sigh and smiles.

Woman #1: “I need help finding yarn; I’m making a baby blanket. The colors needed are white or cream, yellow, pink, and blue, and I can’t see enough to pick them out.”

Me: “I can definitely help you with that.”

Woman #1: “Can you lend an arm? It’s crowded here, and I walk faster with a person leading.”

Me: *Laughing* “Well, speed isn’t on my menu. I have a walking boot and crutches. If you want, I can lead and you can follow. Unfortunately, I don’t have an open arm.”

Woman #1: “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just find an employee.”

Me: “No, it’s not a problem! I’ve only seen one employee anyway, and they’re at the framing counter with a line of people.”

We figure out all the logistics, and as we get to the yarn, we share names. I learn that she had her vision until “a pair of hands and a foot ago”, and that her husband dropped her off while he went to the hardware store. We get to the yarns and start by finding what feel of yarn she wants. Then, I start describing the colors.

Me: “They have barely pink, light salmon, and cotton candy pink. Here there’s banana skin yellow and banana flesh yellow. And this is almost an orange-pink.”

Woman #1: “You’re describing them so well! Thank you!”

We gathered the bundles of yarn that she wanted, finished our shopping together, and even checked out one after the other. She insisted on buying me a chocolate bar as a thank-you.

Total grandma move there, right?

Mama Setia, I hope your great-grandbaby’s blanket turns out wonderfully soft and as loving and sweet as you are.

Our store literally has “Arts & Crafts” in the name. I have just finished helping a lady find some cake-decorating items.

Me: “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Customer: “Why yes. Where is your arts and crafts section?”

Me: *Blank stare* “What is it that you are working on? I could point you in the right direction.”

Customer: “No need. Just show me where you have your arts and crafts.”

Me: “Well, ma’am, we have them all around the store. I could show you where something is—”

Customer: *Interrupting, frustrated* “Look, I just want you to show me where your arts and crafts are. That’s it.”

Me: “Okay, then.”

I proceed to tell her the kids section is over here, wedding is here, yarn is here, etc. She stops me midway.

Customer: “This is just ridiculous! You are an arts and crafts store; you have to have an arts and crafts section!” *Storms off*

We sell yarn for knitting at my workplace. Sometimes people will make something with that yarn. Then, they’ll wear the garment they made and realize the color and texture are not to their liking.

Then, they’ll undo the pullover or whatever they made and try to return these used lumps of yarn with the excuse that we offer an extended return time — for UNUSED yarn.

An old lady wants a pink ribbon fabric as it is on sale for 60% off. The problem is that a customer called ahead and ordered a bulk amount of it because she works for a cancer organization and makes blankets for cancer patients.

This customer is wheeling a cart in the store with several large bolts of the fabric in it, which she special ordered, and we put it in the cart for her so she could continue shopping.

The old lady sees this.

Old Lady: “Why does that woman have all the bolts? It isn’t right that she’s hogging it all!”

Customer: “Well, in fact, I special ordered these. It’s for a charity and the fact that they’re on sale is why I bulk-ordered.”

The old lady continues to yell at the poor customer, who very calmly keeps trying to reassure her that she is not taking any of the store stock and that she makes blankets for dying women with breast cancer. She is a very sweet store regular who pays out-of-pocket for all the blankets, so my store held the fabric for her until the sale when she would come in and purchase them with her coupon.

Old Lady: “I don’t give a s***!”

And then this very angry old lady — I s*** you not — whipped out mace and tackled the other customer!

The old lady was escorted out of the store by security and then handed over to the police.

I don’t know what happened to her legally, but she would come in once every couple of months, give me the stink eye, then rebelliously write down recipes from the home and food magazines so she wouldn’t have to buy them, and then scurry out and come back again a few months later.