In high school, I work at a popular chain craft store for a couple of years. I am seventeen, but I’m also 5’1” and look like an actual child. I am cashiering and an older woman comes in. She’s not particularly pleasant, but she’s fine.

Customer: “I’ve taken up crocheting. Do you know anything about it?”

Incidentally, my mom taught me how to crochet when I was a little kid!

Me: “I do.”

She asks me a few questions and I give her some answers.

Customer: *Firmly* “Thank you.”

Me: “No worries!”

Customer: “That is not proper English! You stupid millennials and your made-up words! In your job, you should speak correctly! People your age are always speaking like illiterates at work!”

Whatever, lady. I’ve finished scanning her items and coupons and I happily tell her her total. She puts her card in the machine, I put the receipt in the bag, yadda yadda, and hand her the bag.

Me: “Have a wonderful day!”

Customer: *Half-a**ed* “Thank you.”

I smile. I beam. I absolutely transcend into another realm.

Me: “No worries!”

I was in line during my lunch break at the craft store. This chain is known for the tons and tons of coupons they send out basically daily. This particular location is also perpetually understaffed. When I joined the line, I was about four people back, and three or four more joined after me as the lone cashier argued with a customer at the front over a coupon. I gathered from context that she has already argued over MULTIPLE coupons on this transaction, meaning she’d been there for quite a while.

Customer: “But I don’t understand why it’s not taking anything else off!”

Cashier: “This coupon states right here that ‘Sale, clearance, and [Brand] items are excluded.’ The only items you haven’t used a coupon on yet are all sale, clearance, and [Brand] items. I’m really sorry, but you can’t use this coupon. Do you want to take any of these items off?”

Customer: “No! Stop trying to rob me, and just do whatever you need to do to apply this coupon for me!”

I felt like I saw the cashier’s soul leave his body as he geared up for round fifty-seven of this argument. Before he said anything, the elderly lady who had been waiting patiently to be served next shuffled up to the counter and set something down.

Customer #2: “Ma’am, while I was waiting for you to finish yelling at this poor young man, I looked up the item you want to buy here on my phone. It’s $9.00, and [Brand], so as this young man explained, you can’t use the 15% off coupon on it. But I’ve done the math, so here’s $1.35 to cover your hardship. Can you please pay so I can buy my [expletive] yarn and run along?”

There was a split second where I could see the Coupon Lady consider going full psycho, but instead, she handed over her credit card and finally paid for her order. The whole line did not applaud, but I definitely wanted to hug [Customer #2]. And the cashier gave her his employee discount for her basket of yarn.

Related:
The Couponator 38: The Sandwich Of Frustration
The Couponator 37: The Year Of Reckoning
The Couponator 36: The Counter-Coupon Cashier
The Couponator 35: Dog Food Day Afternoon
The Couponator 34: Blast From The Past

I work in a craft store. One day, there was a line, and I was just finishing up cashing out an older lady. I noticed that the next lady in line didn’t have any items. I finished up with the first lady, who was waiting for her daughter to check out.

The second lady had some online items to pick up, so I directed her to the back to pick them up. The daughter of the first lady cashed out, and as they were leaving, I heard this:

Older Lady: “Would it have been so hard for her to tell her that it was in the back or go get it for her herself?”

Sorry, lady, I’m not a mind reader, and I can’t exactly go back to pick up everybody’s online order when there’s a long line.

I am in line at a craft store with multiple customers and one checkout clerk. It takes a little while, but most people are being patient and good-humored. There are a few longer transactions, mostly with older folks or return-type transactions.

I make it up to the clerk with my single item.

Clerk: “How are you today?”

Me: “Pretty good. You?”

Clerk: “Do I have to answer?”

Me: “No. But you can answer honestly and I won’t tell.”

Clerk: “F*** all this and f*** my life.”

Me: “That bad? Hopefully, you have a break or something soon?”

Clerk: “Yeah, as soon as this line is gone, I’m going to the back room and crying or something. It’s just a bad, depressing week.”

Me: “At least you have lots of pillows to scream into here.”

Clerk: *Laughs* “That’s true! I’m not even going to ask about this stupid phone number s***.”

Me: “Good, I don’t have one! Just this coupon.”

The clerk scans my coupon and gives me my total, and I pay.

Me: “It does get better, and I hope you have a much better day and week ahead.”

Clerk: “Thank you. Have a great day!”

Apparently, I have what my husband calls a “candid” face, and I hope I use my power to help out when I can!

I’m in an arts and crafts store in early December. I find an employee to ask for the location of an item. He sighs dejectedly that someone is speaking to him, but he gives me the aisle number and I’m off on my way. Hopefully, this will be a quick trip.

I reach the aisle in question and see the pitchers I’m looking for on the bottom shelf. There are three left; my wife told me to buy more than one, so we’re in good shape. The only problem is that there’s a group of three women standing directly in front of them. I decide to just wait patiently. If they buy all three, I can tell my wife they were out of stock legitimately and not have to stand in the holiday checkout lines.

After a minute or so, they notice me standing there and step to the other side of the aisle, grabbing one pitcher. Sigh. Okay, I’m standing in line, but the Mrs. will be happy. I immediately step forward and grab the remaining two pitchers and go to leave. But I hear a voice.

Woman: “Umm… we were planning on buying all three pitchers.”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, but you only grabbed one. My wife sent me here specifically for this.”

Woman: “Yes, that’s also why we came here. There are three of us. Do you expect us to all share this pitcher?”

Me: “I’m not sure? I’m just here to buy this and go home. You could ask if they have any more in the back.”

There’re never any in the back.

Woman: “Don’t you think it’s pretty rude to force your way past us to buy the last two of the item we were trying to buy?”

Is she serious?

Me: “Have a great day, ma’am.”

The “ma’am” was meant sincerely, but she seems to take it the wrong way. I make my way up front, and by some miracle, there are only two people ahead of me. I get in line, and right as I’m next in the queue, I hear the woman’s voice again.

Woman: “That man forced his way past us and took those pitchers. We were just about to buy them.”

I turn and see her speaking to an older-looking gentleman who looks like he’s hating every second of the interaction. He sighs and walks over to me.

Manager: “Is this true, sir?”

I look over his shoulder at the woman who is just smiling at me. I explain the whole situation to the man. He tells me to have a nice day and points me to the next open register. The lady loses it at this point, but luckily, she directs her rage at the manager. I check out and walk outside toward my car.

I wish this were the end, but as I’m approaching my car, I hear this woman huffing and puffing behind me.

Woman: “You’re ruining my family’s holidays! We make Christmas candles every year! I’m going to call my husband down here.”

I got in my car and started it up, and she stood directly behind my car while using her phone. I glanced over my shoulder to double-check and then put my car in drive and drove out the open parking spot in front of me and headed home.