I enter a dollar store. I shop there often, and I notice immediately that while the store is filled with customers, I only spot three employees: two stocking and one on the register. It’s quite clear they are all frazzled.

Right behind me, an older woman and man enter the store, as well. Immediately, the woman starts complaining about how crowded it is and how “there’s such a huge line at checkout” (three people).

The store isn’t that big, so I come across them multiple times. Each time, I hear the woman complain about the crowded store and the long lines. Each time I see the line, it’s max four people long.

When I go check out, I’m the third in line. Behind me, I hear familiar nagging about “the immense waiting time”. I’m not in a great and patient mood, so when she stands behind me and once again complains, I turn around with the sweetest smile I can muster at that moment.

Me: “Oh, feel free to go ahead!”

Customer: “Oh, no, no, no! I am in no hurry! I have all the time! But why isn’t that young man calling for another register, I wonder?”

Me: “Well, I did notice very few employees; they are probably understaffed.”

Customer: “They should hire more people, then. Oh, this takes so long… and they even closed the self-service registers!”

Me: “Eh… there are no self-service registers here. There never were.”

Customer: “Oh, of course, there are! Over… Oh, they must have changed that the past week. Well, no wonder they are understaffed! They made more registers but didn’t hire more people!”

It was then my turn to pay. I think my entire waiting time was not even two minutes? I quickly moved out of the way with my stuff to pack it on the side, not to hinder this “not in a hurry but in a hurry” woman. I should have given her one of the “we are hiring” pamphlets that were near the door.

Related:
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 19
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 18
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 17
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 16
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 15

This was a long time ago, and was the worst thing I ever saw happen in a store, back when people could get away with saying things like this.

The manager of the store was labeling shelves with promotions like “two for $1” and “three for $1”. There was a Black woman right behind me who noticed the signs.

Customer: “Those are my favorite.”

So, she piled up her basket with the sale items to the limit listed on the sign.

She was ahead of me in line and offered to let me go ahead, but I said no; I wasn’t in a hurry.

The cashier was unaware of the sale and asked the manager who had just put up the signs. He accused the customer of stealing.

Me: “How is that possible since she was at the register with cash in her hand?”

The manager rounded on me

Manager: “Obviously, you don’t know how ‘that’ kind behaves, or you wouldn’t be so naïve.”

The lady in front of me started to cry.

Me: *To her* “Don’t move.”

I went and got the two sale signs and showed them to the cashier.

Me: “I just watched the manager put these up right before the woman selected the items.”

Cashier: “I’d be fired if I rang them up at that price for that kind of person.”

Me: “Am I the right kind of person?’

I left my items on the counter. I gave the woman in front of me money to buy the same items at the grocery store for full price (two doors down), and then I went home and called corporate. I was told that the manager there was a good manager but old-fashioned. I told them that was a funny way to say someone was a racist who was losing them customers.

I never went back.

I work in a dollar store. Nothing has an individual price sticker because of all the giant “EVERYTHING IS ONE DOLLAR!” signs all over the store.

Customer: “How much is this?”

Me: “A dollar.”

Customer: “How am I supposed to know that?”

Me: “This is a dollar store, sir. Every item is a dollar, without exception.”

Customer: *Picks up another item* “Well, how much is this, then?”

Me: “Still a dollar, sir. Like everything in the store.”

Customer: “So, like, nothing is on sale?”

Me: “Everything is on sale for a dollar.”

Customer: *Picks up another item* “How much is this?”

Me: “A dollar.”

Customer: *Picks up another item* “How much is this?”

Me: “Two dollars?”

Customer: “Really?”

Me: “Yeah, but it’s on sale for half price.”

Customer: “That’s great!” 

He bought ten.

In Ontario, they have done away with plastic shopping bags. I’m in a dollar store with my six-year-old daughter, and as always, I’ve left my reusable shopping bags in the car.

Cashier: “You can take a box from the pile at the front.”

I send my daughter to pick a box. She picks one with a picture of a toy on it, and it is bigger than needed. I don’t care. The cashier does.

Cashier: *To my daughter, in a rude tone* “That box is too big! Pick the one beside it.”

[Daughter]’s face falls, and she looks so crestfallen. She puts back the box she picked, does not pick another one, and just walks over to me, all sad.

I get the momma bear look on my face and stare at the cashier, who goes over and picks up the smaller box. When she sees my face, she puts down the small box.

Me: *To my daughter* “Go pick the box you want.”

She happily skipped over and got it. The cashier said nothing for the rest of the transaction.

When we got home, the box was turned into a house for one of [Daughter]’s toys.

The moral of the story: let a kid pick whatever box they want… or give out shopping bags again.

I work at Dollar Tree, where everything is a dollar. I can see a woman in my line, two customers back. I know she has a return, but I see that her item is in a Family Dollar bag. I’m thinking maybe she just put it in a random bag. As she gets closer, I see in her hand a freaking FAMILY DOLLAR receipt.

Me: “Ma’am, if you’re doing a return, you’re at the wrong dollar store. This is a Dollar Tree, not Family Dollar.”

Customer: “But my return is a dollar.”

Well, obviously!

Me: “Yes, ma’am, but you have to return it to the store you bought it from.”

Customer: “But they’re so far. You’re closer.”

Me: “I’m afraid that doesn’t change anything.” 

Customer: “But they’re both a dollar; it all comes out the same in the end…”