Our shop sells large appliances. I am showing a fridge freezer to an elderly lady, going through all the shelves and compartments. She spies the egg holder on one of the shelves.

Customer: “What’s that?”

Me: “That’s for your eggs.”

She looks at me as if I’d just admitted to mass genocide.

Customer: “Eggs? In the fridge?“

Me: “Yes, eggs can go in the fridge. I keep mine in the fridge.”

Customer: *Glares at me* “Oh, no. No, no, no. Young man, you never put eggs in the fridge.”

Then, she walked away without buying anything. That’s how I lost a sale because I told someone I keep eggs in the fridge.

Back when I worked at an electronics store, I had a customer who had an extended warranty expire literally two days from the day he brought his VCR in for repair. I was working on getting an override from corporate because his VCR warranty expired on Thanksgiving Day, and you know how busy we are the two days after.

He got upset because it was taking so long, and he threw the VCR at me, causing thirteen stitches on my scalp.

Ironically, the override happened shortly afterward, and he lost it again when I told him we couldn’t repair a unit damaged by customer abuse.

The police were called. The guy was arrested and I went to hospital.

He got six weeks in jail, was instructed to attend anger management, and was court-ordered not to step into a [Store] in our county for an infinite period of time.

This story is part of the Thanksgiving 2022 roundup!

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I deliver appliances for a big box store.

Caller: “I need to make a complaint! You just installed my fridge, and it was not pre-cooled before it was delivered! I had to wait for the temperature to come down!”

No one in the office was prepared for that one.

I work at a brick-and-mortar retail chain that sells electronics, but we also have some (very limited) snacks like animal crackers and Pop-Tarts.

Shortly before closing time one evening, I had two people enter the store smelling like pot. I was watching the floor while the Manager On Duty was taking care of some closing activities in the office. As the two people entered, I greeted them and asked what they are looking for.

Customer #1: “We need some backup batteries.”

I began walking them in the right direction.

Me: “Do you have any questions about them?”

Customer #2: “No.”

I noticed [Customer #1] stopping at a snack shelf and grabbing a box of Pop-Tarts before meeting back up with [Customer #2]. As there were no other customers in the store, I stood next to the aisle in case they had questions. I then saw [Customer #1] open the box of Pop-Tarts and start eating them while I was looking directly at him.

Me: “Are you planning on paying for those?”

They both ignored me, so I radioed the MOD and explained the situation. The MOD then came to the floor, we stood on either end of the aisle and watched them eat. Eventually, they left the aisle and looked at other sections in the store. At that point, [Customer #1] wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was eating the Pop-Tarts.

Customer #1: *To me* “Hey, can I use the restroom?”

I show him where it is.

Me: “Let me hold that box of Pop-Tarts for you.”

He declined and gave them to [Customer #2], instead.

After a while, he came out and walked around the store some more. I kept my distance, but I was close enough to see everything they were doing. Then, [Customer #1] approached the MOD.

Customer #1: “Can I see the manager?”

MOD: “I am the manager.”

Customer #1: “Then stop following me!”

MOD: “My associate saw you grab a box of Pop-Tarts, and we both saw you eating them in the aisle. We just want to make sure you are going to pay for them.”

Customer #1: “I haven’t opened the box!”

Then, he set the box down on a shelf and started to try to walk out. The MOD grabbed the box and beat [Customer #1] to the exit.

MOD: “Are you going to buy this?”

He showed the customer the opened and half-eaten box. The customer started yelling at us and causing a scene.

Customer #1: “How dare you?! I want the general manager’s information and the corporate customer service number!”

We gave him the general manager’s business card and the corporate customer service number and then he walked out. We went to find his friend.

Me: “Are you going to buy something or are you going to leave? We saw your friend eat Pop-Tarts he didn’t pay for.”

Customer #2: “I am going to buy some stuff.”

After ten minutes, he came to the checkout with the least expensive clearance items we carry.

MOD: “Are you going to pay for the Pop-Tarts your friend ate?”

After the store closed, I started getting ready to leave. I went into the bathroom to change into street clothes, and I saw a bunch of Pop-Tart wrappers on the ground and in the trash. The dude must have had a bad case of the munchies.

To date, this is the most ridiculous thief encounter I have ever had.

I work in a UK electronics store — one of the smallest of this chain in the UK. Non-essential shops have been allowed to reopen; some opened straight away, but others have taken a slower approach to opening.

We’ve been preparing to open next week while on “click and collect” only for this week. The front of the store is plastered in posters stating we are currently closed. We have the door closed off with cones and warning tape. Nonetheless, people keep coming up to the door bemused that it’s not opening automatically.

I am outside doing a job that includes transporting sandbags, and as I am bringing two trolleys of bags into the store, I have to move the cones to clear my path to the door. For some reason, certain types of customers can hear the space between the two cones and home in on it. As I’m moving the bags inside, I see movement in my peripheral view. A guy is barreling toward the front door, staring straight ahead — the standard “I know I’m not supposed to do this, but if no one makes eye contact, I don’t have to stop” move. I step in front of him.

Me: “Hi, anything I can help you with?”

Customer: *Annoyed* “I hope so. I need a printer.”

He tries to continue walking forward, but I get in front of him again.

Me: “Sadly, the shop isn’t open for customers today; however, we are offering click and—”

Customer: *Annoyed again* “The government has said that you have to be open!”

Me: “Well, as I’ve said, we’re only open for click and—”

Customer: “This is unacceptable!”

He stormed off. I was mind blown about how he would have stormed into the store and argued about getting served despite our obviously not being open. Did he think we’d just cave if he argued hard enough?