I work in a big chain supermarket in the UK and overhear this far-too-frequent situation. Due to the current lockdown, there is a one-way system in place: the queue of customers waiting at the top end of the checkouts are being directed to either a checkout or the self-service machine.

A woman is in front with a big trolley of shopping and there’s a man behind with a basket. The woman has a scan-as-you-shop device, so my coworker tells her to wait for the scan-as-you-shop till at the self-service area to become free.

My coworker speaks to the second customer in the queue:

Coworker: “Okay, do you want to go to checkout sixteen, please?”

Male Customer: “No, thank you.”

Coworker: “Okay, do you want to go to self-service?”

Male Customer: “No, thanks.”

Coworker: “Then where do you want to go?”

Male Customer: “A normal checkout!”

Coworker: “Checkout sixteen, then, please.”

Male Customer: “Thank you.”

This has become a common occurrence recently.

An elderly woman comes up to my till, continuously reminding her husband to mention the elder discount. I’m new at my job, but I doubt that the store has a discount for the elderly.

Woman: “We would like to use our elder discount. We are over fifty so we get it.”

Me: *Turning to a coworker* “Do we have a discount specifically for the elders?”

Coworker: “Not that I know of; let me go check.”

While my coworker is checking, the woman goes down the line that is growing, letting them know that our store is a poor place to shop and that they don’t appreciate their customers. I stand there, not knowing what to do, so I just ignore her. When my coworker returns, things get more out of hand.

Coworker: “There was an ad in the paper for a [Same Brand Store] in another town.”

Woman: “This is an outrage! I’m fifty and I deserve a discount! I read it in the paper and you have to give it to me!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but that was for a different branch.”

Woman: “I’m over fifty, so I deserve a discount. I’m never shopping here again!”

She continues yelling this at me a couple of times. Still not reacting to her childish behavior, I hand her her change and receipt, looking at her directly in the eyes with a large grin. 

Me: “Well, have a wonderful July 4th.” 

While leaving the store, she began to fist pump and chant that our store sucks, hoping to have the other customers back her up. When she realized no one would, she sighed heavily and left.

This story is part of our Fourth-Of-July-themed roundup!

Want to read the next Fourth-Of-July-themed roundup story? Click here!

Want to read the Fourth-Of-July-themed roundup? Click here!

The supermarket where I work rents space to a popular coffee chain. The rental agreement makes it so the chain has to use supermarket employees and the supermarket’s register system. Because of this, we are unable to redeem gift cards for the coffee chain. We have an 8.5-by-11-inch sign indicating this on top of the register.

I am working alone and had a few people in line, a mother with her kids, a woman, and a guy. I have just finished making the mother’s order and am ringing her out.

Me: “It’s going to be [total].”

Mother: *Holds out a gift card* “I’m not sure how much is on this.”

Me: “Sorry, but we are unable to redeem [Chain]’s gift cards.”

I point to the sign.

Mother: “Oh, sorry. Give me a minute.”

Woman: “Let me get that for you.”

Mother: *To the woman* “That’s all right, but thank you.” *To me* “Is it all right if I use change?”

Me: “Yeah, sure.”

Woman: *To me* “I got her order.” *To the mother* “Go ahead and take your coffee, dear.”

Mother: “No, no. It’s all right.”

The woman then moved over to our card reader and got ready to slide her card.

Mother: “Really, I’m all set.” *Hands me the money*

I ring her out and give her the change.

Me: “Have a nice day.” *To the woman* “What can I get you?”

Woman: “First, you can give me that woman’s money so I can give it back to her.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I cannot just give you money from my register, and since she declined your charity, I must respect that.”

Woman: “You’re a f****** a**hole, you know that?”

Me: *Surprised* “I’m sorry you feel that way. Is there anything you want to order?”

Woman: “Gimme a [drink] and put that woman’s order on mine so I can give her the money.”

Me: *Starts her coffee* “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t do that.”

Woman: “F*** you! She was embarrassed! That’s why she didn’t want the charity.”

Me: *Finishing her order* “I’m sorry, ma’am, but she refused to let you pay for her and gave me her money. I cannot just give you her money as it needs to be refunded in the system and I can’t do that from here.”

Woman: “You’re an a**hole! She was embarrassed!”

Me: *Rings in order* “That’ll be [total for just her drink].”

The guy in line behind her has now walked away.

Woman: “Put her coffee on there and give me her money so I can give it back!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, I cannot.”

I glance over to the employee out on the sales floor for help.

Me: “Can you please pay for your order?”

She slides her card through the reader.

Woman: “You’re a f****** a**hole! She was embarrassed! I’m going to have you fired!”

Thankfully, her card goes through with no problem.

Me: *Holds out her receipt* “Thank you. Have a nice day.”

Woman: *Walks off* “F*** you!”

She then stormed off, and about fifteen minutes later a manager came by and told me she tried to complain about me, but the guy that was behind her and left was nearby and defended me. The manager gave me one of the supermarket’s employee reward gift cards. It’s been a few years since this happened, and the woman still comes in regularly, and every time the person in front of her has some issue, she offers to pay. Thankfully, there haven’t been any more incidents like this one.

I’m in the store with my service dog tucked next to my feet while I wait to check out. A young girl of about five stops dead to stare at my dog from about ten feet away. I brace myself for the tantrum from her or her mother when I tell her she can’t pet him.

Little Girl: “Excuse me.”

Me: “Yes?”

Little Girl: “I know he’s doing a job right now, but when you get home, could you tell him he’s a good boy?”

She then skipped off back to her parents without coming any closer. I would like to find that little girl and tell her I told him, and to tell her parents they’ve got a great kid!

This story is included in our Feel-Good roundup for July 2020!

Read the next Feel-Good Story here!

Read the July 2020 Feel-Good roundup!

A customer with a heavy foreign accent is looking for something while the store is under remodel. I’m working one side of a two-sided self-checkout.

Customer: “Excuse me. Where are the corndogs?”

The accent is heavy but I hear “corndogs.”

Me: “Corndogs?”

Customer: “Corndogs” 

I point to the frozen aisle.

Me: “They’re on aisle two. Straight that way on the right.”

Customer: “Okay. Thank you.”

The customer goes down to aisle two, looks, and shakes his head. He asks two more coworkers. He finally goes to my coworker on the other side of the self-checkout.

Customer: “Corndogs. I need corndogs.”

Coworker: “Corndogs? What are they used for?”

Customer: “For safe sex!”

Coworker: “Condoms! Condoms are over there. Let me show you.”