A customer comes up to customer service while I’m running it and shows me a jar of peanut butter. He thinks it’s on sale, but isn’t sure because there isn’t a tag for it on the shelf. I start off sceptical because usually, if there’s no tag there’s no sale, but I grab a nearby flyer for the week’s sales to double check. I’m pleasantly surprised to find peanut butter on sale that is a different flavour pictured, but the same brand and size as the man’s. I tell him that in all likelihood the jar he has will be on sale, but he isn’t certain. Since it’s not busy, I get someone to cover customer service while I take the man to the aisle to observe the situation.

In the aisle, I find all the flavours of peanut butter of that brand and size marked with sale tags except for his own. I tell him that despite this, odds are that the one he chose simply had its tag knocked off by a passing customer and that I can personally guarantee that it is on sale. But the man still isn’t sure.

I then see a clerk walking by, one who I know regularly puts up the new sale tags every time the sales change, and grab him to ask him. He tells us both that the peanut butter the customer grabbed is absolutely the correct kind, as he remembers clearly putting up tags on every single flavour, including the one in question. The man leaves, but he still looks uncertain. About twenty minutes later, after the man finished his shopping, he comes back to customer service and thanks me for all my help, but informs me that he put the peanut butter back because he “only wanted it if it was on sale.”

I just find it amusing that in the five years I’ve worked at this store, the only time the customer was ever right they managed to make themselves wrong in the end, anyway!

(I’m a customer in this story, shopping at a grocery store that has a separate food stand at the entrance with fresh and healthy food. In front of me in the line is a middle-aged woman, already looking displeased with something.)

Customer: *to cashier* “Is this salad fresh?”

Cashier: “Yes, it was prepared this morning.”

(It is about 7:30 am.)

Customer: “Are you sure?”

Cashier: “Certainly.”

Customer: “So, you prepared the food yourself?”

Cashier: “No, I didn’t. I only sell it.”

Customer: “But how can you be sure, then?”

Cashier: “It’s how it’s always done; every food item here is prepared freshly in the morning.”

Customer: “I don’t believe you. You’re lying to me!”

(The cashier is already visibly upset because she can’t think of anything more to say to convince the customer. Already late to work because the customer delayed everything, I decide to step in.)

Me: *to customer* “Excuse me, but what exactly do you want to hear from her if you accuse her of lying?”

Customer: “Well, the truth of course — that the salad is from yesterday.”

Me: “Would you buy it if it was from yesterday?”

Customer: “Well, of course not!”

Me: “So, you mean to tell me that if the cashier tells you the salad is fresh, you don’t believe it. If she told you otherwise, though, you wouldn’t buy it. Apparently, there is no outcome that would lead you to purchase anything here, so you might as well get lost and make way for customers who actually intend to buy something.”

Customer: *stares, completely baffled* “SOME PEOPLE… HOW DARE YOU!” *storms off angrily*

Cashier: *who has been watching my speech silently* “THANK YOU! I didn’t know what to tell her without getting rude and risking my job.”

Me: “I know. I’ve worked in retail, as well. That’s why I had to say something!”

I’m browsing an aisle at the grocery when I hear a woman yell, “Hey! Stop!”

I look over to see her probably three-year-old boy running away from her.

The boy glances at his brother and says, “Cover me!”

It was the best laugh I’ve ever gotten while shopping.

Customer: “Can you show me where the garlic is?”

Me: “Sure, fresh garlic?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Here it is.”

Customer: “Oh, not that. The kind that’s chopped up in the jar.”

Me: “So, not fresh.”

Customer: “Well, I think of it as fresh.”

Me: “…”

This story is part of our Garlic roundup!

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(I am a lot attendant for a local grocery chain. It has been six months since I transferred to a location closer to my house. Most of the supervisors in the front end are friendly, except for one, a very impolite young woman about my age. One day, I’m scheduled from noon to six pm on a particularly hot day. It’s pretty busy today, but there is plenty of staff on hand. I’ve been pushing carts for about three hours when I decide to ask about my break at three.)

Me: “[Supervisor #1], can I take my break?”

Supervisor #1: “You’ll have to ask [Supervisor #2]; I’m almost done for the day.”

(He’s referring to the rude supervisor.)

Me: “Hey, [Supervisor #2], may I take my break?”

Supervisor #2: “Can you give it about thirty minutes? It’s kind of busy right now.”

Me: “Okay.”

(I go back outside and resume pushing carts. Thirty minutes later…)

Me: “May I take my break now?”

Supervisor #2: “Not yet. Give it another thirty minutes.”

(I go out for thirty more minutes and come in at 4:00.)

Supervisor #2: “Before you ask, no, you may not take your break yet. Go back outside, please.”

(After thirty more minutes of cart pushing, I come inside. It’s finally started to die down.)

Supervisor #2: “Back outside. You may not take your break yet.”

(Thirty minutes later, I’m absolutely exhausted. When I go inside…)

Me: “[Supervisor #2], I’ve been working for five hours straight. It’s started to die down, so may I please take my break?”

Supervisor #2: “You know what? I’m sick and tired of you bothering me about your break, so guess what? You’re not getting your break today.”

Me: “But… you can’t do that! All associates are entitled to a break!”

Supervisor #2: “Breaks are not mandatory. You know that as well as I do. If I hear one more word on the matter, I will issue documentation. Do I make myself clear?”

(I reluctantly nodded and went back outside. My last hour of work that day felt like an eternity. The next day, the assistant manager called me and [Supervisor #2] into the office. Incredibly, I was chewed out for not taking my break that day, even though it was no fault of my own. Thankfully, [Supervisor #2] didn’t get off scot-free, either; she was written up for intentionally violating the store’s break policy, which stated that even though breaks AREN’T mandatory, workers cannot be FORCED to skip them. She didn’t last much longer after that; a couple of months later she was forced to transfer to another store due to a second violation of the break policy.)