Please Don’t Scream For Ice Cream Employees
I used to work as a sales representative for a popular ice cream company. I would have to drive to different grocery and convenience stores and pull the ice cream from their stock room freezers to replenish the floor stock. Then, I would place orders for what was needed and work with stores for upcoming sales.
I was in my second week of training and still had my boss with me as the trainer. I didn’t have my company clothes yet, so I was wearing a plain polo, a New York Mets hat, and khakis. I went into our biggest grocery partner in a kind of snooty neighborhood and started putting out my merchandise.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was a middle-aged lady.
Lady: “Where can I find the frozen spinach?”
Meanwhile, there were three store employees with the store name on their attire in the same section.
Me: “I’m not sure, but I would guess by the frozen vegetables.”
Lady: “You should know! And if you don’t, then you should escort me to that part of the store.”
Me: “I don’t work for the store. I’m actually a vendor for [Ice Cream Company].”
Lady: “Ice cream people don’t put out their own ice cream! I want to see your manager!”
I called over my boss, who was wearing our company logo.
Lady: “Your employee refuses to tell me where the frozen spinach is!”
Boss: *Politely* “We don’t work for [Grocery Store]; we’re vendors for [Ice Cream Company].”
Lady: “Ice cream people don’t put out their own ice cream! I demand to see a real manager!”
Someone went and got the store manager.
Store Manager: “What’s the issue, ma’am?”
Lady: “I want you to fire these two for lying to me and refusing to help me!”
Store Manager: “I can’t fire them; they’re vendors for an ice cream company.”
This lady blew a gasket and started screaming at us in the store.
Lady: “You’re gaslighting me by insisting that you work for an ice cream company! They don’t put out their own stock! I am never going to shop here again! I’m going to [Competitor]!”
She stormed off, leaving a full cart of groceries. My boss, the store’s manager, and I all looked at each other, dumbfounded.
A few weeks later, I saw her back in the same store, and this time I was wearing the company logo on two articles of clothing. She saw me coming and ducked down an aisle quickly to avoid me. To this day, I still don’t know why she picked that hill to die on. I also don’t understand why she was so insistent that ice cream vendors don’t merchandise their own products.