It is my last day working at my grocery store (yay!) before retiring, and I am stocking some shelves. A customer is standing next to me and snaps her fingers. I ignore this and continue stocking.

She snaps again. I ignore her again.

She then coughs loudly. I tighten my face mask.

She then starts undulating weirdly in my peripheral vision. Once again, I ignore her.

She actually CLAPS in my direction, and yet I continue to ignore her.

Customer: “What is wrong with you?! I am trying to get your attention!”

Me: “Oh, is that what that was? I thought you were having a stroke!”

What were they going to do, fire me?

Related:
Use Your Words, People!

I work in a grocery store, but I am taking a few days off to go on a road trip. I go into my store to buy some supplies in the evening before a long night of driving, hoping to make good use of my employee discount.

I am grabbing some snacks (probably way too many) when one of the customers thrusts a piece of paper in my face.

Customer: “You need to find these for me. I am having an off day, and I need your assistance.”

Me: “Oh, well, if you take that list to an employee or the customer service desk, I am sure they will be able to help you.”

Customer: “What do you mean? I am giving it to an employee!”

Me: “While I am employed here, I am off today, so I am just a customer, like you.”

Customer: “You are not like me! I have a real job!”

Me: “Oooookay, well have a nice evening.”

Customer: “They shouldn’t let you shop here with the real customers! It’s too confusing!”

Me: “I need groceries as much as you do, ma’am. Where am I supposed to get them?”

Customer: “I… Well… You should… Ugh, you know what I mean!”

Me: “I really don’t. Where should I shop for my groceries, ma’am?”

Customer: “Stop twisting my words!” *Storms off*

Another customer in the same aisle speaks up.

Customer #2: “Did she just imply that grocery store staff don’t need to eat?”

Me: “I think so? But after that, if I didn’t have to drive right now, I would definitely be in need of a drink!”

I am a cashier, and most often I am supervising the self-check. My town isn’t huge, so most of the customers will at least recognize me. If you work a certain amount of time, you are required to take an hour lunch break. When we have our lunch break, we fully clock out, and have no access to anything in the system. We are also told that we are expressly not allowed to do any work tasks or help any customers while on our break. If we do the store could get into trouble, and we ourselves could even get fired.

For my break today I have decided to buy a few things for lunch in the store, and then head home to hang out with my mom while I ate, since I live really close. I happily procure my miscellaneous goodies, including a treat for my mom, and happily stand in the line at the self-check, waiting for a register. I had my work vest with me, but it’s off and slung over my shoulder.

When I am next in line and a register opens, a customer shoves past me, literally knocking a precious pack of beef jerky out of my hands, and beelines over to the open register. I am annoyed, but I don’t want to waste my lunch break and she isn’t worth a confrontation. I just quietly pick up my jerky, and make my way over to another register, which has opened up about ten seconds later.

I am just happily and quietly scanning my goodies, when I hear snapping.

Customer: “Hey!”

I turn around and find the same woman glaring at me. I blink at her bewildered.

Customer: “Hey, I need help over here. I scanned this twice, I need you to take it off!”

I see that my coworker for the self-check is helping someone else. I look back at the customer and smile and politely say:

Me: “Oh, sorry. I’m on lunch break right now, so I can’t help you. But my coworker should be free to help in just a second.”

Customer: *Glaring.* “Why can’t you help me? You’re right here?”

Me: “I’m not clocked in; I am on my lunch break. I could get in trouble for helping you, and I can’t really even if I wanted to, because my ID won’t work in the system while I am clocked out.”

Customer: “That’s f****** stupid! You work here! If you’re in the building, you’re working. You have to come to help me.”

At this point, my coworker is done, and has walked over to help, but this customer isn’t having it.

Customer: “No! I asked them to help, they should do their f***ing job! They’re just being lazy!”

I just started ignoring the lady and go back to checking out while my coworker tries to explain to her that I can’t help, but she’s not having it. This adult woman throws the stuff she was buying on the ground, leaving her cart and everything there, and marches over to the customer service desk where my manager is standing. She then brings my manager back over to the self-check.

Customer: “Your employee is refusing to help me and being extremely rude!”

At this point, I have finished checking out and am standing by the self-check exit. My manager just looks at me.

Manager: “[My Name], are you on the clock?”

Me: “Nope. I’m just trying to get my lunch and go home.”

Manager: *Sternly.* “As they’re not on the clock they’re not allowed to or able to help you.”

Instead of going back and getting help from my coworker, she storms out screaming about she’s never going to shop there again. Okay, cool lady, we won’t miss you.

Sadly, it doesn’t even stop there. As I am talking to my manager and a few coworkers and explaining what happened, this customer’s husband comes in. He goes to her register that is still open, finishes checking out, and pays, then comes over to us.

Customer’s Husband: “My poor wife is in the car sobbing and in severe emotional distress because of how you’ve all treated her and embarrassed her. I hope you’re real proud of yourselves!”

I just grinned at him and gave him a thumbs-up. As he’s walking out, my manager tells me I should feel free to take an extra thirty if I wanted. I then happily skipped home, to enjoy my jerky in peace. Believe it or not lady, retail workers do in fact have basic human needs and rights!

I’m in a supermarket, making my selection amongst a variety of pastries, when a fellow shopper approaches me, asking for help.

Fellow Shopper: “Hi. Do you happen to know where the four-packs of [product] are?”

Me: “No, I’m sorry. I only ever buy them one at a time.“

I look around a little with her, but we don’t find what she’s looking for. I go back to my selection while she continues searching and muttering to herself. Some of the muttering is somewhat addressed to me, so I smile and make vague positive noises in response.

Fellow Shopper: “Hey! I found them!”

Me: “Oh, good for you!”

I smile and nod before returning to my shopping.

Fellow Shopper: “Look, they were just here!”

Me: “Uh-huh.“

I’m progressively getting farther and farther from her, looking at the products on the shelves, while she’s still rejoicing over her four-pack. At some point, I squarely turn my back to her — not quite on purpose, just because that’s where my shopping took me — and stop responding to her.

That’s when she changes tactics and starts that passive-aggressive move of muttering to herself in a tone loud enough to be clearly heard by the object of her ire.

Fellow Shopper: “Huh! So rude! I’m just trying to help her! She could at least have said ‘thanks’!”

That was the point when I completely stopped worrying about offending her and just walked away because you can’t argue with crazy.

Lady, I didn’t come to you; you came to me. I didn’t need your product, I told you so before searching, and I still didn’t take it after you had found it. But sure, I’m the one who should thank you for the privilege of trying to help you.

I’m working as a cashier at a grocery store. This happens before most stores in my province stop offering single-use plastic bags for a small upcharge. If a customer doesn’t have any reusable bags with them, we are expected to ask if they need any single-use ones.

This particular customer asks how much they cost. That’s nothing unusual; people ask me this all the time. I tell him they’re five cents. But then, he gives me an odd look.

Customer: “Do you know where that money goes?”

Me: *Suddenly very confused* “I, uh… I don’t really know, sir. I’m a cashier; I don’t exactly—”

Customer: “It’s going to those American capitalists.”

He starts rambling about “g**d*** American capitalism”. I feel like if I were to explain that not only are we in a Canadian grocery store, but it’s a locally-owned chain that’s only in our province and, as far as I can tell, has no affiliation with any of these “American capitalists”, so I just smile and nod.

When he finishes his rant, he gives me an expectant look, so I just shrug and mutter something like, “That’s just how it is; I don’t make the rules.” He seems satisfied with this and gives me a quick nod before leaving with his (unbagged) groceries. The customer behind him just stares after him before we both look at each other, equally baffled.

Customer #2: “‘American capitalists?”

Me: “Yeah, I have no clue, either.”