I am greeting customers at the front entrance and notice a customer walk in. I immediately flash a smile and start with the, “Good morning and welcome to—”

This adult man has his hand down the front of his pants. 

It is absolutely the most agonising three seconds of eye contact ever.

He whips his hand out of his pants, hangs his head, and, as he walks past me, mutters, “Sorry, lady.”

Related:
Caught With Their Pants Down, Part 3
Caught With Their Pants Down, Part 2
Caught With Their Pants Down

I’m a petite woman in my twenties shopping in a major hardware store. Although I might not look like it, I have quite a bit of knowledge regarding construction and carpentry, and I actually worked in repair and maintenance in my last job.

Today, I’m looking for a new electronic lock for my front door, and I know exactly the kind I want, but there’s a large ladder in front of the lock kits I’m interested in. It has a huge sign on it saying, “Employees only. Do not touch!” I’m hesitating in front of the ladder, not wanting to be “that customer” and break the rules by moving it. Just then, an older male employee walks up.

Employee: “Can I help you find something?”

Me: “Yes, thanks. I’m interested in the locks behind this ladder, but I can’t reach—”

While I am speaking, the employee easily pushes the ladder one foot to the side so I can get to the locks.

Me: *Laughs* “Thanks! I feel silly for asking for help now since I could have just done that.”

Employee: “You should have done it. I like a pushy woman.”

I give an uncomfortable fake laugh while I try to think of how to respond.

Me: “Umm… I’ll tell my husband you said that.”

Somehow, he is not deterred and launches into a spiel about which lock types are best, while I groan internally. Unfortunately, he is standing between me and the exit, so I can’t just walk off. After listening to several minutes of information I already knew…

Employee: “So, you should really come with me and check out this other lock model that we have on sale, just down the aisle here…”

I really just want to get away, but he spreads his arms out wide and walks toward me as he gestures for me to walk farther down the aisle with him, so I can’t easily sneak past him. I end up following him to the other locks that are on sale. Finally, I see a chance to leave.

I grab the first lock I see off the display.

Me: “Okay, great, this is everything I need. I’m just going to go to the checkout now. Thanks, bye!”

I scurried off towards the checkouts. Before paying for the random lock I’d grabbed, I checked it out and discovered it was a store brand of the same exact thing I had intended to buy, so it actually would work for my door and save me some money. Still not sure if it was worth dealing with Mr. Creepy, though.

(My supervisor gets a call that two people for a company has walked in. We always have issues with said customer and have nothing waiting for them this time. My supervisor asks me to cut lunch short to deal with them. I only get 30 minutes lunch and they come in 10 minutes into lunch.)

Me: Hi. How can I help?
Customer 1: We are looking for hinges and flush bolts.
Me: Okay. Which ones? (since hinges and flush bolts have different applications, multiples of them exist.)
Customer 1: The normal aluminium ones.
Me: Let me go have a look.

(I head to my supervisor as we never have supplied them with aluminium before. She comes with to speak to them as she doesn’t know and the regular customer from said company didn’t send them.)

Supervisor: Hi. Can I help?
Customer 1: Yes. I want 3 hinges and 2 flush bolts.
Supervisor: Which ones?
Customer 1: The normal aluminium ones.
Supervisor: Okay.

(Supervisor and myself go in the back and get said stock. Invoice and everything is ready for them to sign.)
Customer 1: Those are the wrong flush bolts.
(The two argue on who has their keys. One goes and gets a sample of the exact flush bolt they want. Luckily we had stock and had to reinvoice everything. The kicker, they wasted 50 minutes on a wrong flush bolt that was Stainless Steel and if they brought it in to begin with, it would have been easier. After reinvoice is done.)

Me: Could you just sign for me? (they sign)
Me: Thanks. Bye. Have a good day
Customer 2 under breath: Thanks for wasting our time.
Me: …..

I’m working on the register just after open, when suddenly there’s pages for security and a manager to the paint aisle. From that direction, I hear raised angry voices, and a coworker rushes front and tells me to call the police.

It turns out a customer was taking cans of spray paint and painting long lines down the floor of the aisle. A coworker smelled the paint, but by the time he got there, there were a dozen paint lines in different colors. When my coworker asked him to stop, he got violent.

As police were dragging him out, the customer was still fighting, yelling “how the f*** was I supposed to know the colors!”

The floor was poured concrete, so they ended up polishing off the top layer to clean it up. Until then, it looked like a weird rainbow.

(On this day at work, I was put outside in the garden center. This means, other than a radio, I am essentially by myself. The first hour of my shift goes by quickly and we are not too busy. An older woman in a store scooter and her husband come up to my register and I start to scan their iteams)
Me: “Hello! I hope you were able to find everhing you needed. ”
Her: “No, I kept looking for more trays for my deep frezzer. Do you know if you have any?”
Me: “I personally wouldn’t know that myself but the Cabinet and Appliances department would be able to tell you. I’m very limited on what I can look up while out here. Plus it is much cooler in there than out here.”
Her: “I rather not waste the time. Can you please call them for me? It is [brand] type of deep freezer. I would like to add it to my transaction”
(At this point I have finished scanning all her iteams and it would be just much faster if she pays for it now.)
Me: “Okay this might just take a moment, is that okay?” (Expecting her to want to finish the transaction)
Her: “Fine, what ever, just please hurry and call them.”
(I first as my front end manager which line to contact the Cab Apps department and told to go to line 4. I radio them)
Me: “Cab Apps, do you copy?”
(I get absolutely nothing on the line. I try again after about a half a minute and still get nothing. I apologize to the couple and try to get in contact with them again. After about two mins I double check to make sure I’m on the right line, which I am. After about 4 mins of getting nothing back, the woman lets out a big sigh and scoots off to look at the flowers. After over 7 mins of constantly asking for them, I get something)
Cab Apps coworker: “Copy.”
Me: (After internally screaming and being greatful someone replied back, I ask about deep freezer trays)
Cab Apps coworker: “We wouldn’t carry those here, she would need to get in contact with the manufacturer and have them ordered for her.”
Me: “Copy, thank you.”
(At this point there is a line of four people, all which have a decent amount of items. I turn to the husband.)
Me: “We don’t sell those here, are you ready to finish the transaction?”
Him: “No, my wife has the card.” (She is no where in site at this point)
Me: “Oh, okay then. Could you please move your items and move to the side then please? I need to quickly help these other customers until she comes back.”
Him: “Sure thing.” (He puts their stuff in a bag and waits at the other, unused lane. I quickly get through the other customers in line, ending with a middle aged woman and telling her she needs to do paperwork in side for a yard pick up. By now the older lady has come back up and is ready to check out.)
Me: “Hello again ma’am! I’m sorry to tell you we do not sell those racks at all. You will need to contact your manufacturer about ordering them.”
Her: “Are you sure about that? And who is the manufacturer”
Me: “I don’t know for that [brand], but I’m sure you can find out either online or on the manual that came with it.
Her: “well how do I get their number?”
Me: “Again it should be in your manual for the freezer or online. I’m sorry I do not have any more information but that.”
Her: “Well you are not very useful. Can we finish my transaction please?”
(Her husband puts the stuff pack on my register still in the grocery bags. I take each item out and back in the bag for them)
Me: “Okay so your total today is $4.X.xx! Do you have [store] card you would like to use today?”
Her: “Now hold up, how can it be that expensive?
(I double check my screen for an accidental double scans. I don’t see anything. I let her take a look”
Her: “That price doesn’t look right at all, can you please scan them again?”
Me: “Sure thing”
(I make sure to scan each item slowly so she can see it pop up to make sure it is right)
Me: “Okay, so I’m getting $4X.xx price again.”
Her: “You are way off, hand me a paper and pen please? And that calculator” (She takes the paper and I tell her all the individual prices, which includes 10 of the same i teams for $2.90 each. She adds them all up.) Okay with what you are telling me, I’m getting [$10 dollars less] before tax.
Me: “Can I take a look at your paper ma’am?”
(I look over the paper and for some reason, the 10 same iteams for $2.90 each came to $26.00 for all 10 on her paper)
Me: “Ma’am, your math appears to be off for this item. You put down $26.00 when it is supposed to be $29.00 for all 10.
Her: “No you are wrong and so is the computer. Can you please scan each individual items and tell me the price”
(At this point, I’ve spent a lot of time with her and can tell we are both getting agitated. I’m not sure how I can make her happy and weigh my options.)
Me: “Sure thing. Would you like me to get a manager so if there is still an issue, they can have more power to help you?”
Her: “No that’s a waste of time, now please just scan my items again please.”
(I scan her iteams, one by one, telling her the price so she can write it down. I get the exact same price as I have the other times. The middle aged woman before come back with her paper. By the time I’m done, the older woman is still off by $10 and still has the 10 same iteams for $26.00 instead of $29.00. I sigh in having to think of a way to explain multiplication without looking very rude)
Me: “Ma’am we are still off by $10, and I notice that you have written down that [items] are $26.00 total.”
Her: “Yes, I am right in this.
Me: “I’m not sure about the rest, but I know for that we might be off in calculation. I know that for that amount it would be actual 9 items of that instead of 10.”
Her: “I don’t see where you are getting at.”
Me: (I decided to take a huge risk) “Well, what is 2.9 times 10?
Her: “29… (she seems very unsure where I’m getting at)
Me: “so that means this would actually be $29.00 instead of $26.00”
Her: “I think that’s still wrong but I will take your word for it.” ( She adds up the items with the new amount. Note that everything on their now is the price I have on my computer.)” So now I’m getting [about $4.00 less than what is on my computer]. It looks like you are still off. ”
Me: (at this point I’m so frustrated I’m starting to tear up) “I’m not sure what else I can do ma’am. I can either get a manager to help clear this up, You can pay this amount and double check with the service desk to see if it was my computer that was off and they can refund you, or you can come back later and try again. I don’t have much power to help you past this.”
Her: (she looks visiblibly done with me and sighs.) “I am done with this today, I’ll just pay and come back another time. I still think you are off.”
Me:” I’m sorry about that.”
(She begins the payment process and leaves. As soon as she leaves the store I let out a huge sigh and accidentally a few tears or two. The middle aged woman, who was very understanding the entire time come up.”
Woman: “you handled that really well. I’m not sure what else you could have done.”
Me: “Thank you, that means a lot.”
(After she leaves I look at my clock and realize I was with the older lady for over an hour! I didn’t hear if she came back to double check her prices or to complain.)