(I am a worker at a sit-down restaurant. I seat people, and bus and wipe tables. It’s Black Friday and we open at 11:00; it’s 10:45. I am wiping tables and doing opening things to be prepared. A clueless customer sneaks in through the staff entrance that clearly says STAFF ONLY and has our times posted. She and her daughter go to the bathroom and we continue working without seeing them. I walk up to the tables near the bathroom and see them.)

Customer: “Hi. We have six people, two kids.”

Me: “Ma’am, we aren’t open yet. You can go up to wait; stand by the front door and wait until 11:00.”

Customer: “But I’m in here. I need to be seated so I have a table.”

Me: “I promise you, you’ll be first in line but we aren’t open. You won’t be helped until we are open, in ten minutes.”

Customer: “Bring me your manager! I’m gonna get you fired.”

(I brought over the manager and she said the same thing and finally gave in. We sat her and all we heard was her complaining about not being helped because we aren’t open. It was a long day.)

(The store I work in has a shopper’s card that you can use for specials, coupons, etc. However, if you don’t have your card or remember the number you used on it, you aren’t able to use the benefits. Store policy says you also cannot use the card of the person behind you, as the receipt at the end shows the ID number and such on the card, only assuming the customer would use the card again. I’d get in trouble if I allowed it, so I have to deny the card at all costs. Most people are very understanding, glad that I am following policy, and I thank them for being so generous and apologize for it.)

Me: “Hello! I hope you found everything okay! Do you have your [Store Card] with you today?”

Customer #1: “No?”

Me: “How about a phone number?”

Customer #1: *shakes head* “No…” *turns to lady behind her* “Can I use your card?”

Customer #2: “Yeah, of course!”

Me: “Unfortunately, I am not allowed to take that card. If you don’t have your card on you or a number, I can’t use anybody else’s.”

Customer #1: “Well, why not? I have a lot of groceries here; I need the discount!”

Me: “I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to.”

Customer #2: “Says who?”

Me: “Store policy.”

Customer #1: “Store policy?! That’s ridiculous! The other store in [Town 25 minutes away] lets me use other people’s cards all the time!”

Me: “Well, ma’am, I’m sorry, but I cannot use this other lady’s card. It’s more for the safety for the other customer. If I were to give you the discount on her card, they assume you’ll use the card ID again in the future. Plus, she wouldn’t be able to use the same discounts at all today, as you would have taken the discounted price for your order. It’s not my decision.”

Customer #2: “She’s spending a lot at your store, and you can’t give her a little break for Thanksgiving?! Pathetic!”

Customer #1: “Fine, whatever. Just ring me up.”

(The rest of the transaction goes smoothly. I ring her up, and she pays for her order — which turns out to be less than $30 — and leaves. The second customer comes up to me with her card. Her order shows similar items.)

Me: “Hello, again. I’m so sorry for that. It’s just store policy to—”

Customer #2: “I don’t care. Other stores allow it; you just don’t want to give someone a little break for Thanksgiving. You’re pathetic!”

(I just nodded with a smile and continued with her order as fast as I could to get her out of there. The first lady was so used to having others buy her discount that she never brings her card anywhere? The kicker is that the second lady saved a lot of money from the discounts on her card… which she wouldn’t have been able to have, had the first lady used her card. That would’ve caused a lot more problems on my end.)

This story is part of our Thanksgiving 2023 roundup!

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(It’s the Sunday before American Thanksgiving, meaning this is the last weekend people have to shop for the holiday. I am at a chain department store with an item I need to exchange. Most of the registers are open, with long lines, and I have seen other staff members rushing around trying to keep things clean and restock shelves. The staff at the returns counter are working as quickly as possible, and there are only about half a dozen people in line there. The customers being helped are doing large returns, so I figure it will be a while that I’ll be waiting. This is fine, as I figured it would take me a while to get through the lines at this time of year. I get in line behind two girls who look about college-age. [Girl #1] is reading something on her phone, but [Girl #2] is visibly annoyed. She keeps making comments to her friend, loud enough that I can hear, but not loud enough that the rest of the line or the cashiers can hear her.)

Girl #2: “This is ridiculous. Someone needs to serve us. If they don’t hurry up, I’m going to start cussing.”

(A minute later:)

Girl #2: “I’m seriously about to start cussing. This is ridiculous. They can’t make us wait this long.”

(She kept going on, and I was getting annoyed with her. I would have said something if she had started cussing or if she’d caused trouble for the cashiers, but after complaining a moment more to her friend, she decided she was going to browse while her friend did the return and she wandered off. The rest of the wait was much more peaceful, and the cashiers got us all through more quickly than I’d expected… no cussing required!)

(It’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’m stocking the baking aisle, which has been largely cleaned out at this point, much to the frustration and anger of many last-minute shoppers.)

Customer: “Excuse me. Do you have any [Brand] chocolate fudge icing?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but that particular icing is out of stock. People have been asking for it and we’ve already checked out back; there’s none in the store. I’m sorry.” *braces for angry response*

Customer: *sigh* “I guess that’s what I get for waiting until the last minute. You have a lovely Thanksgiving!” *walks off*

(I stood there dumbfounded. I was beginning to doubt there was such a thing as a polite last-minute shopper.)

This story is part of the Thanksgiving 2022 roundup!

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It’s Halloween and I’m walking home from work through a part of town known for its fancy stores.

I’m dressed in surgical scrubs and running shoes, with my work ID on a lanyard around my neck the way hospital employees wear theirs, and sprayed with fake blood.

A random woman, well-dressed and in her forties, stops me, and asks if I’m a surgeon. I tell her no. She then starts to talk to me about her medical problems.

Lady, seriously?