(It’s the day before Christmas. The previous evening I had purchased some ingredients for a dessert as well as a $50 “dinner and a movie” gift card from the grocery store. When I got home the gift card was not in my bag, so I’ve returned first thing this morning to see if it was left at the register. Being a bit distressed I did not put much thought into my appearance and am wearing a scruffy hoodie and no makeup.)

Me: *at the customer service desk* “Good morning. Last night I purchased a gift card and I think it accidentally got left out when my groceries were bagged. Was one turned in?”

Clerk: “Let me check…” *she does* “Um, no, nothing is up here.”

Me: “Well, I am certain it wasn’t in my shopping bags when I got home. Is there any way the tapes can be checked to see if it was indeed bagged? Or can the original card be voided and a new one issued? I have the receipt with the code from the card.”

Clerk: “Um… let me get a manager.”

(The manager is fetched and I explain my situation to her.)

Manager:s *rudely, as she obviously thinks I am trying to scam the store* “Look, I checked the tapes and I didn’t see any card left behind. You can’t get a new card activated with that receipt. You’ll have to take it up with the card issuing company.”

Me: “But I purchased the card here. Please, is there anything that can be done? May I take a blank one off of the shelf? I guess I’ll try calling the company and seeing if they can transfer the balance.”

(She reluctantly allows this, so I grab the first one of the same card off the hanger and leave, with her giving me dirty looks the whole time. When I get home I call the card company and they state they cannot refund or transfer; the issue will have to be resolved with the store where I purchased the card. I give him the code from the new blank card.)

Customer Service Rep: “That card code you just gave me is showing a balance of $50.”

Me: “Wait, what? How is that possible?”

(I check and the code is identical to the code on my original purchase receipt. The cashier at the grocery store never did give me my gift card, and it was hung back on the rack. I picked my own purchased card off of the rack the next day! I’m lucky no one else wanted that same gift card before I went back and got it, and my only regret is not seeing that manager again to let her know I wasn’t scamming!)

(My siblings and I are at the zoo with my parents. It is December, so they have a Santa’s Grotto for kids to visit. I’m about four and my sister is six. Whilst my mum takes my baby brother for a feed, my dad takes my sister and me to see Santa. We both still believe in Santa, but our parents have also told us that the “Santas” you see in shops, etc, are almost never the real one, just his helpers, because he’s too busy to visit everywhere in the run up to Christmas. This is why there are so many different Santas around.)

Santa: “Hello, girls! What can I get you for Christmas?”

Me: “I want a toy dog, please!”

Sister: “Sparkly pens, please!”

Santa: “My, what good choices! I’ll see what I can do!”

Me: *loud whisper* “Daddy, is it really Santa or one of his helpers?”

Santa: *overhearing, turns to my dad with a smile* “Ah, sorry, sir! What did you say your name was?”

Dad: “Oh, it’s [Dad].”

Santa: “Oh, [Dad], of course! I almost didn’t recognise you. How’s the train set I gave you all those years ago? Still got it?”

(My dad tells him that the train set is at his parents’ house. Santa smiles and says he is glad my dad enjoyed it. My sister and I each get to choose a cheap present from Santa’s sack before we leave. As we’re going, I turn to my dad.)

Me: “Daddy, did you really get a train set for Christmas when you were little?”

Dad: “Yes, I did! I played with it all the time. We should ask Granny to get it out when we go round there!”

(In awe, I gazed back at Santa, who smiled and waved at me. Until I became old enough to realise Santa wasn’t real, I was convinced that I had met the true Santa!)

Our manager suddenly decided that everyone had to work at least two hours on Christmas Eve. It didn’t matter what their situation was. If they requested it off months ago, or if they had to drive 30 miles one way for a two-hour shift, that was too bad! She made it clear there were going to be no exceptions, because she wanted to be “fair.”

Of course, some people simply decided to call off on that day, because they had already gotten time off approved, and were going to be halfway across the country.

The best part though? We also went so far over our allotted hours doing that that we didn’t have enough hours for the store after Christmas, and there were huge holes in the schedule where we didn’t even have a cashier scheduled. The post-Christmas return rush was absolute INSANITY at our store, even when fully staffed.

For the rest of the month, the manager and the rest of the salaried team got to do overtime work for no extra pay, running around the store like crazy people, trying to cover several departments at once.

The manager in question was stuck being the ONLY cashier for lines that quickly grew to encircle the whole store, and she got to deal with very irate customers who demanded to know why she couldn’t call someone else up to help.

She wasn’t strung up by her toes, to the best of my knowledge, but she was a very subdued woman when January came around, and most of the rest of the salaried team still had steam coming out of their ears. They wouldn’t even look at her or acknowledge her presence for almost a week, before finally graduating to curt responses and dark looks.

It probably doesn’t need to be said, but she never repeated that mistake again.

(I am doing Christmas shopping close to the holidays, so all of the checkout lines in the store are very long. I am patiently waiting in line for probably nearly ten minutes, with many people in line behind me as well. Finally I am at the front of the line when I see that one of the cashiers is free so I go up to pay.)

Cashier: “Oh, I am sorry, my register just froze up and isn’t working!”

Me: “Oh, okay.”

(Goes back to my spot in front of the line. I then get a tap on the shoulder.)

Lady: *behind me* “Excuse me, but we’re in line.”

Me: *confused*

Me: “Um… I know. I was, too; it was my turn next and her register is down.”

Lady: *rolls her eyes* “Ugh, whatever. I don’t want to argue.” *reluctantly lets me go ahead*

(I left completely dumbfounded at how she could have stood in the line behind me for over five minutes and not have seen me in front or seen anything that took place right in front of her!)

(It is Christmas Eve. We had a high price item on sale with a good discount. A customer comes in at the beginning of the sale period demanding to see the item.)

Me: “The display is just over there. I’ll be with you as soon as I finish with this customer.”

(The customer stomps off and doesn’t even head to the display. Instead, she leaves the store. The next week she is back.)

Customer: “I demand to see [item] and I better not be refused service like the last time I was in here.”

Coworker: *remembers her* “Sorry if you thought you were refused service, but last time that you were in, my coworker was serving a customer just as I am now. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

(I am available and able to attend the customer, who doesn’t stop ranting over being refused service and how ridiculous it is that she had to wait seeing as she was going to spend a lot of money with us. I show her the item and she demands a demonstration. We don’t have a model for demonstration in the store as it is a very expensive item but we have one booked in for a week’s time with the manufacturer.)

Customer: “So if I book in I’ll be assured to still get the $400 discount?”

Me: “Yes, the sale doesn’t finish until Christmas Eve. If you leave your name and number we’ll ring you after we confirm the date and time for the demonstration.”

Customer: “This is really bad service; I can’t see why you can’t do the demonstration now.”

Me: “We don’t have access to a demonstration model.”

Customer: “Can’t you just open one?”

Me: “No, because once they are used, we can’t sell it as a new item. Please just leave your details with the cashier.”

Customer: “I’ll come back and do it.”

(She leaves without leaving any details. When the rep checks the attendee list she cancels the demonstration as there are no names on the list. The next week the woman comes back demanding to know why she hasn’t received a call. She won’t take “you didn’t leave your details” as an answer, and is reminded of the last date of the sale. She storms out of the store again. She comes back two months later.)

Customer: “Where is [item]?”

Me: “It’s just over here.” *I walk over with her*

Customer: “WHY IS IT $800? IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE $400!”

Me: “That sale finished on Christmas Eve. It’s now February and it’s gone back to full price.”

Customer: “OH, FIGURES, WITH THE SERVICE AROUND HERE! I DIDN’T HAVE THE MONEY IN DECEMBER AND NOW I DO. I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME THE SALE PRICE! THIS IS F****** RIDICULOUS!”

Me: “I am sorry, but I have no authority to do that. You did have ample opportunity to purchase it in December and you were told several times when the sale was going to finish.”

Customer: “I. DIDN’T. HAVE. THE. MONEY. THEN. Get me someone who does have the authority.”

Me: “Only Corporate has that. They are closed over the weekend and won’t be in until Monday. I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do today.”

Customer: *ranting* “I don’t see what is the difference between it being on sale and not. If they can do it at that price in December they can do it at that price now.” *storms out of store*

(The difference was that the manufacturer had the item on sale in December. If we gave her the discounted price in February we would be losing money. And there was no way I was losing my job giving such a huge discount.)