I work at a store whose employees are known for being very social — often probably too much! — and making connections with customers.

It is less than a week until Christmas and our area is in lockdown, so this means we can only do curbside pickup. My coworkers and I are tired, stressed, and dealing with a lot of angry phone calls from people who are upset they can’t come into the store to shop or are having trouble with the online ordering process. Our store phone is dying, making everything difficult, we’re surviving on coffee, and we’re definitely not feeling any kind of holiday spirit.

Near the end of the day, we get another phone call. We worry it will be someone else upset with us.

Customer: “Hi! I know you’re only open for curbside but it won’t let me order online because I don’t have a credit card. Could I come by the store and purchase a few things at the door? I know I can’t come inside and that’s fine!”

Since we have a card reader we can bring to the door and still social-distance, we are able to do this in scenarios where it’s needed, so we tell her yes. A while later she comes by and immediately makes all our days by being the sweetest.

Customer: “I just wanted to say thank you for working during this time! I know it’s really hard on your mental health and I really appreciate you being here.”

Coworker #1: “Oh, my gosh, thank you so much! You have no idea how happy that makes us.”

Coworker #2: “You know, you’re the first person I’ve heard that from.”

Me: “Yeah, we really don’t hear that kind of thing very often; it really means a lot!”

Customer: “I just wanted to pick up a few things for me or some friends, and I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions? I’m really not sure what to get. What are each of your favourite products so I know some things that are good?”

I am starting to suspect what might be going to happen, so to hedge my bets, I recommend a bath bomb that I DO love but also isn’t too much. My coworkers recommend a body scrub and some soap that they use and like.

The customer happily takes our suggestions and buys those as well as a few other items. My coworker goes to put our suggested products in a bag for her but she stops him.

Customer: “I wanted to know something that each of you likes so I could give it to you! I know things are tough right now. You’re doing great. Happy holidays!”

She wouldn’t take no for an answer and left us literally hugging the products she had gifted us in some kind of shocked joy.

We spent the rest of the shift just happily talking about that encounter over and over. My coworkers had had no idea what was coming and I was surprised that it had actually turned out how I suspected because customers that nice are rare. She had already made our days just by being kind and then did something so amazing on top of that! I still haven’t used the bath bomb I got from the girl we have dubbed “an actual angel” because I kind of want to keep it forever, but even more so, I want her to somehow see this or otherwise know how much joy she brought us!

Many moons ago, I was a wide-eyed, young innocent employed for the very first time at the tender age of seventeen in a fairly snooty country club. Even to my eyes, some of the behaviours were obviously wrong, but the staff generally pulled together and just got on with things as best they could.

That is, until [Manager #1] started. [Manager #1] was employed to look after the restaurant and events by her good friend, [General Manager]. Until this point, [Manager #2] had been looking after all of that, plus the cafe and bar. He was a great guy who kept things ticking over. I never did learn why [General Manager] felt that [Manager #1] was needed, but it was quickly obvious even to me that she didn’t have a clue what she was doing.

This came to a head for me during a large Christmas party a company booked for their employees in our event room. We got the event set up quickly and were allocated sections, but I ended up pulling extra tables because [Manager #1] miscounted. 

When the guests arrived and were seated, I zoomed around my tables taking drinks orders until I had this conversation with one of my guests.

Guest: “Hi! Thanks for taking the orders, but can I check when the free wine will be arriving?”

Me: *Laughs* “Good one! If you like I can get you a wine list, though?”

The guest’s smile started slipping a bit.

Guest: “Umm, no, I’m serious. The package we booked should have included two bottles of red and two bottles of white per table.”

Me: *Very confused* “Oh, I’m sorry for the mixup. Let me just check on that for you and I’ll be right back.”

I consulted with the other waiters who were now receiving similar comments from their tables. It took us a little while to find [Manager #1].

Manager #1: “Yes! Of course, they were meant to get wine. Why hasn’t this been done?”

All Of Us: “Well, because this is literally the first we are hearing of this.”

Manager #1: “Bah, just get it done! Quickly, before they start to complain.”

Remember how I had extra tables and that drinks orders had already been served? In all of the confusion, I missed distributing the free bottles to one of my tables because they already had wine on their table and I mistakenly thought that a colleague had helped out and given them their free bottles.

Eventually, one of them complained to my manager who summoned me to explain myself.

Manager #1: “[My Name], explain to me why I had a complaint from one of your tables that you haven’t given them their drinks.”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not sure how that happened.”

Manager #1: “I’ll tell you how it happened: incompetence.”

I was a bit taken aback for a moment.

Me: “You know what? I agree, incompetence was definitely the problem here. I’ll go serve them now.”

I’m pretty sure that she and I had very different ideas of whose incompetence caused the problem. I left the job a month or two later, and from what I heard, [General Manager] had to let her friend [Manager #1] go not too long after because of her many screw-ups.

I have a bit of holiday trauma from an abusive, overly-religious stepmother. My father usually deliberately worked on holidays to avoid her religious fanaticism but allowed her to burn gifts we got that weren’t religious enough. As such, I’m not a big fan of Christmas, and as an adult, I don’t celebrate it for years.

When I marry my wife, who loves Christmas and has a religious mother, I brace myself for the holidays.

Wife: “Honey, I found the perfect tree!”

Me: *Trying to fake enthusiasm* “Oh, cool!”

Mother-In-Law: “[Wife], show her what you found. Trust me, you’ll like this.”

My wife drags in a completely black tree.

Me: *Stunned* “Is that… a black tree? I didn’t even know those were a thing!”

Wife: “Yeah! I’ve always wanted a black tree but Mom prefers real trees, which don’t come in black. But I found this one at work on clearance… and these ornaments!”

Me: “Are those dragons? You got dragon Christmas ornaments?”

Wife: “I know you love dragons. Plus, I figured we could get a skull tree topper or something. And I work with a woman that makes custom wrapping paper, so I figured we can order some of that and wrap our gifts in it. She does coffins, bats, blood splatters…”

Me: “Okay, I might be coming around on Christmas now.”

Mother-In-Law:  “I did find an angel tree topper for you, though.”

She proudly pulls out a Weeping Angel from “Doctor Who,” a show all three of us love. 

Mother-In-Law: “What do you think?”

Me: “I think that, for the first time. I’m actually excited about decorating for Christmas.”

Our holiday wreath has flowers and skulls on it, and none of the religious family members batted an eye when they saw our decorations. My wife’s preacher grandfather even asked us where we got our bat wrapping paper because he loved it so much and ordered some for himself. I look forward to Christmas now!

I am browsing in a store, coming up near the register, when I hear a feminine voice starting to rise. Feeling nosy, I hang around to listen to the drama.

Customer: “But you have to have it in stock. Your website says that you do!”

Employee: “The website isn’t always accurate. It’s better to call the store.”

Customer: “But I neeeeed [item]. Where else can I get it?”

Employee: “You could probably get it at another store?”

Customer: “I don’t want to go to another store!”

The manager hears this and walks over.

Manager: “Hi! Can I help you?”

Customer: *Turns to the manager* “I need [item], but she says you don’t have stock!”

Manager: “Unfortunately, it’s a very popular item and we sold out quite quickly.”

Customer: “Well, where else can I get one?”

Manager: “You might be able to find one at another store.”

Customer: “I won’t go to another store! I want it at this store!”

Manager: “We could order it in for you.”

Customer: “How long will that take?”

Manager: “Right now, about two weeks.”

Customer: “That’s not going to work. I need this f****** item for my kids for Christmas!”

Manager: “Please keep your voice to reasonable levels.”

Customer: “F*** YOU! I’LL YELL IF I WANT TO! YOU’RE BEING STUPID!”

The security guard is already en route but hurries over with this.

Security Guard: “I’m rescinding your right to shop here. Please leave the store.”

Customer: “No, I want my item.”

Security Guard: “Leave, now.”

The customer goes quiet for a moment and then spins on her heel and storms away quickly.

Customer: *Looking back* “I’m going to call corporate. I know a high-up manager there. I swear to God, I’ll—”

BANG!

The woman didn’t see that the door was slow opening and promptly walked into it. Multiple people start to laugh, including the security guard. The employee is hiding her face. The manager is going through a titanic struggle to keep composure.

The customer makes the decision then to turn around and start swearing at the people who are laughing.

Customer: “Shut up, shut up! All of you! I’m going to sue this store. You’re all going to be jobless by Christmas Day!”

She turns to walk out the door, not realising that, by this point, she is behind the sensor range, and walks into the closed door. She lets out a scream of rage and starts pounding on the door. No one can hold back this time. Seeing someone storm into a closed door twice in a row is beyond hilarious. Everyone who is watching is howling with laughter.

Customer: “Open! Open! You f****** c**t, open!”

The security guard walked forward and waved to the sensor, making the door open. The woman let out another scream and stormed out.

My daughter and I are out shopping. A lady in front of me at the trolley bay is struggling with something, and since I know a few tricks with them, I speak up.

Me: “Are you okay?” 

Lady: “I don’t have the right change for the trolleys.”

Most supermarket trolleys in Ireland have a coin slot to unlock them, and they usually take a €1 coin, but sometimes if it’s an older lock you can fudge it with a smaller 20c coin.

Me: *Already sorting my change* “Here, sometimes this works.”

I put a 20c coin into the nearest trolley, which works fine. I pull it out and pass it back to her.

Lady: “Oh, thank you! How much did you put in there?”

Me: “Don’t worry about it; it’s just 20c. Happy Christmas!” 

She then pushes the €5 note she’d been carrying into my confused daughter’s hand. Cue the usual Irish Mammy’s argument about taking money, which we eventually ceded.

My daughter spent it on a charity fundraiser teddy, so we still got to spread some seasonal goodness.