The customer points to a bulk container of pretzels.
Customer: “Do you have any containers like this that are bigger?”
Me: “I’m sorry; that’s the largest package of pretzels we carry.”
Customer: “Not just pretzels. Anything; it’s the jar I need. My mother went deep-sea fishing and caught a little shark. We need a jar about this—” *indicates a size of about a foot by two feet* “—big to put it in.”
I am working at a popular coffee chain inside of a popular department store. A woman comes up to the counter and asks to buy four gift cards as thank-yous for her child’s school teachers. During this particular time, many other people have been doing the same thing, and our gift cards and gift card envelopes have been limited and running out quickly.
Customer: “I want to get four gift cards for $10 each.”
Me: “All right, we’ve got two ‘teacher’ gift cards left, so is it all right if we put the other two on normal gift cards?”
The customer stares at me in disbelief.
Customer: “What? You only have two?”
Me: “Yes, ma’am, we’ve been selling out of these cards rather quickly.”
Customer: “Uh… Okay. Fine, I guess that will have to do.”
I ring up the cards.
Me: “All right, your total is $40. Did you want to add any drinks to your purchase today?”
Customer: “Umm… WHERE ARE THE ENVELOPES?”
Me: *Wide-eyed stare* “Oh, uh…”
I look in the gift card holder and there is only one gift card envelope left.
Me: “It looks like this is the only one left.”
Customer: “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! What kind of place doesn’t have enough envelopes for their gift cards?!”
Me: “Well, ma’am, like I said before, we’ve been selling a lot of gift cards due to the end of school. We aren’t an official store, so we don’t get as much stock as a regular store would.”
Customer: “I insist you go to the back and look for more.”
Me: “Well, I can look, but I’m not sure we’ve got anymore.”
Meanwhile, a line of five or more people has started forming. The woman, crazy-eyed, is fuming. Going to the “backroom,” which is just the kitchen for the snack bar, I rustle around in some boxes, knowing there aren’t any more envelopes there.
Me: “Ma’am, I searched the back, and there just aren’t any more envelopes.”
Customer: “WELL, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO KNOW HOW MUCH IS ON THE GIFT CARD? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!”
Me: “Perhaps you can write the amount in the card you intend on giving them, or you can write the amount in Sharpie on the card. I have a Sharpie right he—”
Customer: “You have got to be f****** kidding me. I will not do that. I want to speak to your manager. RIGHT NOW!”
I call over my supervisor and tell him the problem.
Supervisor: “Ma’am, unfortunately, we are completely out of the envelopes. We can offer you some of our store gift card envelopes, or perhaps you can go to another store and get some from them. I really apologize for the inconvenience.”
Customer: “Well, f*** this place! I don’t want those anymore. I will never come here again.”
Supervisor: “All right, then. Have a good day!”
She stormed out of the cafe, and I continued making drinks for the other customers.
Related:
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 12
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 11
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 10
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 9
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 8
I’m finishing up with a customer as I notice a girl in her late teens walking up to me and my coworker slowly. I know something is up.
Me: “Hi. How are you today? What can we help you with?”
Customer: “Hi. I just got off work to realize I left my debit card at home. You see, I have been using it as a bookmark and I left the book at home. I have the numbers, so can I still use it?”
My coworker is kind of new, so she looks at me for the answer. I can’t believe she asked this.
Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we can’t do that. We need the card present along with the expiry date and the number on the back of the card.”
Customer: *Quickly answers* “Oh, I have that!”
Me: “But I would still need the card present since you are in person and not over the phone.”
Customer: “But I have a picture of it and it has my name and everything!”
I figure out by then she is for sure trying to scam us, because who takes a picture of their card?
Me: “I’m really sorry, ma’am, but without the card here with you, I can’t sell anything to you.”
Customer: *Mumbling* “But we let customers do that at my other job.”
She walked off. I can honestly say I can’t think of one store that would let someone use their debit card when it wasn’t there with them!
Related:
Gotta Give Them Credit For Trying, Part 3
Gotta Give Them Credit For Trying, Part 2
Gotta Give Them Credit For Trying
It is my second week at a new job at a coffee shop, and a woman who is a regular comes in. It is my first time serving her.
Lady: “Hi, I’d like my coffee light and sweet. No cream. I want whole milk. I repeat, no cream. Don’t let that Asian girl make it. I want you to make it.”
The Asian girl is my shift leader. I give the customer her total and then she pays and I proceed to make her coffee.
Me: “Okay, let me get that for you.”
As I’m making it, the “Asian Girl” goes into the back. She luckily hasn’t heard the remark from the customer.
Lady: “Thank God. That girl almost killed me. Twice. I’m highly allergic to cream. I told her milk and received cream and had an allergic reaction and went to the hospital.”
Me: “Oh, wow, that’s horrible. Glad you are okay.”
Lady: “Yeah, and I came back another time while she was working and asked specifically for milk again, and she made me another coffee with cream and I went to the hospital again. I came back a few days later and complained to your manager and he gave me this.”
She shows me her 10% off coupon that she uses each time she is there.
Lady: “That’s all I got in return. I never want to have her make my coffee again. With all of the mistakes she makes and almost killing me, why hasn’t she been fired yet?”
Me: “Actually, just before I started working here, she was promoted to shift leader. She’s in charge of me.”
Lady: “What?! That’s horrible! I can’t believe they would give her a promotion! Ugh!”
She sips her coffee.
Lady: “Well, you did a good job and you gave me milk and not cream! Thank you, and good luck working for the psycho!”
I am working a Saturday overnight — until 5:00 am — shift at a convenience store. Two guys come in around 2:45 and start looking through the beer cooler. Iowa stops sales of all alcohol at 2:00 am. I tell them that it is too late to buy alcohol, but one of them brings a 12-pack up to the counter anyway.
Me: “Sorry, but I can’t sell that to you. The cutoff time is 2:00.”
Customer: “Aw, c’mon. Just this once.”
Me: “Sorry. No can do. The registers are programmed to not allow the sales.”
Customer: “Can’t I just leave you the money, and you ring it up when the register will let you?”
Me: “Nope. My shift ends before that. Besides—”
I point at the various security cameras in the store.
Me: “It would be too hard to hide.”
I’m still being polite, despite starting to get frustrated by his refusal to take no for an answer.
Customer: “How much would it take for you to let me walk out of here with this beer?”
Now, my patience is exhausted, but I’m still trying to keep my temper.
Me: “$20,000.”
The customer’s mouth hangs open in shock.
Me: “You’re going to pay my fine, the store’s fine, and the store’s lost sales for their liquor license being suspended.”
He then left with no further argument.
