We’re managing flea markets. Our “customers” are people selling stuff they no longer need, and they have to pay a fee based on the length of their market stand, while children’s stands are free. This happens while we still have the DM rather than the Euro.

Collector: “All right, that will be forty marks.”

Customer: “What?! I was told it’s ten per meter and that children are free. This should just be thirty marks!”

Collector: “Yes, that is right, and your daughter can sell her toys for free. However, your own market stand is over four metres long, so thirty is not enough.”

Customer: “Fine, here’s your money; this is robbery!” *To the daughter* “Give me ten marks; you have to chip in if you want to sell.”

Collector: “Uh, sorry, but as I said, your daughter’s table is free.”

Customer: “Mind your own d*** business!”

A new employee comes into my office and huffs at me while I’m on the phone. I ask him to wait outside but he sits down and glares at me. I hang up.

Employee: “Finally! That is so disrespectful, talking to someone on the phone when there’s someone else right in front of you.”

Me: “Well, you did come into my office while I was on the phone and my door was closed. So, technically, you were being disrespectful to me.”

Employee: “Whatever. I need to make a complaint.”

Me: “What about?”

Employee: “[Supervisor].” 

Me: “And what’s the problem?”

Employee: “He keeps telling me what to do. It’s so disrespectful.”

Me: “That’s his job. He’s your supervisor. Without him, you wouldn’t have any instruction.”

Employee: “I’m perfectly capable of working on my own.”

Me: “I’m sure you are, but we have a chain of command here. I tell [Supervisor] what needs to be taken care of, and he delegates the tasks to whoever is most able or available.”

Employee: “But that’s so disrespectful. You have to listen to us.” 

Me: “Has he given you something you were incapable of doing?” 

Employee: “No.”

Me: “Do you believe it was unreasonable?” 

Employee: “No.” 

Me: “Did you have an issue with doing what he asked you?” 

Employee: “Duh!”

Me: “And what did he ask you to do?” 

Employee: “Move boxes from the delivery truck! He didn’t ask me; he told me!” 

Me: “But that’s his…” *Deep breath* “Why couldn’t you do it?” 

Employee: “I could do it.”

Me: “So, why did you have an issue?” 

Employee: “I didn’t want to do it! He should have asked me, not told me!”

Me: “Why didn’t you want to do it?”

Employee: “I just didn’t.”

Me: “Did you tell him?”

Employee: “No. I just came here.”

Me: “So, [Supervisor] told you to do something, and instead of telling him, you came here to make a complaint about not liking what he told you to do.”

Employee: “Yes.”

Me: “Maybe you should talk to him before running to me?”

He glared at me again before raising his hands in frustration and leaving, shouting that no one ever listened.

The other managers and I had a meeting the following week, and the above employee featured heavily in our conversations. He had gone to every manager throughout the week trying to make the same complaint. We all told him the same thing.

We called him and the supervisor in, and we learned that he had only been with the supervisor for the first day, before lying that one of the managers told him he was working elsewhere. When we asked him what he was actually doing, he said he just wandered around for eight hours every day.

As no issues cropped up during the week, he pretty much proved he wasn’t needed and was dismissed. He left a letter behind criticising us all for being “disrespectful.”

I’m a recent college graduate, and I’ve just gotten my first check from my first “big girl” job. I decide to use some of it on a pair of earrings from a very whimsical designer that I’ve always liked but could never afford.

I get to the store and see “store closing” signs everywhere. There are a few people in the store. The sales associate calls out a friendly greeting, as she’s seen me come in a few times and sigh over items that I couldn’t afford as a broke college student.

Me: “Hi! I’m sorry y’all are closing. I can finally get my first [Designer] item and it might be the last.”

Sales Associate: “I’ve seen you in here a couple of times. I’m glad you came back to buy something from us before we closed. What do you have in mind?”

Me: “Oh, some earrings. Nothing super pricey, though.”

I spot a pair of dangly heart-shaped earrings at the register.

Me: “Wow, those are gorgeous!”

Sales Associate: “Right?! They sold fast. I think that’s our last pair. Unfortunately, they are still full-price.”

Me: “Darn. What do you have on sale?”

Sales Associate: “Sale jewelry is back by the dresses. We just reduced a ton of stuff today so you’ve got a lot of options. Holler if you need anything. I’m happy to help!”

I thank her and get to browsing. Almost immediately, a snotty customer in her forties gets in my way, blocking the aisle, and demanding attention from the sales associates. She makes comments about actually being able to afford the items in the store and huffs every time she sees me. Whatever.

I find a pair of earrings and a ring at a huge discount and get in line to buy them. Who should get behind me but [Entitled Lady], on her cell phone, talking loudly. I then hear this gem:

Entitled Lady: “Oh, there’s some heart-shaped earrings at the register. Totally cute. I’m buying them.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, she wants those, and she can probably afford them, too! It’s my turn, so I step up to the register. It’s the same sales associate from earlier.

Sales Associate: “Hey, nice choices! Glad you found some stuff. Anything else you want to add?”

I pick up the heart-shaped earrings and look at them.

Me: “I’m gonna kill my budget if I buy these, but gosh, they’re so pretty.”

Sales Associate: “You know what? Let me see something.”

She rings them up with my other purchases and types something in the computer.

Sales Associate: “Oh, look at that. They went on sale just now. You want them?”

I look at the price. I can now afford them. The sales associate is grinning.

Me: “Yes! Thank you!”

Sales Associate: “You’re welcome. You’ve made excellent choices today. You can swipe your card whenever you’re ready!”

She finishes ringing me out, wishes me a great day, and calls up [Entitled Lady]. I walk very slowly to the exit, because I want to hear what happens next.

Entitled Lady: “Hey, I wanted those heart earrings. Where did they go?”

Sales Associate: “What? Oh! Someone must’ve bought them.”

Entitled Lady: “What?! You must have more in the back!”

Sales Associate: “So sorry, ma’am, but that was our last pair, and we won’t be getting any more.”

I hustled out of the store laughing. That was eight years ago, and I still have those earrings!

This story was featured in our May 2020 roundup!

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I’m a pharmacy technician at a national pharmacy chain. On this particular morning, it’s just me and the pharmacist working. About two minutes after opening, an old woman comes up to the register.

Me: “Good morning. Could I get your name and date of birth, please?”

She gives me her name and birthday. I punch her information into the register and see that we have a prescription ready for her. I grab her prescription from the bin.

Me: “Okay, so, I’ve got your [commonly used blood pressure medication] ready for you.”

Customer: “No, no, no! I don’t need that; I need my Valium!”

From having entered her information into the register, I know we do not have any Valium ready for her, nor are we currently working on any for her. However, if a patient’s medication is on hold, or if we’ve just received it from the doctor and haven’t entered it yet, it won’t show up on the register. I inform the woman there’s no Valium in process for her but that I will check my computer to see if we have any for her.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t have any Valium in my system for you anywhere. It’s possible that the doctor’s office hasn’t sent it to us yet; I would recommend that you give the office a call.”

Customer: *Now furious with me* “No! You’re lying! I know they sent it to you! They sent it to you yesterday and I need it now because I’m having brain surgery in forty-five minutes at [Hospital in a town thirty minutes away]!”

I’m just dumbstruck that someone would plan this poorly, but I maintain my professional composure.

Me: “I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I have not received any Valium prescription for you.”

Customer: “Well, this is just f****** ridiculous. This kind of s*** is why I changed pharmacies months ago.”

Me: *Slight pause* “Well, then… perhaps your prescription was sent to your current pharmacy?”

Customer: “No! I know for a fact that it was sent to you because I was standing right there when the doctor called you!”

I know this is a lie because of two things. First, doctors never call prescriptions in themselves; they have a nurse or receptionist do it. And second, Valium is a class IV controlled substance and therefore, in our state, it can only be sent to the pharmacy electronically, not over the phone.

Me: “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but again, I don’t have any prescription here for you. My best recommendation would be that you call the doctor and ask them to send it again as soon as possible.”

Customer: “No, there’s no time for that. When I get there, I’m gonna tell them it’s your fault that I have to postpone this operation!”

The woman storms off and I walk back to my workstation, almost in a daze.

Pharmacist: “Well, if she’s having brain surgery, I hope that means they’re going to install one.”

A man finishes ordering his food, so I give him the total.

Me: “All right, your total is $14.16.”

He hands me $14.15.

Me: “Sir, I just need one more penny.”

Customer: “Really? You’re going to be like that over one penny?!”

He continues to rant for a bit about this before handing me the penny and saying:

Customer: “Every other time I order this they don’t make me pay the one cent.”

Me: “I’m just doing my job, sir.”

As I put the money into the till, he begins ranting about this, cursing at me, and getting more upset by the second. Finally, he stops me and says:

Customer: “Just give me my d*** money back!”

Me: “Sir?”

Customer: “I said give me my f****** money back!”

I call the manager over for the refund and to handle the situation. I start to explain the situation before he interrupts me.

Customer: “No, don’t tell her what happened! Just give me my d*** money!”

I back off as the manager handles it and gives him the refund. He storms out, but before leaving, he turns around and chucks the $0.16 at me from behind.

Me: “Did he just throw his money at us?”

Manager: “Just ignore it. He’s just having a really bad day. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

I shrugged and pocketed the money from the ground.