For this particular group’s breakfast buffet, we put out a pitcher of orange juice on each table for the guests to help themselves.

Guest: “Hey, you! Waiter! C’mere!”

Me: “What can I do for you, sir?”

Guest: “Can you run and get me a glass of orange juice?”

Me: “Sure thing!”

I pick up his glass, pick up the pitcher of juice from his table, and pour it for him. The guest looks disappointed.

Guest: “ Oh. In that case, can you run and get me a glass of milk?”

Me: “Yes.” *eye-twitch*

I work in a very busy bakery and donut shop in a very busy tourist town. We can get anywhere from one to three big tour buses at a time. Most of them come before 5:00 pm when the last of the staggered day shift is gone, and we have enough people to deal with them.

A single bus of sixty-eight people pulls up at 7:50 pm on a Sunday night, and of course, they all want meals, drinks, and desserts. Our baker, who is about to leave in ten minutes, thankfully says she will stay and bake more of the buns and such required.

Several of the tourists who can speak English/French — sadly few of them — start to complain about the wait times for the buns and food, since after the first few passengers we have to make fresh.

I am frantically trying to get drinks and food made, and the supervisor is also working the front counter with me. The bus driver approaches me, speaking in heavily-accented English.

Bus Driver: “You happy for my bus, yes?!”

Throwing my better judgment to the wind, since he is stalling me on filling one of the food orders, I respond with a half-under-my-breath mutter.

Me: “No! Not really…”

Bus Driver: “Why? It is good!”

Me: “It would have been really nice if you had called ahead. The [Tourist Attraction] is not even five minutes up the road…”

Bus Driver: “Why call? You should be ready!” 

Me: “Excuse me, please. I need to finish getting their food.”

Bus Driver: “No, you get me free meal now!”

Me: “Just a moment, please. I need to finish this order.”

Bus Driver: “No! My food now!”

I turned to my supervisor on the other till and she took over dealing with him. In other words, he wanted me to ignore my current customer, grab his food, and be appreciative of him dropping almost seventy people on us. I did get in some trouble for my first comment to the bus driver, but she understood why I ended up being honest with him.

My husband’s brother has moved in with us due to not being able to afford a place of his own. From the beginning, he’s made extra demands in regards to the food I cook. I already deal with a fussy eater — my husband, who will only eat specific items — and am not going to prepare multiple foods to appease [Brother-In-Law].

He makes passive-aggressive complaints about that to the rest of the family. I never say anything about this, always trying to keep the peace. I do make one change: I start making him a salad course to have with meals. He’s made no effort to help us pay for the extra food we now have to buy.

It’s the beginning of mango season; they are pretty expensive but I decide to buy myself one as a treat. That evening, I prepare dinner as normal and give [Brother-In-Law] his salad and main course. Afterward, I collect the plates. 

Brother-In-Law: “Dinner was nice this evening, but I was disappointed with the salad.”

Me: “What was wrong with it?”

Brother-In-Law: “Oh, nothing really, it’s just that I like to have fruit in my salad. I saw that you had bought a mango and was expecting that to be in my salad. Next time, put mango in.”

Me: *Seething at this demand* “No one gets any of my f****** mango.” *Stomps off*

I stopped making him salads after that because I wouldn’t want him to have to eat disappointing food.

It’s been dead for over an hour, so the other two employees have shut down their registers and begun the nightly cleaning early. With less than ten minutes to go until close, we have only one register open and the nightly cleaning done.

There’s nothing else to do, so the three of us stand around chatting.

A well-dressed woman enters the store.

Coworker: “Hello! Welcome to [Store].”

The well-dressed woman doesn’t acknowledge him. She walks briskly down an aisle and turns out of sight.

Coworker: “Huh. She looks like she’s on a mission. I guess she knows we’re closing in a few minutes.”

The woman reappears in the aisle with her nose stuck in a book. She looks like she’s found what she wants, so we resume our conversation.

Me: “So, anyway, the concert tickets sold really well. I think we’ll see a good turnout for the next—”

Customer: “AHEM!”

We turn around to see the customer standing behind us, folding her arms, and tapping her foot impatiently. The book she was reading is nowhere in sight, and she’s holding a pack of stationery that she didn’t have a minute ago.

Me: “Hi, are you ready to check out? Or can we help you find something?”

Customer: “I cannot believe you people! I have never been treated this way in this store in my entire life!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry?”

Customer: “I have been in this store for twenty minutes and not once have any of you lifted a finger to help me!”

She’s been in the store all of five minutes at the most. My coworkers and I glance at each other.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am. We greeted you when you came in, but you looked as though you knew where to go.”

Customer: “Saying ‘hi’ isn’t enough! I’ve never come to this store and not had an employee ask me if they can help me find what I’m looking for! I spent over twenty minutes looking for this pack of stationery, no thanks to any of you! You just stood around talking and being lazy while I was lost and couldn’t find what I wanted!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you really didn’t look as though you were lost. Did you try to catch our attention? Maybe we just didn’t see you.”

Customer: “I shouldn’t have to catch your attention! You should know if I’m looking for something!”

Me: “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am. Is that stationery what you were looking for?”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “I can ring you up over here.”

The transaction takes place smoothly, but as she’s walking away, the customer yells over her shoulder.

Customer: “I have never been treated with such disrespect! I’m never coming here again!”

I work for a train station and we have a deal with a public television station that if patrons donate enough money they get vouchers they can use on our trains.

Me: “[Business], this is [My Name]. How can I help you?”

Customer: “Yes, I’d like to make reservations for your train to [Town about thirty miles from here].”

Me: “Okay, what day?”

Customer: “September 14th.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but that day is sold out.”

Customer: “Are you serious?! I have tickets!”

Me: “You said you wanted to make reservations, though. If you have tickets, you’re good to go.”

Customer: “I didn’t make reservations; that’s why I’m calling you.”

Me: “Well, I’m sorry, but the train is sold out.”

Customer: *Getting very heated* “Why in the h*** did I give that organization my money if they didn’t get me a spot on your train?! I want my money back!”

Me: “They don’t actually make reservations for you, and you’re more than welcome to ride other days.”

Customer: “I can’t f****** ride the other days!”

The customer yelled at me for the next minute, called me disgusting, and hung up.