I work at a family-owned pizza buffet as a busboy. I know how to handle almost everything in the store, front to back, and I take pride in my job. One night, I go in to check up on my schedule, which is posted on the wall next to the oven. My coworker passes me on his way out to bus tables.

Coworker #1: “Hey, man, what’s up?”

Me: “Oh, not much, really. I’m just checking the schedule and then I’m gonna go.”

He smiles and continues busing. Another coworker and I exchange an inside joke and have a few laughs, but he is still working so it is only a quick five-second conversation. As I’m about to leave, a man comes up to the buffet line and proceeds to stand there impatiently. My manager, who is cutting pizzas at the time, notices.

Manager: “Is everything okay, sir?”

Customer: “You know what? No. No, it’s not.”

Manager: “What can I do to help you, then, sir?”

Customer: “I noticed that your workers are fooling around.”

He motions for the coworker and me to walk over.

Customer: “If I could speak to you two, as well…”

Being identified as an employee of the buffet, I can’t simply walk away and be rude, as that would reflect on our store poorly. So, I indulge the man and listen.

Customer: “You know, there’s a lot of inconsistencies. The sauce isn’t as centered as it should be and the cheese is melted. The dough just isn’t as good as it should be, and I know what the problem is. It doesn’t have salt.”

Coworker #2: “Well, we measure our salt and put it into every batch, sir.”

The customer realizes we know he is trying to act cool and collected while blowing a lot of hot air, so he switches to complaining about me.

Customer: “Well, there is a time to goof off and talk, like when you’re not at work. I’m a manager myself so I know about that. If I was your manager, then I would give you a warning and then fire you. You have to take pride in your work, even at a dead-end job like this.”

He walked back to his table, talked to his girlfriend, and then left the buffet. I didn’t really understand what had just happened, and I don’t think he did, either. A few customers had actually complimented my manager for making good pizzas, so I know the pizzas were fine. No one was goofing off.

Did I engage in a normal, friendly human contact with my coworkers? Yes. Is that goofing off? No. So, what just happened?

Well, he did give the impression of someone with a superiority complex and I guess he just wanted to try and seem like he was better than us. He pulled the “I’m a manager” card, tried to tell us what was wrong with our pizza — and he was wrong — and then he accused us of goofing off. Maybe he was trying to be an “alpha male,” maybe he was just being a jerk, or maybe he thought he was being helpful. All I know is that that was the most confusing complaint I have ever experienced.

I live in an area that is home to a lot of different nationalities, so not everybody speaks the language that well. This is just a student job and we are not allowed to do everything.

A woman comes up and buys a bunch of things, including a pair of expensive earrings in black. Near closing time, she comes back with those earrings.

Me: “Hello, how may I help you?”

Customer: *In very broken Dutch* “I bought these earrings here today and I would like to exchange them for the red pair.”

Me: “Okay, do you have your receipt?”

Customer: “No, but I just want the red pair instead of the black pair.”

Me: “Yes, but I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But I just want the red pair instead of the black pair.”

Me: “Yes, madam, I understand, but I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But it’s the same pair, just another color!”

She is getting mad and there is a line forming behind her.

Me: “Yes, madam, and again, like I said, I need the receipt. I need to scan the items in again because the codes on the back are different according to color.”

Customer: “But I just want to exchange it for the red pair.”

Me: “Yes, madam, I understand, but again, I need the receipt for that.”

Customer: “But I’ve been here this morning!”

Me: “Yes, madam, I know; I helped you this morning, too. But without the receipt, I cannot exchange the items.”

Customer: “But I don’t have the receipt anymore!”

Me: “Well, madam, that is too bad, but without the receipt, I am not allowed to exchange it.”

Customer: “But it’s the same pair, just another color!”

This kept going on for around fifteen minutes. I started getting annoyed and told her to go and take the earrings to my coworker, who is a full-time employee. After serving the other customers, I heard angry voices from the back of the store. After a while, the woman walked out of the store, gave me a nasty look, and left without the earrings.

Recently, the highway near us has changed so that if you don’t get off at the right exit, you’ll end up in Maryland, and it’s very hard to go back. I have accidentally done this on my way to work. A guest comes in looking very harried.

Guest: “Phew! I finally made it!”

Me: “Hello, how are you?”

Guest: “What is up with that highway?! I asked for directions earlier, and they didn’t tell me that it would be like that!“

Me: “Oh? Are you talking about… Wait, did you end up in Maryland?”

Guest: “Yes!”

Me: *Chuckling* “Yes, that happened to me, too.”

Guest: “It is not funny! How dare you laugh?! You Virginians are so rude! Giving people directions and not telling them about the crazy highways around here!”

Me: “Um, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend—”

Guest: “Well, you did!”

Me: “—but, anyway, I wasn’t the one who gave you directions.”

The guest started a rant about how I was supposed to be a representative of the hotel and, therefore, take responsibility for someone else’s directions, and then I finally was able to give him his room keys. The next day, I saw him looking a lot calmer; I guess a good night’s sleep works wonders!

Related:
Whatever Direction You’re Coming From, This Went South

I work graveyard shift for a statewide chain of convenience stores/truck stops that has an affiliation with a much larger national chain. This larger chain has a rewards program that includes a free shower for every set number of gallons of fuel purchased, and we are able to redeem the showers which are automatically loaded onto the customer’s loyalty card when they pay for the fuel.

Customer: “I would like a shower.”

He hands over his card to be swiped. After swiping the card:

Me: “I am sorry, sir, but you have no showers left on your card.”

Customer: “That is not possible. I fueled in [Other City With National Chain] and had one shower on the card.”

Me: “Sir, our system shows that there are no showers left on the card. Did you use the shower when you fueled at [Prior Location]?”

Customer: “No. I have one shower on the card. I will get the receipt.”

He runs off and comes back a few minutes later with a receipt printed from the national chain’s kiosk. This kiosk can provide receipts up to a week back.

Me: “Sir, have you fueled since four days ago?”

Customer: “No. It says here I have one shower, so give me my shower.”

At this point, one of the assistant managers has come in and overhears the conversation.

Assistant Manager: “Sir, this receipt is from four days ago. You have nothing to prove that you have not redeemed the shower in that time, and our system, which is tied in with [National Chain]’s system, says that there are no showers on your card. If you believe that this is wrong, then call the customer support number on the back of the card, but we can do nothing for you.”

Customer: “No! It says right here!” *Points at the receipt* “I have one shower. I just printed this receipt from the kiosk!”

Assistant Manager: “This receipt is also from four days ago. It shows what you had then but not what you have now.”

The conversation continues like this for several more minutes until the customer finally relents and calls the service number.

Me: “I’m not sure which is worse: him trying to get a free shower, or if he was not lying, him not showering for four days.”

I go to an international hamburger shop for a late lunch. The shop is basically empty, but after I place my order, it is several minutes before my order is ready, despite being a very simple order.

Rude Worker: *Laying down my tray* “We messed it up.”

She then turns and vanishes into the back before I can say anything. I assume her statement is an explanation for the delay and take my order to the table. However, when I open up my sandwich, I find that they had given me a burger rather than the chicken sandwich I ordered.

I go back to the counter and have to wait for a minute or two before the employee from before wanders out again.

Me: “Excuse me. You gave me the wrong sandwich.”

The rude worker stares blankly at me.

Me: *Holds up my receipt* “I ordered a [Chicken Sandwich] and this is a burger.”

Rude Worker: *Shrugs* “We mixed it up.”

Me: *Expectant pause* “So, can you fix it, please?”

The rude worker rolls her eyes before scooping up my tray, turning, and dumping the entire contents into a large trash can by the counter, and then walking off into the back.

Me: “Hey!”

No response. I wait for a few more minutes, calling out a couple more times, before a different worker walks out, looking a bit confused.

Helpful Worker: “Oh, have you been helped?”

Me: “No. I ordered earlier, but your coworker gave me the wrong item, and when I asked for the right item, she dumped the meal in the trash and ran off into the back.”

I hold out the receipt that I am still holding and point toward the trash can. The worker checks them both, a look of utter bafflement on her face.

Helpful Worker: “Oh. Well, I’ll get this made up for you right away.”

In just over a minute, I have my meal and am headed back to my seat. The rude worker comes back out and apparently decides she needs the last word.

Rude Worker: *Almost shouting* “Are you happy now?!”

Helpful Worker: “[Rude Worker]! What the h***?!”

I ended up just picking up the meal and leaving the restaurant to eat elsewhere.