(I am the electronics department manager at a big superstore. It is Christmas Eve, and we close at six pm. It’s four in the afternoon, and there is a huge rush of customers. I have just been asked to help a customer near our headphones.)

Customer: “Where are your Apple products?”

Me: “What kind of Apple products?”

Customer: “Your Apple products.”

Me: “Yes, but what specific Apple products are you looking for?”

Customer: *rudely* “I just want to know where your Apple products are.”

Me: “Well, we have iPods in this case right here, iPads on the other side of the aisle, accessories two aisles over—“

Customer: “Just tell me where your Apple watches are.”

Me: “We don’t carry the Apple watch in our store, only online.”

Customer: “That’s all you had to say.” *walks away*

(I work at a Make-Your-Own-Stuffed-Animal chain store. It’s two days before Christmas and it’s extremely busy. I am cashing out this woman who has put a bunch of things from her hands onto the counter. I put her son’s stuffed animal in a large paper bag, because the animal is fairly large, and nudge it closer to her because the counter is pretty long and the bag is tall. I don’t realize me nudging the big bag knocks off something she had placed on the counter.)

Me: *handing Customer her change* “Thank you and have a great day!”

Customer: *nearly snatches my fingers off while grabbing her change* “Give me my stuff!”

Me: “Uh?”

(The customer begins to angrily pick up the bag I knocked over and inspect it. The object inside has broken.)

Customer: “You knocked this off the counter with your bag!”

Me: *getting anxious* “I’m sorry, ma’am; I didn’t see it on the counter.”

Customer: “This was the last one, so now I’m out money on this!”

Me: *apologizes as she storms out angrily*

Manager: *ringing next to me* “Don’t worry about it.”

(The customer comes back in not even five minutes later and demands my manager’s attention to get compensation for the broken item, claiming I knocked it over forcefully and on purpose. The manager gives the customer a gift card to the store, and then tells me what happened.)

Manager: “I told her we couldn’t do anything about it, since we don’t sell the item, and you wouldn’t do anything like that maliciously. She acted like she wanted me to go to the back and get money from my own wallet to pay for the item broken that she put on our counter! I gave her a gift card for the value of the item.”

(It was a $10 picture frame.)

(I’m delivering flowers one day. Shortly after I have returned to the store the phone rings.)

Me: “Hello. Thank you for calling. How may I help you?”

Customer: “I ordered flowers for my daughter’s birthday to be delivered today, and they have not been delivered. I am very upset that they have not been delivered yet, and I know you close in twenty minutes. Her birthday is today; I want them today.”

Me: “I’m sorry about that; what was the name and address of the order? I will look it up.”

(The customer gives the information and I immediately recognize the order.)

Me: “I’m sorry, but I was actually there twice today. I tried to make it one of my first deliveries this morning and stopped by again a few hours later when I was near the area, but unfortunately, no one was home.”

Customer: “That’s a lie. My daughter has been home all day and she did not get her flowers. You did not try to deliver them.”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, I was there twice today and tried calling the number while I was there, but no one answered. I even left a tag on the door asking you to call to arrange delivery. If your daughter was home, she didn’t answer the door.”

Customer: “Well, of course she didn’t answer the door. She is only ten and not allowed to answer the door to strangers when no one else is home.”

Me: “How was I supposed to deliver the flowers if there wasn’t anyone to open the door?”

(After a few seconds of silence.)

Customer: “I don’t know. My husband should be home in a few minutes. Do you think you could deliver them in ten minutes?”

Me: “I guess I can swing on my way home if you’re sure someone will answer the door.”

(I work in a dollar store.)

Customer: “So, everything in this store is a dollar?”

Me: “Yep.”

Customer: “No way. I bet I can find something more than a dollar.”

Me: “Good luck with that, sir.”

(About ten minutes pass when the customer comes up to me, sticking his chest out triumphantly. I barely open my mouth when he all but shoves a pair of reading glasses into my hands.)

Customer: “And you told me everything in this store was a dollar. See? These are $3.00.”

Me: “Sir, that’s the prescription.”

(I’m working the service counter when a customer comes up.)

Customer: “I’d like to apply for a loan to get a lawn tractor.”

Me: “Sure! Let’s get started. I’ll need a driver’s license and a secondary form of ID.”

Customer: “I haven’t had a driver’s license in forty years.”

Me: “You don’t have a driver’s license?”

Customer: *relayed with a disturbing amount of pride* “It got taken away; too much drunk-driving.”

Me: “Okay, how about a secondary form of ID. Something like a credit card?”

Customer: “H*** no! I cut all those up years ago! All they do is get you in trouble!”

Me: “Sir, I need some way to check your credit through the bank. You haven’t got a driver’s license or any other form of ID. How about a social security number?”

Customer: “Are you kidding? Like I’d give that out to a total stranger! This happens all the time; you give out your information and it gets sold online!”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, I need at least two forms of identification in order to process a loan. We can still take cash or a check, though.”

Customer: “Well, I don’t work anymore and haven’t got a savings account; you can’t trust the banks these days.”

Me: “I’m really sorry; there’s nothing else I can do.”

Customer: “This is ridiculous! You’re not willing to help me!”

Me: *sigh*