(I am shopping at a retail store where employees don’t wear uniforms, but encourage their sales associates to wear clothes purchased from their store. I’ve picked up a shirt from a stack of folded clothes, looked at it, and folded it again. A woman comes up to me holding a scarf.)
Customer: “Do you have this in blue? I saw it in blue last week but now I can’t find it.”
Me: “Oh, I don’t work here. But I think I just saw a salesperson over there.”
Customer: “Don’t lie to me! I know you work here. I just saw you fold that shirt! If you can’t be bothered to help me, call someone else on your little radio or something. But don’t lie to me; I’m not stupid! Use your radio and find me a blue scarf!”
Me: “Listen, I don’t know what else I can tell you. I don’t have a radio to call someone as I do not work here.”
Customer: “Just stop it already! Someone needs to teach you how to treat customers with respect. Of course you work here; you are wearing clothes from the d*** store! I’m not stupid! Where is your manager?”
(I decide to ignore her and continue about my business. A couple of minutes later I hear a now familiar voice.)
Customer: “That girl right there. She didn’t want to help me, so she just pretended she didn’t work here.”
(I turn around and see the woman standing behind me with the store manager.)
Manager: “Ma’am, this lady doesn’t work here. She is just a shopper like you.”
Customer: “But… she is wearing clothes from this store!”
Manager: *looking at me apologetically as I’m trying hard not to laugh* “A lot of people wear clothes from this store, ma’am. That’s the whole point of buying them. Our employees all wear a name tag; that’s how you can tell them apart from customers.”
Customer: “I think you are just covering for your employee because you know she messed up. This is unbelievable! I just wanted this scarf in blue! I am never shopping here again!”
(She turns around to leave. As she storms out, she spots another customer and yells at her.)
Customer: “I suppose you don’t work here either, huh?!”
Other Customer: *without batting an eye* “Nope. But I have that scarf in blue, and let me tell you; it’s gorgeous!”
