(It’s the day after Christmas. It’s late and near closing time at the big chain grocery store. Even though there are only about 5% of the customers that are normally there, all the staff look weary. I approach the cashier to check out.)

Me: “I bet you’re glad all the Christmas chaos is over.”

Cashier: “A little.”

Me: *laughing* “Just a little? Do you mean it’s just a little over or do you mean you’re just a little glad?”

Cashier: *after thinking for a moment* “A little of both.”

Me: “Touché.”

This story is part of our After Christmas roundup!

Read the next After Christmas roundup story!

Read the After Christmas roundup!

Some years back, I was ordering Christmas presents online. A few days later, the website informed me that my packages had been delivered, but I had nothing. I checked with apartment management. They were actually surprised that nothing at all had been delivered for two days — unusual for a large apartment complex.

I had a tracking number with USPS, so clearly the next stop was the post office. I showed the tracking number. They showed me that their computer said it had been delivered to me. I showed empty hands. I was frustrated and I’m sure they were thinking I was another crook wanting free stuff. They asked me again for the delivery address. I told the clerk and then her eyes widened and her demeanor changed. I was told that, during the Christmas rush, they sometimes hired independent contractors for deliveries. She suggested I try the neighboring apartment complexes.

Since I had no other choice at that point, I went to the one closest to me. I walked into their offices — which also housed their mini gym and lounge area — and was shocked to see the place looking like a warehouse. Boxes were stacked to eye level against every bit of open wall space. More were on tables and chairs.

I eventually found my packages. Apparently, the contractor wanted to make an easy score. He showed up at the first big apartment complex on the route with all the packages for three apartment complexes and about a square mile or more of residential neighborhoods and simply unloaded his truck into their offices. The lone secretary at the time was confused and overwhelmed. 

Ho! Ho! Ho! Thanks, dirty Santa.

(I work overnight at a hotel. For some events — usually kids’ sporting events — our weekend breakfast hours are too late for when some in the groups have to be at their events, so they arrange it ahead of time to have breakfast open at the usual weekday time. One weekend, we have this arrangement with a group… but unfortunately, one rather crucial group was not informed of this change in schedule — namely, the actual breakfast workers. This leaves me having to very apologetically explain that our breakfast has been delayed to hungry baseball-parents for the last hour of my shift. Most of them are disappointed but understand that it wasn’t my fault personally, and I offer them a discounted rate for the trouble and they go on their way. Then, just as my relief shows up, there’s this guest.)

Guest: “Why isn’t the breakfast open?!”

Me: “I am so sorry, sir, there was a miscommunication with our breakfast staff, and the breakfast is going to be delayed in opening.”

Guest: “This is unacceptable! Tell them to open it now!”

Me: “Sir, I’m sorry, but they don’t have everything prepared yet. Even if they were to let people into the breakfast area, there would be no food to serve. I’ll be happy to add a rate credit to your room for the inconvenience.”

Guest: “Oh, yeah?! And what about the rest of my group?!”

Me: “I– I’m sorry?”

Guest: “I want a guarantee that everyone in my group is getting a discount because of this!”

(Not only is this wildly out of my power to guarantee, I know for a fact that not everyone in his group will be affected by the mix-up — only the ones that had early matches, who I have no way of distinguishing from everyone else.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, I’m afraid I can’t promise that for certain as it’s not in my power to do so. But I will absolutely have my manager notified of this issue, as well as the sales office your group booked through–”

Guest: “Hmph! This is ridiculous! Unacceptable! Do you have a card I can take?”

Me: “Certainly.”

(I hand him my manager’s business card, which he glares at for a minute.)

Guest: “And this is your card?!

(I am very obviously female; the name on the card is equally obviously not.)

Me: “No, that is my manager’s card.”

Guest: “No! I want your card!”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, I do not have a card personally as I am not a manager.”

Guest: “Well, what’s your name?!”

Me: *showing my name badge* “It’s [My Name].”

(He very carefully writes down my name from my name badge and then gives me a hard glare before stomping off. My coworker, who was trying to get ready for his shift, speaks up.)

Coworker: “I think he’s planning to report you.”

Me: “For an issue I had nothing to do with, involving a completely different department? I’m shaking in my boots.”

(I never heard anything about it. I do definitely understand that it was a huge screwup on the part of the hotel, but yelling at people who are trying to help and apologize as much as they can is just being ornery. Oh, and my coworker said that the next day the same guest came down to complain about the breakfast still being closed… only it wasn’t. He said he seemed genuinely upset not to have anything to yell about!)

I’m working the evening shift alone. It’s the policy that when we’re alone and need to use the restroom, we wait until every customer has left and then we lock all of the doors. It’s a little after 10:00 pm and I’ve been waiting for two hours for the store to clear so I can take a quick pee break.

I lock the doors, put a sign up explaining what is going on, and take care of business.

A few minutes later, I open back up and help the customers that have been waiting outside.

A man comes to the counter. He’s a regular but doesn’t talk very much. He’s physically very intimidating, so I’m a bit nervous.

It turns out that he just wanted to make sure I was safe. He saw the people outside, but didn’t see me, so he pulled a U-turn on the highway and rushed over to make sure I was okay.

Thank you, sir.

(It is Black Friday. A customer comes in to do a return on several TV mounts. She has no receipt, and the purchase was not made with her rewards account or with her card. Eventually, I find two of the three TV mounts on her brother’s account. They were purchased almost a year ago.)

Me: “I’m sorry, but we can’t do the return. It’s way outside the return policy and I can only find two of them.”

(She goes off about how her parents’ house burned down and a manager told her they would be able to return the mounts any time. After several managers tell her no and she still won’t give in, the general manager says to do it. The one mount I can’t find will not have tax returned because there is no proof of purchase. She sees this and yells about over $10.)

Me: “You are lucky we even did this; it was purchased a year ago.”

Customer: “I hope your parents’ house burns down.”

(This was after she got her return, and on the day after Thanksgiving. Nice.)

This story is part of our Black Friday 2023 roundup! This is the last story in the roundup, but we have plenty of others you might enjoy!

25 Crazy Tales Of Black Friday Madness!

Read the first Black Friday 2023 roundup story!

Read the Black Friday 2023 roundup!