We usually only have a manager and two sellers. One of those sellers is also designated cashier.

I’m the cashier this morning, and we aren’t very busy. Suddenly, I have a small line of about four people, the other seller has to help someone in the fitting room, and my manager has to go to the back to accept shipment. There is no one to cover the floor and definitely no one to help me ring up.

I’m ringing out [Customer #1]’s decently-sized purchase and [Customer #2] right behind her starts sighing loudly and sucking her teeth.

[Customer #2] then comes up to the counter next to [Customer #1] and slams her stuff down.

Customer #2: “Isn’t there anyone else who can ring?”

Me: “Actually, no. Unfortunately, I’m the only one available as my coworker is assisting a customer in the fitting room and my manager had to go to the back to accept shipment. We’re not busy on Thursday mornings, as you can see, so we normally only have three people working. But thank you so much for being patient; I really appreciate it.”

[Customer #2] looked shocked and said a small, “Oh,” right as I finished up with [Customer #1].

I was expecting [Customer #2] to continue to be rude, because that’s how it usually goes, but she actually apologized and said she hurt her back at the gym, so standing there for so long — she was in line for maybe two minutes, max — was hurting. Either way, it was nice to have a customer actually apologize for their behavior.

Related:
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 14
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 13
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 12
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 11
In Line And Out Of Line, Part 10

Our store is located in a mall that doesn’t open until 10:00 am, so the store doesn’t open until then, except for specific sales for cardholders. But people still walk around the mall before 10:00, so we keep our gate down until about 9:55 so people don’t come in early. Sometimes, our gate will be open just far enough to crouch under, but obviously only for employees to come in and out.

It’s about 9:40 am. I am opening registers — which involves counting all the money in them — and a coworker is on the other side of the room stocking shelves. Our store is rather big, so if you’re at the registers or where my coworker is, you can’t see the store entrance. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a person walking into the room. I look up to see that it’s not an employee but some woman I’ve never seen. Both my coworker and I stare at her, speechless that someone climbed in under our gate. After what feels like way too long, I speak up, nervous since I have a drawer full of cash open in front of me.

Me: “Um, excuse me, but we don’t open for another twenty minutes.”

Customer: “Can’t I just look around until you open?”

I am trying to be as professional as possible.

Me: “I’m sorry, but—”

Coworker: “No! Get out!“

The woman seemed absolutely shocked and left without a word. She came back about forty minutes after open and wouldn’t make eye contact with either of us as she shopped.

Related:
Not Very Closed Minded, Part 43
Not Very Closed Minded, Part 42
Not Very Closed Minded, Part 41
Not Very Closed Minded, Part 40
Not Very Closed Minded, Part 39

In the two months that I’ve worked at this establishment, I’ve had the following conversation at least twice a week, but this one left me absolutely speechless, due to the customer’s attire.

A customer comes in wearing a shirt that says, “Jesus saved me.”

Customer: “Do you have any fish sandwiches?”

Me: “I’m sorry; we only serve fish during lent.”

Customer: “What’s lent?”

I’ve been Christmas shopping at a mall for several hours, and then I find out that my winter scarf has fallen off somewhere. I backtrack as well as I’m able, but I realize that it may take some time for it to resurface, and perhaps I’m better off coming back tomorrow. The next day, I come back and check in with one or two of the stores I was in, and then I decide to try the mall information booth.

Me: “Hi. I was here shopping yesterday and I lost a scarf. Could you check your lost and found?”

Mall Information Guy: *Unhelpfully* “No, nobody’s turned anything in.”

There’s a pause.

Me: “Um, okay. Well, I had to drive over half an hour to get here. Could you at least look, please?”

[Mall Information Guy] reluctantly pulled out a bin, and oh, look! Lo and behold, there sat my scarf, right on top. How lazy do you have to be to not even check the lost and found when someone asks? Unless he was hoping nobody claimed it and wanted to keep it for himself?

My mom and I plan to take our new puppy to the pet store for the first time to grab some supplies. However, on the way over, the dog vomits, so we turn around and go back home to clean out the car and to leave the dog at the house.

I go inside with the dog, and while I’m inside, my mom leaves me to go to the pet store. I think that she purposefully left without me and I shrug it off. Later on, when she returns home, she hits me with this.

Mom: “You a**hole. I got in the car and thought you were in there and left to go to the store. I was talking to you the whole way only to turn and see you weren’t there. I felt like a crazy person!”

Me: “You didn’t notice that it was an entirely one-sided conversation?”

Mom: “I thought you were just being quiet and letting me rant!”

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