(I am six years old. My mom takes me clothes shopping and I hate it. After what she claims is an hour of me refusing any and all clothes she or the staff show me:)
Mom: “Okay, fine. Why don’t you go find something you like?”
(Apparently, I ran straight for the door!)
(It’s been a long shift, and I am the last one in the store besides my manager, who is hidden in the office preparing the night deposit. I’m processing a busy line and trying to get everyone out the door before close.)
Me: “That will be [total], ma’am. Were you able to find everything you needed today?”
Customer: “Oh, yes, thank you.”
(She places a bill on my check counter and busies herself in her handbag. I take it and begin counting her change.)
Customer: “EXCUSE ME? HOW RUDE!”
Me: “I… Pardon?”
Customer: “HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY MONEY LIKE THAT?! THAT IS SO DISRESPECTFUL! I DEMAND TO SEE YOUR MANAGER! WHERE IS HE?!”
(At this point, I see my manager poke her head out of the office to see what is going on.)
Me: “My manager is in the office, right over there, ma’am.”
(The customer storms over with her bags and change in hand and I quickly get back to the line.)
Manager: “Yes, ma’am, what is the problem?”
Customer: “HE INSULTED ME! HE STOOD THERE WITH THAT D*** SMILE AND JUST SNATCHED THE MONEY OUT OF MY HAND! I WANT HIM FIRED!”
Manager: “Are you saying you didn’t like that he took your money?”
Customer: “YES!”
Manager: “Well, ma’am, I’m afraid I can’t discipline somebody for doing their job.”
(The customer stormed out afterwards. It turns out the next lady in line was her daughter, and she apologized to us both for her mother’s conduct!)
(A customer barges up to our customer service desk and slams her receipt on the counter.)
Customer: “I want a refund!”
(I check her ticket and see she hasn’t left the store with the item, or checked in to even pick it up, and has just purchased it a few minutes before.)
Me: “Absolutely, I can do that for you. Give me just a few minutes.”
(I start refunding the customer as she glares daggers at me and only seems to become even angrier as I respond to her demand.)
Customer: “Get me a manager!”
Me: “I am a manager, ma’am. Is there something else I can help you with?”
Customer: “I want a store manager!”
Me: “Okay, sure. Let me get one for you.”
(I bring up one of our sales managers.)
Sales Manager: “Yes, ma’am, how can I help you?:
Customer: “He is being very rude!”
Sales Manager: “I’m sorry about that; how is he being rude?”
Customer: “I said I wanted a refund and he just started refunding me! He didn’t even try to save the sale!”
(Yes. That is correct. I was rude for doing exactly what she asked, with no fuss or questions. Not in the way I acted, but because I was doing what she wanted.)
(I work at a big national department store. My initial availability is basically “all day, every day.” After having been there for about a year, they start looking to promote me to “team lead” status, but at the same time my mother’s health takes a serious downturn, and the following occurs:)
Assistant Manager: “We were looking to make you a team lead, but I see you just changed your availability until only six?”
Me: “Yeah, unfortunately my mom’s just been through several health scares, and I’m the only one that lives with her.”
Assistant Manager: “Well, if we’re going to give you this promotion, you need to be a bit more flexible. You can’t work closing at all?”
Me: “I can occasionally, if it’s absolutely necessary, but not on any sort of permanent schedule. Why is this such a big deal for being a team lead?”
Assistant Manager: “Well, when you’re a team lead, you need to be available to close one day and open the next day, twice a week. It’s just the regulations. We’d really, really like to give you this opportunity; you’re one of our hardest workers and we think you’d be a great fit.”
Me: “I’d like it, too, but unless you can find someone who’ll voluntarily be a 24/7 live-in nurse for my mom with no compensation, I just can’t do it right now.”
Assistant Manager: “Are you sure? This could be a really big opportunity!”
Me: “As you said, but my mom’s health comes first.”
(This conversation happens about once every two or three months with a couple different assistant managers. They even start sneaking closing shifts outside of my listed availability onto the schedule, despite me repeatedly saying I can only occasionally cover someone as an emergency, so it becomes a weekly ritual of finding someone to switch shifts with. After about a year and a half, my mother passes away, right in the middle of me landing a more standard 9:00 to 6:00, Monday through Friday job. Unfortunately, in order to score the job, I basically have to give in my notice on Thursday that I’m starting the new job on Monday, and end up talking with the very first manager that started the cycle.)
Assistant Manager: “Listen, I’m really disappointed you’re looking to go through with this.”
Me: “I know, but it’s a stable position. It’s about 50 cents less per hour, but it’s more hours and more stable hours without constantly having to shift my schedule around, and honestly, I have more potential for improvement there. I’ve already found people to cover my scheduled shifts here the next two weeks.”
Assistant Manager: “But you’re finally free up to switch to team lead!”
Me: “Really? That’s your take-away from my mother dying? That my schedule’s more free?”
(At least he had the sensibility to look embarrassed about that. I still took the new job, and got several rapidfire raises and promotions, well past what I would have in the department store. Here’s the funny part! About six months later I was shopping in that store, and the assistant manager saw me. He actually asked me if I “came to my senses” and wanted my old job back!)
(I’m tiny, at 5’2”, with a baby face. Despite being in my mid-20s, I get mistaken for a high-schooler or even middle-schooler all the time. My coworker is around six feet tall, and has a mature face with a stocky build. The following happens a lot.)
Manager: “[Coworker], help this customer with a carryout.”
Coworker: “I’m disabled and can’t lift more than 20 pounds.”
Me: “I can! Let me do the carryout.”
Manager: “No, I’ll find someone else.”
(Later on, I am carrying a heavy item for a customer.)
Manager: “Oh, [My Name]! You shouldn’t be carrying that! I’ll get [Disabled Coworker] to do that.”
Me: “He can’t lift more than 20 pounds.”
Manager: *already gone*
Coworker: *later* “[Manager] asked me to do a carryout for you. Again.”
Me: “I wonder when they’ll remember that I have to carry my sister’s wheelchair up and down a flight of stairs every day.”
