(I’m a cashier at dollar store and the lady is getting three taxable items.)
Me: “That will be $3.18, ma’am.”
Customer: *giving me an incredulous look* “How much?”
Me: “$3.18.”
Customer: *snottily* “So, not everything’s a dollar.”
(So far, the refund of a faulty petrol-powered hedge trimmer has been going normally. The item has been deemed faulty by an expert, and the customer has his receipt and has been pleasant throughout. However, there is a problem: for legal reasons we cannot accept the hedge trimmer until the petrol has been drained out it. This has to be done by the customer offsite and into a fuel can for safety reasons. I explain this to the customer, and he appears to understand and walks off. I’m just serving the next customer when, out of the corner of my eye, I witness this customer pouring petrol into a PAPER CUP, which is in turn balanced precariously on top of the cigarette bin at the entrance to the store.)
Me: “Stop! Stop! For the love of God stop!”
Customer: “Why? What am I doing?”
Me: “I said for you to empty that offsite into an appropriate container! And look what it’s on!”
(The customer begins to slowly read the words, “Please extinguish your cigarette here.”)
Customer: “Oh. I didn’t realise what you meant.”
(After this, we now make sure that customers take such items away before serving the next customer.)
(We’ve had a busy day and none of us have had our lunch breaks yet. We have a lunch cover staff member who is due to leave at a specific time, and unless we get our breaks in during that time, we will miss out.)
Manager: “[My Name], you need to take your break right now or we will all miss out on lunch.”
(We’ve had lines of customers but only two registers; it’s been non-stop.)
Me: *putting down what I was doing* “Okay, I’ll go right now.” *a customer comes and stands right in front of me, I know she’s heard what was said* “Ah, can I help you?”
Customer: “Yes, where is [item]?”
Me: “It’s just over here.”
Customer: “Ugh, there’s so many colours. I need you to help me choose one.”
Me: “I’m sorry, but I’ll leave you with it, as I’m on my lunch break now.”
Customer: “No, I need you to help me choose [items] and then [other items].”
(She keeps asking questions about what to use the items for, she wants me to basically give her lessons in their use, and she wants to know if it they match what she already has at home.)
Me: “I’m sorry, but if I don’t go now, the staff will miss out on their lunches, as I know that you heard what I was told. I’m happy to quickly point out where the items are, but I can’t choose them for you.” *goes to leave but she stands in my way.*
Customer: “I know you are at lunch, which means you have time to help me shop.”
Me: “No, I don’t have time to help you shop. I need to go, sit down, and eat something. I’ve been working for five hours.” *she tries to get in my way again, I manage to dodge her* “If you want help you can go to any of the other staff members, but you’ll have to wait in line.”
(It’s almost fifteen minutes from when I was told to go on my half-hour break. I scarf down some of my food and go back.)
Manager: “That’s quick. Did you get your full half hour?”
Me: “No, not really. I couldn’t get away from a customer. I just had fifteen minutes.”
Manager: “I know, I saw [Customer] stop you. She wanted you to shop for her, didn’t she?”
Me: “Yes, did she complain?”
Manager: “I wouldn’t have listened, anyway; you go and finish your break. That woman is a real pain. I made the mistake of over-helping her on her first visit and now she expects it every time.”
(From then on, if we heard the words, “[Customer] is in,” we made ourselves scarce and hoped she didn’t find us. The staff member she did find was always sent on an extra break to recover.)
This story is included in our Lunch Break story roundup!
(One of my friends owns a small computer shop. He’s retired but he started the shop a few years ago just to keep busy. The shop is doing well and he has a fair number of regulars that visit the shop for computer parts and advice. One day while I’m just visiting him a man comes in and walks to the counter. My friend walks to the counter. Before he can say a word the customer says:)
Customer: “DDR4, 16GB.”
Owner: “SSD, 256GB”
Customer: *looks puzzled and repeats* “DDR4, 16GB.”
Owner: “Modular power supply unit, 850 watts.”
Customer: “What’s this?”
Owner: “I don’t know. I thought you wanted to play a game where we just yell the name of random computer parts.”
Customer: “No, I want a DDR4, 16GB memory module.”
Owner: “I have them, but I’m not selling you anything. If you can not commit yourself to dealing with people in a civilized manner, then I don’t want you as a customer. I’m sure you’ll find your way out. Bye.”
(The customer exits the store without a comment. My friend shakes his head and says to me:)
Owner: “I had to deal with this kind of people before I was retired because it was my job. I’m retired now so I don’t have to deal with them anymore.”
(At our store, we often have chores that take us away from the counter, so we leave a bell for customers to ring if the counter is unattended. I am at the counter serving a customer and two more in the queue when a woman bypasses the queue, walks up to the bell, and hits it. She’s had to walk around the customers to do this.)
Me: “I’m sorry, but you will need to join the queue.”
Customer: *blank look* “But I was told that I would be served if I used the bell.”
Me: “There are other people who were here before you; please join the queue.”
Customer: “I was told to ring the bell and someone would come to serve me. Where’s the person who’s going to serve me?”
Me: “I am right here, but I need to finish with these other customers first. Please join the line.”
Customer: “But I rang the bell.”
Me: “It makes no difference; please join the line.”
Customer: *looks up as if she’s only just seen the other customers* “Oh, there’s a line; do I join it?”
