My girlfriend is excited about a job interview she has at our favourite sub shop. I decide to go with her on the promise that if she takes me, I’ll buy her a sub. 

She gets in and we go separate ways. She’s in business attire, and I am in casual — not a good look, so I sit on the other side of the store.

Interviewer: “I’m glad you applied; you really look like a great fit for the store! Now, we offer eighteen-hour shifts seven days a week, and we can provide an area in the staff room to sleep in if you want to do overtime and don’t have long until your next shift.”

Cue me waving my arms around and shaking my head.

Girlfriend: “That… that doesn’t sound legal?”

Interviewer: “Oh, it isn’t! Aren’t you willing to break the law? Even to work for us? We’re the best!”

Girlfriend: “No, I don’t think I’d be willing to break the law for a job.”

Interviewer: “Then this interview is over and we have no further business to discuss.” 

We left.

I work for a privately-owned franchise of a global sub sandwich chain. The owner of our restaurant is a woman, but her name is much more commonly used for men than for women. As a proud business owner in a small town, the owner has a sticker on the front door that says, “Proudly Owned and Operated by [Owner’s Full Name]”. She also takes absolutely no nonsense from problem customers, and she always has our backs. In short, she’s a great boss.

I’m helping at the counter one day, mostly running the register but sometimes doing veggies and sauces if things get busy. A man I’ve never seen before walks up to the front door, stands there for a moment clearly reading the owner’s name, and then walks in, gets a sandwich made, and gets to the register.

Me: “Would you like a meal today, sir, or just the sandwich?”

Man: “I’ll get the meal, and I know the owner. He said I could get this for free.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but only the owner can authorize that, and she’s not here today. Would you like a meal or just the sandwich?”

Man: “Listen… This place is owned by [Owner’s Full Name], right? I’m his cousin, so he said I could get lunch on him when I’m in town. Are you going to follow his orders, or should I call him up myself?”

Me: “Sir, you need to listen carefully. Only our owner, [Owner’s Full Name] can authorize that, and she is not here today. Did you hear me that time?”

Man: “I’m going to call him and—”

Me: “No, you’re not going to call him. [Owner] is a woman and always has been. If you knew her at all — and especially if you were her cousin — you would know that. Now, would you like a meal or just the sandwich?”

The man gapes at me in confusion for a few seconds, and then, he finally catches on to what I am saying. He grumpily pays full price and sulks out the door.

When I tell our owner about it the next day, she laughs.

Owner: “Good job not letting him walk over you! The only time you should ever give anyone a ‘friends and family’ discount is when I am standing right there, in person, telling you it’s okay. Otherwise, you have my full permission to shut customers down however you need to. I’ll support you if a customer tries to complain.”

That kind of thing is why I enjoy working here.

I work in a sub shop and it’s half an hour before closing. We have a different discounted Sub Of The Day every day.

Customer: “Can I have a [Sub Of The Day]?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we’re out of the ingredients to make that sub.”

Customer: “Oh! Then you have to give me anything I want at the same discounted price!”

Me: “That’s not how it works, sir.”

Then, he called me a b**** and said he’d be calling the police and having me arrested.

I did not get arrested.

I was working in a sub shop, and our card reader stopped working. We put up four signs saying, “Cash only, card not working,” on the front door, by the order glass, halfway up the walkway, AND on the register, along with a piece of paper on the card reader that said, “Out of order”.

A woman came in and ordered a very, very intricate sandwich. She got to the register and took out a debit card.

Me: “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but our card reader isn’t working; we’re doing cash only.”

Customer: *Angry* “I never carry cash! You should have signs up!”

And my coworker — who’d put her two weeks in already and was very tired of rude customers — walked around the corner and counted out each sign very loudly and then turned to the woman.

Coworker: “But of course, ma’am, we’re very sorry we didn’t put any signs up,”

She left with a very bright red face. Her daughter came in ten minutes later laughing and paid for the sandwich with cash.

I am a manager at a sub shop chain. We were serving a customer who just started ordering when another customer came in and interrupted to ask what the sub of the day was. This got my hackles up because he was rude about it.

I then looked up and noticed a car parked in the mobility parking space directly in front of our big glass doors. I asked the interruption customer:

Me: “Is that your car, sir?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Do you have a mobility parking permit?”

Customer: “No, I broke my back, and I can’t walk that far.”

Me: “You need a permit to be allowed to park there.”

Customer: “I’m still waiting for it to come.”

Me: “It’s illegal to park in there unless you have a permit. You need to move your car.”

Customer: “I’ll just get my food and then I’ll move it. It’s only going to be a couple of minutes.”

Me: “No, you need to move your car now.”

The man then planted his feet and dropped his shoulders almost like a three-year-old who is not going to do what you asked.

It sucks, but we can’t actually do much to make people move from those parking places other than ask them to move. The tow truck would take too long; they would already be gone by the time the tow truck got here.

I decided to say the only thing I could in this situation. I did a lot of theater in high school so I know how to project my voice without yelling.

Me: “Sir, we will not be serving you unless you move your car.”

He spun around (like only someone who has an intact back could do) and stomped out like a big man child, threw himself into his car, and sped off like someone was chasing him.