(We go to a very popular chain restaurant. We order our food, but when it arrives, a 99-cent taco is missing. I go up to the cashier and tell her that a taco is missing. She tells me they will get it right out to me. We wait. Nothing. We finish our food and still no taco. I go up to her again.)

Me: “Ma’am, I still haven’t gotten my taco!”

Cashier: “We can make it now; I am sorry.”

(Given that we have finished our food and they still have not even made the taco, despite our previous complaint, I am in no mood for it.)

Me: “You know what, ma’am? I am done with my meal, so if you can just issue me a refund for the taco, I would appreciate it.”

Cashier: “Oh, let me give you a refund of 99 cents, all right? That will take you far!”

Me: “Actually, yes, please. I work hard for every dollar, unlike you. Since you couldn’t do your job and make a taco that I paid for, I can help you do your job by making you give me refund. Thanks.”

(I walked out and swore to never go back again.)

(I am a customer. As I am walking into my local store, I notice a giant, hand-written sign on their door, all highlighted. Apparently, the card readers on their pumps are down, customers need to prepay inside, and they are sorry for the inconvenience. There are also notices on all the pumps. I am in line when I hear this exchange:)

Customer: *to cashier* “Are your pumps broken, or what?!”

Cashier: “No, sir. They just can’t take payments at the moment. I’ll be glad to prepay for your gas here.”

Customer: “Ugh, fine. You really should put signs up, though.”

Me: *chortles to myself*

Customer: “What?!”

Me: “Um, there’s a huge sign on the door saying that.”

Customer: “Nobody reads those! There should be signs on the pumps!”

Me: “Sir, I didn’t even buy gas and I noticed the signs on the pumps.”

Customer: “Shut up.” *followed by the evil-eye and silence*

(I don’t know how the staff can keep it together like they do and keep from slapping the stupid out of people.)

(I am new to a department that assists local banks with repossessions. It is my first day on the job and I’ve been told only to file paperwork, and that my training will begin tomorrow. I have been bombarded all day with people calling my new office extension asking to speak to the manager. I’ve been simply transferring them to her office. I get a call from a young lady who is hysterical, having just had her car repossessed.)

Caller: “[Manager] told me to talk to you. What do I do?!”

Me: “Um… Hold, please.”

(I call the manager.)

Manager: “Yeah, I didn’t feel like talking to her. Just tell her what her rights are.”

Me: “But I don’t know what they are.”

Manager: “Figure it out!”

(I ended up Googling consumer rights in my state for people who have had their vehicle repossessed and reading it off to the girl. My second day went about the same, and I ended up quitting.)

(I work as a shift leader for a fabric store. Toward the end of my shift, I go to the office to finish the paperwork for a few orders. I’m seated at the computer finishing up an email when my general manager enters the office to start her shift. The office is also where we store custom orders when they come in, so they don’t get confused with regular stock. A few items are standing in one corner waiting for pick-up, clearly marked.)

General Manager: “Hey, [My Name]! How’d today go? Did the truck come in okay?”

Me: “Afternoon, [General Manager]. Not bad, though they didn’t include the new holiday decorations that were in the inventory. I was just putting through a couple of custom orders before I head home.”

General Manager: “Oh, okay. Sales are good?”

(By now, she’s put her purse away and has started shuffling around the custom orders in the corner.)

Me: “A bit slow, but not the worst we’ve had this week.”

General Manager: *suddenly annoyed* “[My Name], why aren’t these on the floor yet?”

Me: “Pardon?”

General Manager: “These rolls, they’re the restock for the home decor, right?”

Me: “No, they’re custom orders. The customers haven’t picked them up yet, but I called them this morning and left messages that their fabric was in.”

General Manager: “So, why aren’t these on the floor?”

Me: “Because they’re not for the floor; they’re custom orders that are waiting to be picked up.”

General Manager: “Oh.”

Me: “Anyway, I’m going to clock out now.”

General Manager: “So, why aren’t these on the floor?”

Me: *exasperated by now* “Because we can’t sell them!”

General Manager: “Why not?!”

Me: “Because they’re custom orders, and the customers already paid for them, and they would be pissed!”

General Manager: “Oh.”

Me: *still exasperated* “Is that all?”

General Manager: “I guess.” *muttering under her breath as I leave*

(I didn’t work another shift for two days. When I came back, the assistant store manager informed me that the general manager had put the custom orders on the floor, despite what I had told her, and despite the tags plastered on the rolls with the customers’ names and phone numbers. One roll had been cut by the time the customer came to pick up her fabric, and she was understandably furious. From then on, the general manager had nothing to do with custom orders.)

(In the heyday of the video rental industry, I work at one of the largest national chains. As a big-time film geek, I can often figure out what title an individual is seeking with only the most basic of information.)

Customer: “Hi, I’m looking for a movie, and that guy over there—” *points to coworker* “—says I should talk to you.”

Me: “Okay, maybe I can help. Is it a new release or an older film?”

Customer: “What do you mean?”

Me: “Did it come out recently, say, in the last year or two, or is it older?”

Customer: “Why does that matter?”

Me: “Well, that will give me some insight as to where it is in the store.”

Customer: “Well, I don’t know when it came out.”

Me: “Okay, can you tell me what it’s about?”

Customer: “Not really. It just looked good.”

Me: *trying a different tactic* “Do you know who’s in it?”

Customer: “It’s that girl. The one that’s in all those other movies.”

(I can feel my blood pressure rising.)

Me: “I’m afraid I’ll need a little more information than that. Do you know her name, or what other movies she’s been in?”

Customer: *shakes her head* “No. Your coworker said you could help me.”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, I’m trying, but you’re not giving me much to work with. Can you give me some idea as to what the movie is about?”

Customer: *groaning* “It’s about a girl who goes home.”

Me: *just taking a stab* “Is it Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael?”

Customer: *seemingly appalled* “No! I don’t even know what that is! Look. Are you going to help me or not? I’m looking for that movie. It’s about a girl who goes home!”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but that could be any number of movies on our shelves.”

Customer: *shouting* “No, it couldn’t! It’s about a girl who goes home, and it’s got that girl who’s been in those other movies! You’re no help!”

(And with that, she stormed off.)