I used to work in a little thrift store. Mostly we had very low prices, especially for clothing; we were lower than any of the other thrift stores in town. This was simply because we got so much clothing donated and had so little space to put it that it was more profitable to sell it inexpensively as quickly as possible. We set one price for each type of clothing — for example, all T-shirts were a dollar — so we didn’t have to spend money or time tagging them.

This brings us to the lady with the two-dollar skirt. I was putting out clothes on the racks, aiming for our usual level of minimally disorganized, when this lady held up a long skirt to show me.

Me: “That’s very nice!”

Customer: “Well, I was just thinking about getting it because I have a pillow I want to recover, and if I went to a fabric store, this much fabric of this quality would probably cost me $18.”

Me: “That’s quite clever! It’s lucky you found a skirt you like that has enough fabric!”

But I didn’t think much of it and continued putting out the rest of the clothes I had.

About ten minutes later, the cashier asked me if I would watch the desk for a couple of minutes while she went to the bathroom, so I happened to be sitting there when the lady with the skirt walked up and set it down.

Customer: “I was wondering if there’s any flexibility on the price? Because I’m just going to use the fabric and it seems like a lot to just use some of the fabric.”

At first, I thought she was joking, and then I realize she really didn’t recognize me as the person she had just spoken to and was quite serious. I just laughed.

Me: “Really? You just told me that this was at least $18 worth of fabric and what a great buy it was.”

There was a moment of stunned silence as she actually looked at me and realized that I was the same person, and then a rather defeated, “Oh…”

My friend and I like going to thrift stores and just looking around, even if we’re not going to buy anything. One day, we notice a very nice wedding dress and I decide to try it on. I pick it up and start walking with it to the changing rooms. I happen to look into the dress and see a large spider. My idea of a large spider is about two inches long, and I have severe arachnophobia. I freak out.

The attendant comes over and pulls the spider out.

Attendant: “It’s just a spider, dear.”

It may be just a spider, but it is in a dress that I was about to try on. No one wants to wear a spider dress.

Before Halloween, I was shopping at a thrift store for pieces of my costume before a party. As I was sifting through the pants, a middle-aged woman burst through the doors and began screaming so loud that the entire store could hear. She pointed at a poor woman who was checking out items and accused her of stealing her clothing.

Apparently, the woman had left a blue striped blouse and a pair of pants hanging off the side of a shopping cart before she left the store for a few hours. She didn’t ask the cashiers to hold her items, so they were up for grabs at that point. After wagging her finger in the poor customer’s face and trying to take the clothes by force, the woman decided to harass an employee about it.

Woman: “THOSE WERE MINE! I CLAIMED THEM AND SHE STOLE THEM! GIVE THEM BACK!”

When the employee told her that she couldn’t claim the clothes if she left the store without paying, she began to stomp around and went ballistic. I happened to be looking her way, and being the first person she saw, the woman decided to harass me.

Woman: “ARE YOU SEEING THIS? MAKE HER GIVE THEM BACK! STOP WORKING AND GET MY CLOTHING BACK!”

I calmly told her that I wasn’t an employee, but she didn’t stop.

Woman: “YOU CAN STOP THE THIEF AND YOU’RE STANDING THERE? I WILL CALL THE COPS IF YOU DON’T TAKE MY CLOTHES BACK! DO YOUR JOB!”

The lady checking out the “stolen clothing” yelled:

Cashier: “She doesn’t work here!”

At that point, the store manager told the woman that she needed to leave the store immediately as she was causing a disturbance. The woman was resistant but eventually left after having a conversation with the manager. The employees apologized to me about the incident.

At least I got the pants.

I work in a thrift store and mostly handle the toy and games department. It’s unfortunately very common to see game boxes strewn around where the tape around the lid has been peeled off by customers. Today, I catch one in the act; a man is peeling off the tape from a poker set.

Me: “Sir, please do not remove the tape. All the inside contents are checked by me personally and I can tell you, it’s a complete set.”

Customer #1: “But I put the tape back! See? So no harm done!”

He smiles as he presses the tape back, but it’s obvious it doesn’t really stick anymore.

Me: “Yes, harm is done. I have to take it to the back and re-tape that now, or else the lid gets loose and what’s inside will fall out easily.”

Customer #1: *Still smiling* “No, it doesn’t! I put the tape back! Just like that, see? I just wanted to check if it’s complete!”

Me: “It’s still policy to leave the boxes shut, if you please. Like I said, the items are checked before going on a shelf.”

The man grumbles and puts the set back. A woman approaches me with another game. The box is partially see-through and contains a plastic penguin figure. 

Customer #2: “Good thing I heard you talking to that man! So, can you open this box for me to see if it’s complete? There are supposed to be playing cards in here but I don’t see them!”

Me: “I will also assure you, it’s complete. I remember that game and also wondered where the cards were, but at the bottom of the penguin is a little drawer slot that contains the cards. If it weren’t complete, it wouldn’t be on the shelf.”

Customer #2: “Well, I really want to make sure! Can you please check for me?”

Me: “Ma’am, it is checked. It’s all there.”

Customer #2: “I don’t believe you! What if I take it to the register and check it there?”

Me: “If you plan to purchase it, you can do with it as you wish after.”

Customer #2: “No, I won’t buy it if I don’t know for sure if it’s complete!”

She threw the box back on the shelf and left in a huff.

A woman comes into my thrift store with her young teen son with a whole bunch of stuff to buy.

Customer: “Hello, I’d like to buy these.”

She plops some items on the counter in front of me. I’m internally bracing myself because she sort of has an aggressive tone of voice. You know the kind: the one where a customer is TELLING you how they think things are going to BE, not how things are going to go according to reality. I’m a little surprised but I hope I can diffuse any anger involved.

Me: “Sure thing. Oh, hey, it looks like you got the color of the month! Any item with a yellow tag is 50% off!”

Customer: *Still very direct* “Oh, good. Let’s see what else we have.”

We find that most of the items she has selected are discounted.

Customer: “Ring these up, please, and tell me how much it will cost with all the discounts applied.”

I start to get the feeling that something is odd here. Her tone is still very abrupt, but she just said “please.”

I total her up and we find out that the unexpected discount means that she can afford a lot more than she thought.

She turns to her son and in the exact same direct tone of voice, tells him to run back and grab the comforter, a pair of pants, and a jacket that they had put back. He responds equally directly, flashes me a friendly smile, and goes sprinting off.

It’s at this moment that it clicks for me; she’s not an angry customer, she just doesn’t really “get” tone-of-voice or subtle suggestion. It’s all completely direct and to the point.

I relax internally, all at once. I help her sort through the stuff she’s buying, then begin to ring. 

Me: “[Item #1], this one is discounted. [Item #2], not discounted. [Item #3], discount. Okay, we’re up to [amount] now. Are we still within budget so far?”

Customer: *Still directly* “Yes. Can you tell me out loud what the cost of each item is as you ring, please? I’d like to keep track as we go.”

Me: “Sure. Is there a limit we want to try to keep under?”

Customer: “Thank you. I’d like to keep under [higher amount].”

We went item by item, checking in with the total after each item to make sure we didn’t go over her budget. She got a small number of very nice blankets and one thick comforter, and she was able to afford the jacket and pants for her kid. Then, she was happily surprised to find that she could just afford to buy a jacket for herself. 

She only missed out on one or two small, non-essential things, and I was complimented on how nice I was and got thanked several times for being so helpful.

I’m just glad that I was on-the-ball enough to catch on and realize that nobody was going to be angry or try to get someone fired out of spite, and that it was just the way she communicated.