The Age Of Accountability

I am still in high school but am now old enough to get a part-time job at the weekends in the town’s largest department store. I am assisting the checkout clerks in one of the departments, currently hunched over under the counter, when a customer (an older man) comes over and starts shouting at my coworker.

Customer: “I ordered these shoes from your website and they came in the wrong f****** size! Now I’ve had to come down here and waste my time because you guys f***** up!”

Coworker: “I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but please speak calmly. We will do what we can to fix your issue.”

Customer: “Don’t you f****** tell me to speak calmly you b****!”

At this point, I stand up and am almost face-to-face with the customer. He stops his rant and stares directly at me.

Me: “Oh, Mr. [Customer’s Name], so good to see you! I was just talking to [Best Friend] at school yesterday that I had got a job here, and she told me her dad is always coming in here. I’m so lucky I got to run into you on my first day! How are you? How is Mrs. [Customer Name]?”

Customer: *Suddenly very sheepish and avoiding eye contact.* “She’s… uh… she’s fine.”

Me: “Please tell her I said hi! Now, let’s have a look at these shoes, shall we? I can see these are a size nine. What size did you want them in?”

Customer: “…ten.”

Me: “Let me go grab those for you right away!”

I get him his shoes, apologize again for the online order mistake, and he quickly and quietly leaves. My coworker then turns to me.

Coworker: “What happened?”

Me: “That’s my best friend’s dad. I’ve always known he was one of those kinds of customers, but he always knows to behave around his wife and daughter.”

Coworker: “That was amazing! I hope you’re always working when he comes back!”

Me: “My best friend is quite popular, and a lot of us girls have started getting jobs all over town! I hope now that we’ve all reached the age of employment, he’s finally going to be held accountable!”

My best friend and both her parents came by the store to say hi the following weekend. My friend and her mom were very friendly and chatty. Daddy dearest didn’t say a word.

Side note: My coworker checked his online order number, and we discovered that he had selected size nine to begin with, so we hadn’t actually made a mistake!