They’re Not Special And Neither Are You

(This takes place in a well-known Australian supermarket. Our store takes online orders for people at home. My job is to pick items off the shelf and place them in crates on a trolley. Each crate has a name and a corresponding address. Each item is bagged and tied by hand in plastic bags.)

Customer: “Excuse me.”

Me: “Yes?”

Customer: “Are these items on special?”

Me: “No, these items are for online customers. They are not on special.”

Customer: “Okay, then.”

(The customer then wanders off to a different part of the store. My next item requires me to leave my trolley to find an item that’s out of stock. This takes no longer than five minutes. As I return, I hear the following conversation with my coworker.)

Coworker: “Excuse me, what are you doing?”

Customer: “These were on special! I’m taking them.”

(I walk around the corner only to find that the customer from before has taken EVERY SINGLE ITEM out of its bag and into her own trolley. This is well over 100 hand-picked and bagged items.)

Customer: “He told me they were on special!”

Me: “I did not. I told you they were for online customers.”

Customer: “Liar! You’re just trying to steal them and keep them for yourself! I bet you don’t even work here!”

Me: “I do work here because my shirt has the [Store] logo on it. Also, the trolley clearly advertises who I am shopping for. Online customers! Not specials!”

(Thankfully, the customer turned around and left in a huff. I spent the next hour rescanning and bagging the items.)