This Isn’t How Stores WORK

I’m a shift supervisor at a small store in a small mall. We have a regular that comes into the store. She routinely is a pain and is very entitled. Her favorite thing to say to excuse her demands is, “I deserve [whatever] because I spend lots of money here.” This particular incident is her most insane and entitled visit to our store yet.

[Regular] came in and approached me as I was stocking some shelves.

Regular: “Excuse me. I need tissues. I’m very sweaty. I’m a runner, you know.”

Me: “Hi, ma’am. Unfortunately, we don’t have any to give to customers due to [the health crisis]. However, there is a public bathroom across the hall that is open where you can freshen up. Or you can purchase some purse tissue or wipe packs.”

Regular: “No, I am a regular customer here. I’ve already spent enough; I don’t need to buy it.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t have any tissues to give you. You will either have to grab some from the washroom across the hall or buy some.”

Regular: “But I’m a runner! You really should have some available for customers like me!”

She then walked away, and I turned back to my shelf before I heard the sound of a lot of wipes being pulled from the dispenser. We had some sanitary wipes for wiping carts at the entrance and exit of the store. I walked around the corner to see [Regular] pulling wipe after wipe from the dispenser and putting them into a bag. We have a store policy that is posted on the dispenser that the limit is two wipes per customer.

Me: “Ma’am, please, you can’t take all those. Those are for customers to clean their carts with. Please stop taking so many.”

Regular: “I’ve spent hundreds of dollars here! I deserve a few wipes!”

She then stormed off further into the store, so I guess that got her to stop after all. I went back to the shelf and was left alone for around thirty minutes before I got a page to the cash.

I went up to the front and I saw [Regular] there looking pissed off and my cashier looking confused.

Cashier: “Hey, sorry to bother you, but could you check the price of this? This customer says it should be on sale.”

I looked at the product and recognized it as a product that was on sale last week as part of a promo.

Me: “I’m 99% sure this was on sale last week, but I’ll go double-check to make sure the tag is correct.”

I checked to see and the product she wanted was not on sale; however, a smaller version was. I came back and informed her as such.

Regular: “No, I don’t want that one! I want the big one! It was on sale last week, but I couldn’t come by and get it, so can I just get the sale price now?”

My cashier and I looked at each other before I responded.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but that’s not how sales work. Do you have a raincheck receipt?”

Regular: “No, I wasn’t able to come by! Just adjust the price! I spend so much here! I’ve paid all your wages, so just discount it for me!”

Me: “I’m sorry but I can’t do that. The sale ended last week. You will have to come back next time it’s on sale.”

Regular: “Let me speak to your manager! I’m friends with the owner! They always give me the most recent sale price!”

I did as she asked and called the store manager up to the front. He came up and heard what she had to say. To my glee, he said:

Manager: “The sale ended last week. You will have to come back when it’s on sale again.”

Regular: “Do you realize how much I spend here? I should get this on sale with how much I spend here! This place is corrupt!”

Manager: “I’m sorry you feel that way, but unfortunately, we cannot give you a sale price that is no longer applicable. Otherwise, we’d do it for everyone. Is there anything else we can do for you?”

Regular: “No! This is disgusting! I’m not spending that much!”

She then stormed out without buying anything.

What was the product she wanted? $3.99 toothpaste that was on sale for $1.99 last week. We had a smaller size of the exact toothpaste on sale for $0.99 that week. But no, she didn’t want that one.