Three Is A Crowd

(I am standing by the till whilst my managers are having a private meeting. Since I can handle the shop floor on my own because it’s not a big store, they’re confident leaving me alone sometimes. A customer walks by with a dozen ladies’ tops in her hand and three skirts. She goes towards the changing before I stop her.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to leave some tops out here. It’s only three items at a time.”

Customer: “Well, what do I do with the rest?”

Me: “Well, the book rail is in front of you. You can hang the tops on its ridges, and when you are done with one, you’ll only need to reach out and replace one top with another.”

Customer: “But that means I’ve got to try on the top, take it off, come out, get another, put it on, take it off, and replace it again. That’s too much effort! Can’t I take them all in?”

Me: “No, you can’t take them all in, because it’s three items at a time. It’s company policy. All our shops employ it.”

Customer: “Well, other shops on this street don’t!”

Me: “We’re not other shops. This is [Business] and our company policy is three items at a time.”

Customer: “You’re a little s***, you know that?!”

(I stayed quiet and bit my tongue before she hung the tops and skirts up like I suggested and started to try them on. In the end, she only bought two tops.)