I cashier at a high end grocery store in an affluent part of the state. I have been there over three years and am a familiar face to many regular customers. One women has been coming in a few times a month or so and sometimes comes to my register. She is extremely obese and as long as I have known her she has been working to lose weight. She told me recently that she had lost over 100 pounds and continues to follow what ever regimen she’s on. I was sincerely happy for her as I know it’s been a journey. My words were ” you look fantastic! Keep up the good work!” She later returned to my register and yelled at me for what I said. Apparently I implied that she was still fat and needed to lose more weight! ( In my head -at least another 100lbs lady. ) I was rather hurt, as I take my job seriously and would never be disrespectful to a customer. Can’t win sometimes!

(I work and the customer service desk of a grocery/retail store. When a customer drops money or forgets change, we log it in a binder at the desk and enter it in the till as “money found”. They can claim it with a receipt. If they know when they lost it but don’t have a receipt, we can check video footage)

Customer: (speaking very quickly) I recently had a heart attack and just got out of the hospital but a couple of weeks ago I left behind $40 at self checkout and I talked to the girl down there and she said she brought it up here but I just had a heart attack and I’m wondering if you can help me out.

Me: Okay, sir. Let me just check our log book.

(I go get the binder and open it up on the back counter and begin to look through it. I realize that the customer has walked around to the back of the desk with me and is trying to see the list. I turn the binder away since customers are not supposed to have access to that information.)

Me: The only record I have of $40 left behind is from two months ago…

Customer: Yeah, that was me.

Me: You said two weeks ago. I have nothing from that time frame.

Customer: It could have been months. I had a heart attack.

Me: I understand, sir, but that $40 has already been claimed.

Customer: Oh, are you sure? I thought I saw something in there from a couple weeks ago for $40.

Me: Sir, this log goes back six months and the only instance of $40 has already been claimed.

Customer: Are you sure? It could have been further back. I had a heart attack.

Me: Yes, sir. I’m sure. Do you have a receipt? We could check camera footage for you.

Customer: Oh… no I don’t.

Me: Is there anything else I can help you with?

Customer: Well I also lost my phone, a gold chain, and a gold bracelet. Do you have a lost and found?

Me: Yes we do. What kind of phone?

Customer: Black.

Me: Yes, but what brand?

Customer: Oh, ummm… Samsung?

(The lost and found drawer is right in front of me, between me and the customer. At this point, I’ve figured out his game. I open it just enough to see in, trying to block the customer’s view. He leans over, trying to see in the drawer.)

Me: I don’t have any Samsung phones in here. (I pull out the lost jewellery bag, which I had thought was empty, to show I’m not lying) And it looks like we don’t have any lost jewellery. Oh! Except this one ring. Anyway, was there anything else I could help you with?

Customer: I also lost a ring. (He tries to see what the ring looks like as I quickly put the bag back in the drawer.)

Me: Mhmm. And what does your ring look like?

Customer: Well it was gold. Umm. With some black. And a pattern on the side.

Me: That doesn’t sound like this ring. And it was turned in yesterday, when you were in the hospital.

Customer: Well it could have taken them that long to find it!

Me: Excuse me just a moment.

(I went and told a supervisor that I had a lost-and-found fisher, someone who tries to get free stuff out of our lost and found to go pawn. She told me to get rid of him and followed me back in case I needed help.)

Me: Unfortunately, sir, that ring has been claimed. The person who lost it called yesterday and will be in tonight to pick it up. They have a picture of it in their phone. Is there anything else I can help you with?

Customer: I don’t believe you. I’m not trying to do anything. I just want my ring.

Me: Is there anything else I can help you with?

Customer: No. (Leaves)

Sorry this is a long one; this isn’t even half her crazy but I need to rant.
An older woman walks into the restaurant that I am a hostess at and tells me that she picked up a take out order about 3 hours ago, but thinks that she left her grocery bag (from another store) in the restaurant. I tell her that no one has seen such a bag and she leaves.
A few minites later, she returns, saying that she had gone to the other stores in the plaza and they did not have it either and asked to talk to the manager to confirm that we didn’t have the bag.
When the manager agrees, the woman leaves again, seeming a bit exasperated by the loss of her bag but as customers came in I lost track of her reaction.
Half an hour later, she walks back in, sees me and shouts, ” I dont want to talk to you, you’re too stupid to help me!” and proceeds to yell that she wants to talk to the owner. She shouts and raves to our manager (our incompetent owner wasn’t in) and then threatens to warn people about our dishonesty and refusal to help costumers. I am very confused at this point but quickly realize she is still talking about her missing groceries, claimong we were hidong them from her and didn’t want to give it back. When the manager tells us all to just mind our own business in hopes that the woman would calm down, she proceeds to go around to each table telling then that “this isn’t the first time this has happened” as my manager informs us that she has never been seen in the restaurant before today. She finally quiets down after we call the police and sits besides a man waiting for his take out order. She asks me to give her some business cards to pass out to her neighbors and warn them and, pissed, I gesture to some and tell her to take them herself, I wasn’t going to help her. She proceeds to tell me that she knew it wasn’t my fault and that I shouldn’t be mad at her (remember she called me too stupid to help) and tried to sweet talk me but stopped when I kept ignoring her. The police finally arrive, and she has the audacity to claim that we, a restaurant owned, managed, and run by almost entirely Asians, including me, were discriminating her because she was Asian, telling the Caucasian officers that they wouldn’t understand. She then claims that the manager refused to ever talk to her, that she only wanted to make us see the error of our ways and that she didn’t even want her stuff anymore, that the owner was a coward and hiding ( we told her he wasn’t in), and also that that she had never gotten her takeout order (from 4 hours ago). As I had the most interactions with her and my manager’s English was poor, I told the officers what happened and we had video evidence, and the police realized she was lying. 1 1/2 hours after she came in the first time for her bag, the police finally escorted her out much to the relief of the staff and patrons.

Side story about the man waiting for take out: I ended up personally packing his order and passed it to the manager to take care of payment. He pays but doesn’t leave. I ask him if needs something and he replies that he was waiting for his order. I was confused as I had seen the order go out to him but the only other person there was the crazy lady and I didn’t want to get involved in case she had taken it so we made another order for him.

I carried a microwave to a customer’s car. Upon reaching it, she discovers that one of her children has closed the boot. She opens it again and finds the child hiding I the boot. She called him a d*ckhead in a friendly manner.

A customer is returning a large outdoor patio umbrella that is broken.
Customer: What should I do with this?
Me: Just set it on the counter, I can grab it once we’re finished.
Customer: No, it’s much too heavy, is there nobody else to help you?
Me: It’s fine really; I can handle it.
Customer: No, it’s too heavy for you and besides, your hand is already injured.
*My hand is bandaged up due to an infection, not from an injury.*
Me: Ma’am I assure you I can carry this with ease.
I pick it up with my one “good” hand while she stands there staring.
Me: Wow, my puppy weighs more than this.
I then haul it away while she continues to just glare at me.