(I’m a 23 year old female cashier. I’m almost deaf, and I’m left handed at a register normally made for right handed people, so it was kinda clunky. My customer is an older black woman.)

Me: your total is (total).

Customer: do you use the chips?

Me: yes, we use them. Just stick it on in.

(After two tries, the register declines the card, suggesting she contact the issuer of the card she used.)

Customer: I have another card in my car. Can I grab it?

Me: No problem.

(Five minutes later)

Customer: I found the card, but this is embarrassing. Why’d you make it so difficult? Why didn’t you tell me you take the chips?

Me: … I did, ma’am.

Customer: no, you said to swipe it. I know I have money in my account! See?!

(For a reason out of my control, the same card worked. I later found out she called her bank while she was out.)

Me: I said before though that we use the chips. It couldn’t have been declined without you inserting the chip first.

Customer: you really need to provide better suggestions to your customers! This was so embarrassing! If only you told me you used chips!

(I ignore her and she leaves)

Next customer: ummm… what was that? Does she think you personally approve or decline cards?

Me: I’ll believe anything at this point.

(I found out she called to complain later, but my manager told her exactly what I said, so we joked about it.)

I work on take out at a popular restaurant chain. We have a new thing going where customers can get what’s called a pasta station. It comes with all the pasta and sauces and toppings and stuff individually so they can mix and match their own plate. On top of that we give all the set up stuff like wire racks, pans, heating pieces and that kind of thing.

So i get in in the morning and we have an order for a pasta station for 30 people. Now this is a ton of food. I’m talking 6 huge trays of various pastas, 8 trays of sauces and 9 trays of toppings and 3 jumbo salads. In total i had about 10 massive bags for the entire order. The pick up was for 12 and since i open at 11 i only had an hour to get it all together. So long story short i ran around like a maniac trying to get it all done since i was the only one on at the time.

At almost 12 on the dot my manager gets a phone call from the lady who ordered saying that she will be anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours late. I’m a little annoyed but i relax since it gives me more time to finish getting everything together. As the morning continues i had hardly any orders so that means no tips coming my way. Finally at 2:30 while i’m trying to help another 3 customers the lady finally shows up. I am very helpful and put off my other orders to get her all together. I wrangled some of my coworkers to help bring everything to her car and she seemed really happy with everything. I go ring her in and her bill is about 450$. She leaves and i check the receipt, no tip.

I was so pissed off i wanted to punch her in the face.

(I work at a seasonal Halloween store, and we do an annual donation drive for childrens Hospitals. The customer has come up to the register and he looks antsy)
Me: and how much would you like to donate to (local hospital)?
Man: Ah, how about this *puts 30 dollars on the counter* put the change into your little charity.
Me: ok, would you like your- um, Sir?
(I trail off because he is leaving, without taking his recipt or even before I can process his payment. Since he didn’t fill out his donation sticker, I wrote in “Dude that left before I could give him his recipt or finalize his payment”)

The store I work for recently sold cake moulds in the shape of numbers.
Customer: ‘I’m returning this moulds. They don’t have a number 9. That’s just ageist.’
Me: ‘Sorry ma’am the number 6 can also be used as a 9 by turning it upside down. That’s why there isn’t a separate mould for it.’
The lady glared and left the store with her moulds.

So I work as an manager for a popular Halloween store and we have a strict return policy that only allows returns on a such date. For instance returns are no longer accepted a week before Halloween. Exchanges are fine just as long as the it’s for the same costume or another costume of equal to greater value.

Tonight my associate approached me asking me to explain to a customer we can not accept her returned item.

Me: Hello.

Customer: ” Hi, I bought this just last night and I didn’t try it on until I got home, and I realized I don’t need it.”

Me: “Well, we stopped accepting returns last Friday I can only offer you an exchange of a different item for the same price or greater.”

Customer: ” Well I don’t need anything else.”

This same conversation continues on for about 15 minutes. The customer constantly tries to stare me down and looks like she’s on verge of wanting to choke me until I submit to her request. She begins to ask why we don’t accept returns and I proceed to inform her on our company’s procedures and policy.

Customer:” You really can’t do anything?”

Me:” I’m sorry, not unless you want to exchange.”

Customer:”But I don’t need anything. That’s fine I’ll just dispute it.”

Me:” You go ahead and do that. Is there anything else can do for you.

Customer hastily replies no and walks away angrily.

Me: “Well have a good night.”

I thought it was an odd threat because I know she won’t get her money back because under credit card company policy and federal law a customer can not plea for a chargeback just because they weren’t satisfied with an item.