We Have A Petite Problem Here

(I work at a large, well-known department store. A middle-aged woman has been stubbornly ignoring me every time I politely tell her that the plus sizes she wants are upstairs in the women’s department, and has continued uselessly shopping in the misses department, getting more and more frustrated.)

Customer: *brandishing a blouse at me* “Where are the larger sizes for this?”

Me: “That’s an XL, ma’am, which is the largest size we have in misses. We do have that brand upstairs in women’s, so we might have that same blouse or something similar. Would you like me to check for you?”

Customer: *scowls and walks away*

(A few minutes pass, and she comes back waving around another blouse, still looking angry.)

Customer: “Why don’t your clothes come in larger sizes?! I need this in a bigger size!”

Me: “Ma’am, the misses department goes from XS to XL, and 2 to 18. The larger sizes are all upstairs in the women’s department. We have a lot of the same brands up there, so I’m sure we can find you something you like.”

(The customer harrumphs and leaves again. For some inexplicable reason, she starts shopping in the petites department. After a while, she storms up to me again, clothes draped over her arms.)

Customer: “Why are all your clothes so small?! I need these in a bigger size!”

Me: “Ma’am, this is the petites department, so the clothes are going to be smaller. The larger sizes are all upstairs in the women’s department.”

Customer: *scoffs dramatically and dumps the clothes on the floor* “FINE! I’ll just go find something to wear in juniors.”

(She charged off towards the teenager section, leaving me with a pile of clothes and a dropped-open jaw.)