Whack Friday

Craft Store | Right | March 5, 2017

(I work for a popular chain of craft stores. A few weeks before Black Friday, we will hire a number of seasonal cashiers. The girl in this story is sixteen, and this is her first job, so she is somewhat nervous. As she’s ringing up a customer with an overstuffed cart, the customer is complaining away, until it turned into outright abuse.)

Customer #1: “This is taking too long. Why do you need her—” *gesturing to me* “—to come help you every five seconds? Are you stupid?”

(I was the Front End Supervisor, and the registers required my key to punch in a large number of the same item, rather than making the cashier have to ring them up one by one.)

Me: “I’m sorry for the delay, ma’am, but there are eight registers and only two supervisors.”

Customer #1: “Did I ask you? I don’t think so. This girl is an idiot. She has no business manning a register.”

(She continues on like this, until I can tell the poor cashier is almost ready to cry. Behind her are a group of young women who have been waiting patiently. Finally, one turns to another. Both speak very loudly, intending to be overheard.)

Customer #2: “I guess you win the bet.”

Customer #3: “Which one?”

Customer #2: “That we’d get stuck behind a whiny a**-hole before six in the morning.”

Customer #3: “I know, right? It’s like she’s never shopped on f****** Black Friday before.”

Customer #4: “Somebody needs a binky and a nap.”

Customer #2: “Or the stick pulled out of her a**.”

(By this point, I’m about two breaths away from cracking up entirely. Customer #1 has gone very quiet, and is completely red-faced. She pays and scurries out with her cart. I reassure the poor cashier and send her on an early break, taking over the register for her.)

Me: “Thank you for that. That was everything I wished I could say. I can’t actually throw people out unless they start swearing.”

Customer #2: “No problem. I hate people like that. Tell that poor girl we thought she was doing a great job.”

(I later did, and the relief on the girl’s face was a wonderful thing to see.)

This story is part of the Black Friday 2022 roundup!