When The Customer Has You Cornered

During the summer between my second and third years of college, I worked at an ice cream place. A customer comes in and had a look on her face that tells me she thinks she’s better than me. She’s with her granddaughter.

They approach the freezer, and she barks at me:

Customer: “My granddaughter wants a large of that one in the corner.”

She nods her head to the second freezer. Now, bear with me here, because a freezer is rectangular and has four corners. The names of the ice cream are clearly indicated, and usually, if people can’t see those, they’ll identify what they want with the colour and a more precise location.

I wager my best guess, point at one corner, and ask:

Me: “This one?”

Customer: *Angrier.* “No! I said the one in the corner.”

Okay, then, one down, three to go.

I point to the opposite corner.

Me: “This one?”

Customer: *Irate.* “No! Are you an idiot?!”

I look at her and take a deep breath. I point to another corner.

Customer: “Finally!”

I scoop it up, walk over to the cash, and give her her total. She throws a pocket of change on the counter and leaves. She was short.

We had to pay the balance out of our tips (we really didn’t make that many tips).