Will Have You Out In A Flash (Drive)

(I work as an associate in the copy department of a multi-department store. In my town, customers think that they are better than anyone because they have money, and they frequently like to cause scenes.)

Customer: “I want you to print something off of my flash drive. The file is called [file].”

Me: “Sure thing. It will just be a minute.”

(I go to my computer and plug in the drive. After searching for the file, I can’t locate it anywhere on the flash drive.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t seem to find it.”

Customer: “What do you mean, you can’t find it? Let me see.”

(I plug the flash drive into a computer closer to him so he can see that the file is not on his flash drive.)

Customer: “It was on here! You deleted it! Why did you delete my file?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, you could have unplugged your flash drive too quickly and not have allowed it to finish saving. But I assure you, I did not delete your file.”

Customer: “Yes, you did! Every time I come here, I get treated like s***! This is ridiculous! What are you, [ableist slur]?”

(The customer is now being very loud and screaming in front of other employees and customers. I am near tears; I have a mentally-challenged uncle and so find this customer to be very offensive.)

Me:  “I’m sorry—”

Manager: *comes running over* “What seems to be the problem here?”

Customer: “You clearly have a [ableist slur] working here! She can’t do anything right, she always treats me like s***, and she deleted an important file off of my flash drive!”

Manager: “Are you okay?”

Customer: “No! I am not! I am very upset!”

Manager: “Actually, sir, I was talking to my associate. I want you out of my store!”

Customer: “You can’t throw me out!”

Manager: “I beg to differ! I have it on security cameras showing you verbally harassing her. Leave before I call the police and have charges pressed against you!”

(The customer storms out.)

Me: “[Manager], we don’t have security cameras.”

Manager: “What that b*****d doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

(That customer never came back into our store again. I don’t think he ever realized that we don’t have security cameras, or anything that even resembles a security camera. I never respected my manager more than I did that day.)