Your Sub Attitude Is Sub-Standard

(A coworker and I are working late night when an older man comes into our sandwich shop. We’re both 20-something, and he’s in his 50s.)

Me: “Hi, welcome to [Chain]. What can I get started for you tonight, sir?”

Customer: “I’d like the meatball sub, darlin’. The one on your sub of the day menu?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any meatballs right now. We stop serving those at nine.”

Customer: *haughty, and clearly used to getting his way* “Well, it’s on your menu; why don’t you have it all day?”

Me: “Because we close at ten, and doing it that way makes clean-up easier. I can heat up some meatballs for you, but it will take about ten minutes.”

Customer: “Forget that; I’m not waiting! You know, I drive all the way from [Town that isn’t that far away] for a sub, and you don’t even have meatballs!”

Me: “I’m really sorry to hear that, sir. I can make a different sub for you, if you want.”

Customer: “Will it be the same price as the sub of the day? Discounted?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t do that, either. It’s set up in the register in such a way that I can’t, and I might lose my job if I override the price without manager approval.”

Customer: “I want your manager now! Where is he?” *points to coworker* “Is he your manager?”

Coworker: *confused, and not at all liking the customer’s tone with me* “Sir, no, I’m not the manager. She only comes in during the morning shift. If you’d like, I will buy you whatever sub you’d like, out of pocket, using my employee meal discount.”

(After several minutes of discussing politely as we can, and a lot of yelling on the customer’s part, we give him the phone number for the manager and he leaves… but not before a final parting shot. He gets up close as far as the sneeze guard will let him, and jabs a finger at me.)

Customer: “You’d better learn some manners, girl, and some respect for your elders, because I have been nothing but nice to you, and you are being incredibly rude.”

Coworker: *looks at him in disbelief*

Me: “With all due respect, sir, you are the one who has been incredibly rude to me, and to my coworker, even after he offered to pay for your meal.”

(My coworker and I had a good laugh about him all night, after he stomped out in a red-faced huff. We called our manager to let her know about the incoming angry customer, and she told us not to worry about it. We never saw that customer again.)