Tales from Retail

It’s short but my first day working at a crafts store I got yelled at by an old lady who got pissed that a buy 3 get 3 free sale on buttons wasn’t working right and even with my manager pulling up to the register to try and calm her down the old lady did the whole “I’m NEVER COMING BACK” spiel and I’m just in awe at this poor excuse of a human being. It’s been five months and I’m still not over that .

I can bring a few submissions from my journey as a retail worker, one time I was folding clothes for this lady and putting them in her bag and she told me to just not fold the clothes. I stared up at her blankly and then she was like "OH are they watching you... if so never mind" and I just nodded. She kept her kid at bay and she was thoughtful as to me getting in trouble, I love it.

Friendly reminder that this blog is not dead! I will post more once I get some submissions in.

I work at the airport and we run all of the gift shops. One particular night I was in a late closing store and everything was pretty okay that day.  The dude and his wife were checking out and everything was dandy. He left his change, two pennies, and he specifically stated it was for the next person who's short on change.  No problemo.  He gets back in line to get some danishes and I tell him his total. He hands me some change, I enter it into the system, and give him back his exact change.  Between how quiet he spoke and his thick accent, I wasn't sure exactly what he'd said but he was miffed that I didn't use those pennies so he'd get back whatever change he wanted. A quarter or something instead of some other loose change.  He gets miffed, his wife just wants him to take the damn change and go. He mutters and walks off. I tell him, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that." He ignores me and keeps walking.  Now..I'm a pretty compliant person. I'm more likely to just shut up and let a customer complain if it'll get them out sooner and I don't like confrontation at all. I have this fear I'll lose my job or get written up.  I was so fed the hell up though.  I called after him, "I didn't quite hear what you said to me." and at this point he's at the exit (ten-ish feet away from me so the store is hearing me passive aggressively telling this guy that if he's gonna talk shit, say it to my face.) He came back and explains his issue with the pennies.  I tell him that if he wanted me to use the pennies, he should have said something.  I understand that a lot of other cashiers might do this by habit or by nature or whatever, but I'm dyslexic so I go strictly by what I am given and what the computer says I owe back. I don't mess around with trying to round things up or down and to my knowledge, no cashier is required to round up or down with their loose change and nobody should just assume they will. When people leave me change for the next short change person.  I.Use.The.Change.For.The.Next.Short.Changed.Person. Not to round up or down people's payment so they get back a certain amount of change or certain coins.  So he was basically ass miffed that he didn't do what he assumed I would and as a result, he got back six coins instead of one. I know. The horror.  I told him I could give him his quarter if he'd wait until my next cash transaction but they left so whatever. Policy dictates we are not to use the No Sale button to open the register unless given permission by a manager or a manager is there to do it themselves. There are very rare instances where we can override that policy and 'this change is accurate but not in the form I prefer it to be' is not one of them.  I know it sounds like I'm being difficult, but it's not because I'm a jerk. I'm a total doormat when it comes to laws, rules, policies etc. mostly to keep my own ass covered if shit hits the fan and to keep things running smoothly.  I had this issue with a lady before who didnt' like that the bill she received in her change had been taped back together.  I told her about the No Sale policy and that she'd have to wait for my next cash transaction.  Well she wanted to talk to my manager.  Fine, just let me ring up this innocent bystander.  NOPE.  She literally used her arm to block him and told him she's next or she wasn't done or whatever.  Like that doormat that I am, I called my manager who was busy doing way more important things. He ended up leaving instead of putting up with that needless wait. By the time my manager got there, somebody else had come up and they were paying cash (the guy she blocked was using a card) so this lady let me check them out. My drawer opens as my manager comes in, making her visit totally moot now.  I felt bad because the reason was stupid to begin with but she wasted her time crossing the terminal for no reason now.  Folks It all spends the same.  I promise. 

I’m not sure if this really counts because it’s not even that bad and it’s not technically retail either? Anyways, I’m in Boy Scouts, we do a lot of volunteering. One day I’m serving food at charity dinner. I go to a counter, retrieve a few (burning hot) plates, and give them to people. This one lady had a roll of bread in the exact centre of her placemat. I ask her to move, she ignores me. I’m like 5’2, scrawny, obviously pretty young. I’m definitely not strong enough to carry these many plates for a long time. And she’s still not moving the bun. So I use the edge of her plate to slide the bun away and place her plate down, nearly dripping all of mine. Thanks, random ass lady. (sorry for spelling mistakes I’m writing this on a cracked phone)

Have you ever had to explain sales tax to an adult before? I did. And she was angry that her item didn't come up exactly $9.98--I don't control how the state taxes your rolls of scotch tape, Ma'am.

Just so everyone knows, this blog isn't dead, I just don't get any submissions!! Submit your stories!