That’s why I had to quit Kmart. I was constantly breaking down in tears at work-I just couldn’t fucking do it anymore.
I used to work retail (at a video store that shall not be named). Not my worst horror story, but definitely one of the weirder ones.
So, well dressed lady comes in the store, waving a tape in the air.
Lady: Check this in for me! You can’t give me a late fee!
Me: Umm…er…::beep:: … it’s two days late. Hmmm…
Lady: No! Take that off right now! You can’t give me a late fee!
Me: I’m sorry, ma’am, but –
Lady: NOOO!!! He will KILL ME! My husband will LITERALLY KILL ME! IF YOU DON’T TAKE THAT OFF MY BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS! DO YOU WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DEATH?!?!
Me: ::shock::
Lady: ::throws tape at me:: ::leaves in a huff:: I HOPE YOU’LL BE HAPPY WHEN YOU SEE ME IN THE OBITUARIES!
Me: ::wtf?::
I think the thing to keep in mind here is that assholery plays no favorites. For every asshole clerk, there is an equally assholish customer. They are equally and randomly distributed throughout the universe, ensuring that each and every one of us experiences the maximum number of assholes possible in our lifetime. This is the Karmic Law of Assholery. When an asshole customer and an asshole clerk are paired, the sum of their assholishness will be proportionately equal to the sum total of non-assholishness within that given store. Thus the balance of the universe is restored. 
So I worked a Hollywood video before I went off to college.
One afternoon a guy and his daughter walked in.
They wanted to rent movies and needed to open an account.
I needed to see a valid photo ID with their current address.
So the guy slowly filled out the form as my eyes glazed over and I watched the little mermaid for the 18th time that week on the screens at the back of the store.
He then gives me this filled out card and his driverslicense. Without even looking at either I say, “If your drivers license doesn’t have your current address I’ll need to see ANYTHING with your name and current address on it. A bill, buisness card something”.
“Well my drivers license doesn’t have my current address on it.”
(Nice to know you listened)
“Do you have any bills, bankstatement or ANYTHING with your name and current address on it.”
“Can’t you open the account?”
(You do realize I still get paid even if you burst into flames and died right in front of me?)
“I’m going to need to see a credit card”
(He shows me a credit card and I start filling out the credit card information)
“You can’t legally do that! (yelling and jerks the card away)”
“Ok, then I can’t open this account, I’m sorry” (I tear up the piece of paper, take the movies from him and say) “Next!”
(His mouth opens and closes a few times) “You can’t do that! Do you know who I am!?” (His daughter looks very embarassed)
“Well, since you don’t have an account you can’t rent movies and therefor you aren’t a customer. Goodbye. NEXT!”
“I want to speak to your manager”
(I point to my boss who was grinning like an idiot) “Knock yourself out”
(I help 4 or 5 customers as my boss talks to the guy, he eventually goes outside and comes back with gasp a power bill with his current address. By this time I’ve helped 14 customers and the line is gone. My boss and the guy comes back and is now going to open up an account.)
“Colin, (my boss says) ok check the address against what’s on his membership registration form.” (The form I tore up and trashed)
“Sir, you’ll have to fill out a new form.”
(The guy turns purple) “He tore it up!”
“Yes I did, you didn’t meet the requirements for membership, and the form contained personal information. Destroying the form is the only RESPONSIBLE thing to do.”
“Sir, we’ll fill it out for you later.” (My boss)
(I enter the information, check his ID again and get his movies out. When filling out the account I enter the following in the member notes that flash up when you scan their card. “This guy is a flaming assnugget, don’t cut him slack on late fees.” My boss reads this as I type it and nods to me. I get the guy his membership cards and start to check out his movies, my boss who knew what was going to happen next goes on a smoke break.)
(See, at hollywood video, new account members can only have 2 new releases. New releases run 300-800$ a tape depending on how popular the movie was. Captain Asshole has 3 new releases and 2 old movies.)
“Sir, as you are well aware, since you’re standing infront of one of the MANY signs in the store, new accounts are only able to have 2 new releases out until their account has been established, which is normally after 10-20 rentals.”
(I slap the 3 new releases on the counter infront of him)
“Pick one to go back.”
(the guy gets pissed and turns purple again but picks the two he wants, I ring them up and give him his movies)
“These are due back <whocares?>”
“You really think I’ll bring these back after how I’ve been treated?”
“Sir, it would be almost an ORGASMIC experience if you failed to return these movies. Not only do we have your driverslicense number, we have your car’s plate numbers, your SSN, and the video camera above me has reccorded everything you’ve said, including your threat of theft. And since in your hands you have almost 2,000$ worth of Hollywood Video property I think you may face felony charges, in addition to damage to your credit rating.”
(the guy leaves now even more pissed off, he stops to talk to my manager but he says something like, “I’m on break” and the guy leaves. I reenter the guys account and change the name on it to Captain Asshole, (at the suggestion of my boss).)
See, you need to keep in mind that the Hollywood Video I worked at was open for the SOLE purpose of taking buisness away from a blockbuster a few streets away. Corperate was waging a war with blockbuster over the City of Redmond, they were using the profits from nearby stores to counter the HUGE losses (we lost 50-80k a month) simply to take away a handfull of rentals a week from the Blockbuster. We did eventually force the blockbuster to go out of buisness. But as a result, corperate didn’t give a damn about ANYTHING that happened at that store. We were already on extended hours (open 3-4 hrs later than any other HV nearby, and we were the only one with full dresscode enforced).
This also ment that we didn’t take ANY shit from customers. And we actually had a pretty loyal following from our regulars.
dippin dots, I relate. My name is Ashlee, and more than once (while filling out applications for a store) I’ve been at the receiving end of “Ashlee? Oh, you’re one of those yuppie kids, ain’t ya?” Ha ha…so funny. :rolleyes: At least we escaped the wrath of names such as Brittanie and Kiaylieah (something I’ve seen as an actual substitute for Kylie). I don’t have any real customer horror stories to tell, but I will agree that general service has taken a nosedive from bearable to barely so lately.
MsRobyn I am a hostess at a Restaurant (O’Charley’s actually) and while many people want to put their children in filpped over high chairs, we have baby slings that allow you to set the baby carrier in the sling, and if you chose, buckle them in. Mainly because turned over high chairs can be a little bit scary to have a child in. Or, many people if they can, will slide the baby carrier into the booth next to them. That also works.
The place that you visited should think about getting baby slings if they don’t want to make things difficult.
Also on the flip side of things.
One day while another hostess and I were working, there was a wait. While the restaurant was not full, there were only 2 servers on the floor, due to the fact it was the beginning of the shift. One of the ladies waiting to be sat, came up to us and the conversation (if you can call it that) goes as follows:
Lady: Excuse me… why am I having to wait?
Other hosstess: Because there are only 2 servers on the floor with 4 tables already, also, because there are tables waiting ahead of you
Lady: Well I think that’s dumb and you should think about running your business better
OH: Yes Ma’am I understand. We are really sorry about this, however, there is still a wait unless you want smoking which is empty right now
Lady: How can you offer smoking to me? I asked for Non-Smoking, and that’s what I want.
She then goes off to scout the restaurant for open tables which was useless, because we keep track of open tables at the hostess stand.
As she leaves our manager approaches the stand and the OH whispers to him, “That’s a mean one.” This “Lady” must have heard this because she says “Bitch” really loud, and kept on walking. We were in shock.
Our manager went and talked to her and I am unaware of the outcome.
Jenny* always friendly. 