Retail Hell Memories: Surprising Worst Customer Ever

Yes, it's Sales Agent Guy once again. 

I haven't been working much, so most of my things would be ranting and other things like that.  In fact, I regret to say that most of the memorable stuff happened a decade ago back when I was younger.  So I've decided to go back in time a little bitty bit to 2002.

RETAIL CASE #218

THE DATE: February 8th, 2002 (I think, I can't quite be sure.)

PERSONS INVOLVED: Young Couple (Young Gentleman and Young Lady,) Bagel Bitch (you'll learn why soon after,) Random Mother and her Children.

SITUATION:

It was just another afternoon at the store.  I was working the register with my fellow agents (OK, co-workers, but you get the idea!) and things were going fairly calmly for the day.  I was doing great since I'd just gotten my first tax refund, and it was quite a chunk of dough from Uncle Sam! I felt like nothing could kill my good mood.  So when Young Couple came to the register, this is what happened:

Sales Agent Guy: Hello, how are you?

Young Lady: Good.

Young Gentleman: Hey, could you open the shaving display for us? There's a razor I'd like to get.

Sales Agent Guy: Certainly, right this way.

(As I was passing by the photo drop-off booth, which has a sign saying that you have to wait in line to pick up your photos, a woman in a uniform for the nearby bagel shop calls me by my name.)

Bagel Bitch: Hey, Agent! Can I please have my pictures?

Sales Agent Guy: Sorry, but you have to wait in line.

Bagel Bitch: Oh, come on!

(I  heard her calling to the next cashier to hand her her photos.  I doubted that she wanted to steal them, she probably just wanted to see them without having to wait in line.  Nevertheless, I brushed it off and went to get the shaver for YL and YG.  I get back to the register and process the transaction.)

Sales Agent Guy: Thank you very much, have a good evening.

Young Lady: You too!

(As soon as they're gone, a woman in her thirties or forties, Random Mother, comes up with her two children, most likely about 7-8.)

Sales Agent Guy: Good even-

(Suddenly Bagel Bitch cuts in front of them.)

Bagel Bitch: Excuse me please. [to me] Hey, what's the big idea brushing me off like that?

Sales Agent Guy: Ma'am, it's stated that you have to wait in line for your pictures.

Bagel Bitch [now starting to get angry]: What are you talking about? Are you s***ing me?! [she hurls a few curse words at me before RM tells her to shut up, only to have BB tell HER to shut up. Now she's really mad.] WHAT THE F*** IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU [n-word]?!

(From that point on, for the next couple of minutes, she lays into me using every swear word she can think of, and yes she dropped the n-bomb several times, even though I'm Caucasian.  I attempt to calm her down or tell her to stop, but she's not having it.  At one point she even drops this lovely gem.)

Bagel Bitch: I'm more American than your f***ing ass!

(This comment most likely stemmed from the fact she was Hispanic.)

In the end, by the time my manager got up there, the bitch was long gone.  I had kept a calm poker face the whole time, and gently reassured the children that she wouldn't be coming back.  To this day, I have no idea what her problem was, unless she was either drunk or trying to pick a fight.  And to think, that's the worst customer encounter I've ever had in my life time.  At least off the top of my head.

That's all for this report.

--Sales Agent Guy

 

Comments

[The Last Archimedean]

I'm surprised someone didn't call the cops on her. Sounds like her brain snapped.

[Sales Agent Guy]

Everyone was too busy focusing on her outburst. I tried paging a manager to the front, but by the time they got there, she was gone.

[Queer Geek]

I would have the manager call her workplace (especially since she had the uniform on) and talk to her manager or the owner of the bagel shop concerning her behavior. Let her know she's know longer welcome at the store due to her behavior.

[Sales Agent Guy]

Unfortunately, QC, that was 10 years ago. Thankfully, I haven't seen her since. I should've spoken to my manager about it, but at the time, I was more concerned about ensuring the kids that she wouldn't be back.