From u/Nonoh8 Tales From Retail:

So I work in a place that sells big bags of animal feed usually weighing about 15-25kg each and I’m happy to lift such bags as I’ve been trained how to do it safely and efficiently and I’ve gotten pretty strong since I started working here.

However, I hurt my shoulder playing tennis recently and I’ve been unable to lift bags this week which is fine because we have a few carts/trolleys as a service without using a token or a coin to free it from a bay like in most stores.

I think it’s a nice touch and it makes it nice and easy to transport bags. Most customer just grab a trolley and do their own thing.

But if it’s a smaller bag I usually have no problem grabbing it and moving it to the register for a customer but as I’m hurt I’ve had to decline and get a trolley which usually takes a few seconds more and as we all know, humans aren’t a very patient species for the most part.

Today I’ll be ME and irritated lady will be IL.

IL: hey can you grab that bag for me?

ME: Sure thing just let me run and get a trolley so I can help!

IL: (irritated scowl) can’t you just lift it?

ME: I actually have a bit of an injury but I can go get-

IL: Can you call a supervisor or someone ABOVE you?

She kind of spat the word above at me and I was kind of shocked. It was such a sudden change to her or something? So I just nodded and walkied my shift manager who is henceforth SM.

SM: Hi there is everything ok here?

IL: Your employee here refuses to get me that bag!

SM: My COWORKER here has a small injury to her shoulder and can’t lift heavy bags like this but we can pop it onto a trolley for you and have it brought up to the desk-

IL: BUT THAT WILL TAKE SO MUCH LONGER, oh my god HERE let me do it!

(What like calling my SM didn’t take twice as long too?)

She proceeds to rip the bag off the pallet and as such tears a huge hole in the bag which of course makes this feed go everywhere.

IL: (starts LAUGHING) now you have some real work to do! (As she’s walking off still laughing)

My SM did want to make her pay for damaging merchandise but instead we rang HQ and they told us just to copy her image from the cameras and not allow her in anymore. They also allowed us to use the the damaged bag for free samples for customers’ pets!

Our security guy had a field day cuz nothing like this has ever really happened and he really enjoyed chasing her down and telling her she had to leave and not come back lol

--u/Nonoh8

--u/Scrumpy7

From rara623, Tales From Retail:

I work in a pet supply store. The other day, a customer with a pug came up to me with a harness and asked if I had it in an extra large.

M: I think the biggest that one comes in is a large, let me just double check though.

So I had a look at the size guide tag on the harness. Sure enough, comes in XXS-L. No XL.

M: Yeah, sorry, it doesn't come in XL.

C: Oh, so you have to order it for me?

M: No, I can't order it, sorry. They don't make it in an XL. I can definitely help you find a different harness that will fit your dog though. Have you tried the large? I can help you fit it. I'd be really surprised if it was too small for a pug, it's meant for a larger dog.

C: No, I need the extra large. You ordered it for me before, the one he has is extra large.

M: Yeah, that's actually a different brand and that one has been discontinued, unfortunately.

C: Can you please order the extra large?

M: No, look at the tag here. It only goes up to a large. They don't make an extra large.

C: Can you please order it for me?

M: I'm sorry, I can't order something that doesn't exist. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.

And with that I walked away, because I was pretty sure it was never gonna end.

--rara623

From Roush14

From ReginaldVSSircee, Tales From Retail:

This just happened yesterday. I work at a fairly popular feed store chain as one of the key holders. While working what I call the gravy shift (10-6), I get this phone call for a special order. From here, we will refer to this lady as SUEL(Stuck-up Equine Lady)

SUEL: Hi I need to place a special order for my horse food

Me: Okay! If you don’t mind, I’m going to need to place you on hold for just a minute while I finish helping a customer in store

SUEL: Well why did you answer if you aren’t able to help me immediately? That seems terribly rude to your customers who call

Me: I totally agree ma’am, however I am the only other person currently working other than my cashier so I am doing the best I can. Like I said, I will be back momentarily

~30 seconds later~

Me: Okay! Sorry about that wait, what feed is it you need us to special order?

SUEL: Well finally, I’ve been waiting for 5 minutes. I need insert popular brand special diet horse food here 

Me: okay how many did you need?

SUEL: 8 ~meanwhile I’m pulling the feed up on our store website, as I’m pretty certain I have it already~

Me: Okay! Actually, it appears my other manager has already special ordered this for you and it is in.

SUEL: Well how is that possible? I didn’t call?

Me: Well ma’am, if you/a customer habitually has us special order a certain horse feed, we preemptively set it up on a regular schedule that you seem to be following so every 4-5 weeks from what I’m seeing.

SUEL: so what you’re telling me is it is old feed.

Me: umm. No ma’am. What I’m saying is your horse feed is already here, probably gettin here this Wednesday, which means you are able to just come and pick it up at your earliest convenience.

SUEL: how dare you just assume I would want it again? For all you know, my horse could have died since I last called.

Me: and if that were the case ma’am, you have no obligation to purchase the feed we ordered for you. Many other customers get this for their older horses, so it wouldn’t be a problem on our end

SUEL: well you know what they say about assuming stuff.

Me: yep. I do. Luckily this isn’t one of those cases. Like I said, the feed is here, come and get it when you are able to

SUEL: starts screaming profanities at me about how I’m a presumptuous bitch and such 

Me: OKAY WELL HAVE A GREAT DAY click

Why be upset? Like we have he feed you needed and now you don’t have to wait 2 weeks for it to get here???

--ReginaldVSSircee

From GwanThwei, TalesFromThePetShop

I work at one of the larger chain stores and have been with this one for about a year and a half now. Among the many, many things i've seen from our customers, one thing I notice is that some of them don't seem to think that we have things we need to do.

Around the time school was getting out, I was working the closing shift and we suddenly had a LOT of calls coming in. I asked the MOD if we had some sort of sale of adoption event going on, only to be told we were simply getting a lot of prank calls. I've heard some of these before and so I knew what kind of things to be listening for, but unlike one of my co-workers I didn't have the time or the patience to play along with these Bart Simpson Shenanigans.

I decided it would be best if I quickly answered any 'concerns' as quickly and as nicely as I could before hanging up. Luckily for me, it was only a small group of girls making those calls, mostly from one phone.

Before I get too much farther it's important to know that when someone calls the store any staff member can pick up, and that when you answer you say a scripted phrase to let the customer know what store they've called, where that store is and which employee they're talking to. I will be Me and whoever I'm talking to will be Prank Caller, or PC.

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: Do you guys sell any Buffalos?

Me: Nope, just your standard pets here. If you'd like a Buffalo I'd suggest talking to Yellowstone and see if they can help you out. Sorry! >click<

-------------------------

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: Yes Hello, do you guys sell any Chicken Potatoes?

Me: Nope, all our animals are sold as pets, not food. I'd try calling a restaurant in the area and see if they serve those. Sorry! >click<

-------------------------

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: >click<

Me: Well okay then!

-------------------------

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: Is this (name)???

Me: Yes it is! What can I help you with?

PC: Oh.. hey, uh...how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever, we need to hang out again!

Me: That would be great!

PC: I'll call you later okay? Bye (name)! >click<

-------------------------

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: (NAME)???

Me: Yep, same as before!

PC: Oh uh...I was thinking of a different (name). We still need to hang out though!

Me: That sounds good! Let me know what time works for you! >click<

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Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: Do you sell any Tigers?

Me: Nope, just your standard pets here. We do have cats to adopt, but if you're looking for a tiger I'd try contacting the Zoo to see if they can help you out. Sorry! >click<

-------------------------

Around this point I realize that the name that comes up on our outdated store phones for all of these calls is the same one. The next time we get a call I answer it in my Quick Draw Mcgraw fashion and get ready for the kill.

Me: Thank you for calling (store), this is (Me), how can I help you?

PC: (deep, obviously fake voice) Hey there, sorry about all those calls asking for Tigers. What I'd really like to do is give you some Relationship Advice - are you dating anyone right now?

Me: Actually I'm taken and I'm very happy with who I'm with, but thank you.

PC: Oh..

Me: Before I let you go though, I think there's something you should know. Caller ID has been around for a while now, and even though our store phones are outdated by at least 5 years we still have it, and so we can see who's making all of these calls.

PC: Oh......okaythanksbye >click<

-------------------------

Remarkably enough, that stopped it for the rest of the day, and I still haven't seen that name come up again. With any luck they've moved onto something else to waste people's time with.

--GwanThwei