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Hello everyone! I just lucked across this website a few days ago, so I'm pretty new.
I actually work at a boutique-style cosmetics store that sells high end stuff like Stila, Bourjois, and Bare Escentuals and "cheap" stuff at our store starts at about $15.00. Even though I live in a very diverse area, situated near a large city in the midwest, the region has been going through a gentrification process in which a lot of white, upper middle class people have been setting up suburbs, strip malls, and car dealerships as far as the eye can see.
Although our store is frequented by young women, high school girls, college women, and working women, our "average" customers are women in their 30s-40s that have never worked a day in their respective lives. Most of our employees are working through college, some, including myself, already have degrees and are paying for grad school and the money these women waste on stupid stuff is astounding ($800.00 of Urban Decay? Who needs $800.00 of Urban Decay? Certainly not 13 year old girls!).
Our SCs totter through the door in four inch heels (even if the snow is six inches deep outside), wearing their bug-eyed sunglasses (Paris Hilton style) and clutching their Coach and Louis Vuitton tote bags full of useless crap. Since these women are predominately white, we will find complaints about how the "ethnic makeup" (i.e. Iman) clogs up valuable retail space "better suited" for more Smashbox. I hope this is the same person filling out this complaint, but it happens so often, I have to wonder.
If you've ever wondered where Entitlement Whores "spawn", it's stores like mine since there are always children of EWs aplenty. These kids will demand service from the employees; I actually had a ten year old throw a hissy fit two days ago because I was unable to help her pick a shade of $9.00 nail polish that she could wear with her yellow flip-flops to the beach. I mentioned that bright shades are in style right now, led her to a OPI Brights display,and went to help yet another customer. This girl actually bellowed that "my mom says that you have to help me pick one out."
In the interest of brevity, I'm just going to mention on of our most common SCs: the "But You Used To" archetype:
I've read a few stories here that have dealt with this particular SC, but ours will actually transition from their "little girl" voices (listen to Paris Hilton talk. Seriously, it's so creepy to hear older women use that voice) to adult voices before all out shrieking.
We recently remodeled, so our "but you used to SCs" are having a field day.
EW1: (thrusts a giant Frappuccino cup at me) Throw this away.
Me (or other coworker): I'm sorry ma'am, but we have no place for this, our garbage cans are for tissue and other paper products.
Note: our garbage cans are tiny ones and are stored in a small alcove that also houses the computer towers for the registers.
EW1: But you used to! (Thrusts cup at me more emphatically)
Me: Yes ma'am, but since the remodel we are unable to take food garbage. It tears the garbage bags and could leak onto the computers, which is very dangerous.
EW1: That's not my problem. You used to do it, so stop being rude and take this!
Eventually, we are forced to take the cups since otherwise we find them dumped unceremoniously in a corner, on the floor, or left on a shelf. Also, since it's a small store, the checkers can lock down the computer and leave the register to help customers. I hate doing this because the second I move away, the EW of the moment slinks out of a nearby aisle, Frappuccino cup in hand, and attempts to toss the cup in the alcove. Since they almost always miss the garbage can, and again, this is close to dangerous electrical currents, I have to actually run back to the register to "block" the customer from the garbage.
The worse thing? The Starbucks is less than 15 feet from our entrance, replete with TWO large garbage cans for all sorts of food garbage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my latest one, just happened today.
EW2: Where's your bathroom?
Me: I'm sorry, but we no longer have a bathroom open to the public.
(Note: this was a pretty heated debate at work, on the one hand, we did genuinely want a bathroom open to the public since some customers will spend two hours and $1000.00 in the store. However, we would have to clean it at least 2-3x a day, which is unbelievable for such a tiny store. Not to necessarily perpetrate a stereotype, but we rarely have men in the store, however, we would often find urine all over the seat and puddled on the floor. We suspected it was from women squatting over the toilet. Also, shoplifters loved the bathroom and we would find boxes in the trash can, along with a few Starbucks cups. Lastly, people would take makeup testers into the bathroom. Once these testers leave the sight and care of the employees, we can't put them back to be used since we have no idea what sort of grossness happened to the tester.)
EW2: But you used to! (Stomps foot) What am I supposed to do, you used to have a bathroom!
Me: (the patented Manda "dead fish stare"*) Yes, yes we did. (As if I am hiding the bathroom behind the counter or in my locker)
*I started using this technique to prevent my inevitable hysterical breakdown and to stop goggling at the stupidity of people. First, widen the eyes. Then, with mouth still closed, drop the jaw slightly. Blink slowly, once, then twice. If done properly, it shields the customer from verbal wrath and allows the employee a moment for composure before response.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A quick one that I just remembered from a few weeks ago:
A woman walks in holding a small, puffy dog.
Me: Ma'am, you can't have that dog in here, ma'am!?
EW3: (chats on cell phone, looks back, meets my eyes, and continues toward a display of $110 shampoo and conditioner. Hello, Pureology!).
Me: (finally catching up) Ma'am, you cannot have an animal in here, it needs to stay in your car or with someone outside.
EW3: (whining now) But other stores let dogs inside, I've seen it before.
Me: Yes ma'am, if the dog is a working animal, then we let them in.
EW3: But my dog is a working animal! (I eye the animal. I'm not a dog expert, but it looks like a teacup poodle with painted nails.)
Me: Ma'am, that dog is not what we would call a "working animal"...
EW3: (interrupts, yelling) Of course Minnie is! I'm a real-estate agent, and she comes to work with me all the time!
Me: (Dead fish stare) Thinking: Please tell me she's being funny and not serious.
Luckily, my manager came up as the customer started yelling.
As I walk away, the manager is herding the customer toward the door, and I hear words like "Unhygienic" and "health code" being tossed around.
I tell every coworker I see about this, giggle with them, then go about my duties. About an hour later, I hear a bell tone, which signals for another cashier. Since I'm nearest the wrap, I hurry up there, unlock a register, and look for the next guest. The cashier ("C") next to me, however, is ringing up SC3, sans Minnie.
EW3: (keeps leaning over to stare out the window) Sighs mightily, whimpers (I kid you not, I didn't know anyone over three could whimper), and taps foot impatiently.
C: Ma'am, I'm sorry for the delay, I'm just waiting for the receipt to print out.
EW3: Oh no, it' not you, it's just Minnie could die while I'm in here and I miss her.
I quickly look back, out the window to see Minnie happily hopping around inside a silver sedan and barking at two men seated at an outdoor table at the Starbucks next door. The weather is in the high fifties, and I'm assuming she's left the window cracked for the dog.
EW3 gets her receipt, then, with a parting glare at me, sprints out the door.
I have sooooo many stories about EWs, and I'm glad to have an outlet.
I actually work at a boutique-style cosmetics store that sells high end stuff like Stila, Bourjois, and Bare Escentuals and "cheap" stuff at our store starts at about $15.00. Even though I live in a very diverse area, situated near a large city in the midwest, the region has been going through a gentrification process in which a lot of white, upper middle class people have been setting up suburbs, strip malls, and car dealerships as far as the eye can see.
Although our store is frequented by young women, high school girls, college women, and working women, our "average" customers are women in their 30s-40s that have never worked a day in their respective lives. Most of our employees are working through college, some, including myself, already have degrees and are paying for grad school and the money these women waste on stupid stuff is astounding ($800.00 of Urban Decay? Who needs $800.00 of Urban Decay? Certainly not 13 year old girls!).
Our SCs totter through the door in four inch heels (even if the snow is six inches deep outside), wearing their bug-eyed sunglasses (Paris Hilton style) and clutching their Coach and Louis Vuitton tote bags full of useless crap. Since these women are predominately white, we will find complaints about how the "ethnic makeup" (i.e. Iman) clogs up valuable retail space "better suited" for more Smashbox. I hope this is the same person filling out this complaint, but it happens so often, I have to wonder.
If you've ever wondered where Entitlement Whores "spawn", it's stores like mine since there are always children of EWs aplenty. These kids will demand service from the employees; I actually had a ten year old throw a hissy fit two days ago because I was unable to help her pick a shade of $9.00 nail polish that she could wear with her yellow flip-flops to the beach. I mentioned that bright shades are in style right now, led her to a OPI Brights display,and went to help yet another customer. This girl actually bellowed that "my mom says that you have to help me pick one out."
In the interest of brevity, I'm just going to mention on of our most common SCs: the "But You Used To" archetype:
I've read a few stories here that have dealt with this particular SC, but ours will actually transition from their "little girl" voices (listen to Paris Hilton talk. Seriously, it's so creepy to hear older women use that voice) to adult voices before all out shrieking.
We recently remodeled, so our "but you used to SCs" are having a field day.
EW1: (thrusts a giant Frappuccino cup at me) Throw this away.
Me (or other coworker): I'm sorry ma'am, but we have no place for this, our garbage cans are for tissue and other paper products.
Note: our garbage cans are tiny ones and are stored in a small alcove that also houses the computer towers for the registers.
EW1: But you used to! (Thrusts cup at me more emphatically)
Me: Yes ma'am, but since the remodel we are unable to take food garbage. It tears the garbage bags and could leak onto the computers, which is very dangerous.
EW1: That's not my problem. You used to do it, so stop being rude and take this!
Eventually, we are forced to take the cups since otherwise we find them dumped unceremoniously in a corner, on the floor, or left on a shelf. Also, since it's a small store, the checkers can lock down the computer and leave the register to help customers. I hate doing this because the second I move away, the EW of the moment slinks out of a nearby aisle, Frappuccino cup in hand, and attempts to toss the cup in the alcove. Since they almost always miss the garbage can, and again, this is close to dangerous electrical currents, I have to actually run back to the register to "block" the customer from the garbage.
The worse thing? The Starbucks is less than 15 feet from our entrance, replete with TWO large garbage cans for all sorts of food garbage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my latest one, just happened today.
EW2: Where's your bathroom?
Me: I'm sorry, but we no longer have a bathroom open to the public.
(Note: this was a pretty heated debate at work, on the one hand, we did genuinely want a bathroom open to the public since some customers will spend two hours and $1000.00 in the store. However, we would have to clean it at least 2-3x a day, which is unbelievable for such a tiny store. Not to necessarily perpetrate a stereotype, but we rarely have men in the store, however, we would often find urine all over the seat and puddled on the floor. We suspected it was from women squatting over the toilet. Also, shoplifters loved the bathroom and we would find boxes in the trash can, along with a few Starbucks cups. Lastly, people would take makeup testers into the bathroom. Once these testers leave the sight and care of the employees, we can't put them back to be used since we have no idea what sort of grossness happened to the tester.)
EW2: But you used to! (Stomps foot) What am I supposed to do, you used to have a bathroom!
Me: (the patented Manda "dead fish stare"*) Yes, yes we did. (As if I am hiding the bathroom behind the counter or in my locker)
*I started using this technique to prevent my inevitable hysterical breakdown and to stop goggling at the stupidity of people. First, widen the eyes. Then, with mouth still closed, drop the jaw slightly. Blink slowly, once, then twice. If done properly, it shields the customer from verbal wrath and allows the employee a moment for composure before response.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A quick one that I just remembered from a few weeks ago:
A woman walks in holding a small, puffy dog.
Me: Ma'am, you can't have that dog in here, ma'am!?
EW3: (chats on cell phone, looks back, meets my eyes, and continues toward a display of $110 shampoo and conditioner. Hello, Pureology!).
Me: (finally catching up) Ma'am, you cannot have an animal in here, it needs to stay in your car or with someone outside.
EW3: (whining now) But other stores let dogs inside, I've seen it before.
Me: Yes ma'am, if the dog is a working animal, then we let them in.
EW3: But my dog is a working animal! (I eye the animal. I'm not a dog expert, but it looks like a teacup poodle with painted nails.)
Me: Ma'am, that dog is not what we would call a "working animal"...
EW3: (interrupts, yelling) Of course Minnie is! I'm a real-estate agent, and she comes to work with me all the time!
Me: (Dead fish stare) Thinking: Please tell me she's being funny and not serious.
Luckily, my manager came up as the customer started yelling.
As I walk away, the manager is herding the customer toward the door, and I hear words like "Unhygienic" and "health code" being tossed around.
I tell every coworker I see about this, giggle with them, then go about my duties. About an hour later, I hear a bell tone, which signals for another cashier. Since I'm nearest the wrap, I hurry up there, unlock a register, and look for the next guest. The cashier ("C") next to me, however, is ringing up SC3, sans Minnie.
EW3: (keeps leaning over to stare out the window) Sighs mightily, whimpers (I kid you not, I didn't know anyone over three could whimper), and taps foot impatiently.
C: Ma'am, I'm sorry for the delay, I'm just waiting for the receipt to print out.
EW3: Oh no, it' not you, it's just Minnie could die while I'm in here and I miss her.
I quickly look back, out the window to see Minnie happily hopping around inside a silver sedan and barking at two men seated at an outdoor table at the Starbucks next door. The weather is in the high fifties, and I'm assuming she's left the window cracked for the dog.
EW3 gets her receipt, then, with a parting glare at me, sprints out the door.
I have sooooo many stories about EWs, and I'm glad to have an outlet.
but I feel your pain. Wendy's does the same thing (recently including an entire line of actually healthy and delicious sandwiches) and even though they've been gone for over a year, we still get people insisting that they ordered them just the other day. 
Regardless, I became a puppy beacon whenever one came through. Good times! 
!!! That's better than half my pay for a MONTH, and some 13-year-old spoiled brat is dropping that much to tart herself up? The only things that should be that expensive should involve installation or construction!
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