So today I had my first noteworthy SC of the month.
Here's the cast of characters:
Me: Friendly neighborhood sandwich artist
SC: Hateful bitch
DC: Decent customer
DC2: Decent customer no. 2
CW: Co-worker
It was about 12:15 PM, we were getting slammed with a lunch rush (this is a Subway.) We're set up in a basic "assembly line", I'm starting the sandwiches (getting and cutting bread, applying the meat cheese etc, passing it down to get covered in veggies.)
We have a massive line, that in and of itself isn't even something that adds stress to my life anymore, we have massive lines pretty much all the time. Three little kids come up and order subs, I get their subs started and pass them down the line. Right behind them are two college-aged girls who, because of the length of the line had been waiting for about 7-8 minutes at this point.
Before I could greet them, a middle aged woman barges *THROUGH* them (literally knocks them out of the way without so much as a word said to them) and moves behind the three kids I had just serve--the middle aged woman also has two small kids in tow.
At this point, I'm about to tell her where the line starts, and am actually a little shocked that someone could be so lacking in etiquette as to push through a line like that without so much as a word to anyone else in the line. I was likewise surprised no one in the line had any words for her.
But, then she starts talking to the three kids in line.
SC: Alright, did you three get your subs? Okay, well I'm going to pay for them now.
Hearing this, I think, "Ah, she just came in to pay for their subs, she isn't really trying to cut line--and while it was rude to brush through people like that without so much as a word, at least she's not actually trying to cut line."
So I turn towards the first college-aged girl and ask her what she'd like. At this point, things get ugly fast.
SC: Hey! You missed us, we still have three more subs!
It is at this point that I realize, she intends to order a sub for herself and the two other kids. Well, to my mind, she just cut line. It's one thing if one person were to come in and order six foot long subs, and was later joined in line by the people whom the subs were going to. This was a different situation in my mind, three kids came in and ordered subs, this woman (either their parent or some sort of guardian) comes in and since she's buying their subs, wants to jump in front of the entire line of customers to order three more subs. I'm sorry, but once someone is at the "order here" sign, it is their turn. If this woman had come in by herself and ordered six subs up front, that would have been a bit annoying but aside from slightly inconveniencing the other customers, it wouldn't be a true misdeed.
So, I respond the only way that I feel I can.
Me: I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were ordering--but these ladies have been waiting in line for a long time, and were ahead of you in line, I'm going to get their orders first and then I will come back to you.
I made a concession here, namely that I would come back to her once I had finished the two people I was on--even though that would still be cutting some other people. The way I saw it, while she should have been sent straight to the back of the line, there would be less pain for all if I just dealt with her. BUT I still wasn't going to make her sub before the girl whose order I had just started to take--that girl was IN LINE and had started being served, at that point I have an obligation to her as a customer and wasn't going to stop her order in mid-stream just to appease this woman.
SC: BUT WE'VE BEEN HERE!
Me: Um, no, three of you were here. No one said that anyone else was coming, and there are a lot of people who have been waiting in line for some time for their food.
SC: BUT I'M THE ONE PAYING FOR IT!
Me: I'm sorry, but like I said, I'm going to take these two ladies orders and then I will get to you, you will just have to wait--they were ahead of you.
At this point, I decide I'm not going to argue with this woman. I've made my decision, and it's not a point of debate, if she wants to debate it with me she can do it sometime when I'm not in the middle of a wave of customers--or better yet never at all.
Me: (Turning to the customer who I had started to serve) What would you like today?
DC: Uh, (somewhat nervously) could I get a foot long turkey on wheat?
SC: (Screaming at top of her lungs) YOU DOUCHEBAG!!!!!!!!
Me: (Having gotten the bread out and started the sandwich) Alright, would you like cheese with that?
DC: Uh, pepperjack.
Me: Alright, would you like that toasted?
SC: WELL, WHAT IF WE JUST LEAVE RIGHT NOW?!?!? SHOULD WE LEAVE RIGHT NOW?? MAYBE YOU'LL LIKE IT THEN WHEN WE DON'T PAY FOR THESE SUBS!!
Me: (Looking at the second college-aged girl) Alright, and what can I get for you today?
DC2: Uh, footlong turkey on wheat. (Sidenote, 95% of college girls get turkey on wheat)
Me: Alright, and what kind of cheese would you like with that?
SC: MY GOD, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. (Now looking at her children, but speaking very loudly.) NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE FOOD, YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TO EAT ELSEWHERE, WE'RE PAYING FOR THESE SUBS AND THE REST OF US WILL HAVE TO GO ACROSS THE STREET!!!!!
DC2: Provolone, please.
Me: Okay, and would you like that toasted?
DC2: Yes please.
SC: (Now checking out and talking to the clerk at the register) I NEED TO TALK TO A MANAGER, IS THERE A MANAGER HERE???
CW: Um, (pointing at me) he's the uh, assistant manager.
SC: WELL, I NEED TO SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER!! (I'm typing this in caps because she was literally shouting the entire time)
CW: Um, he isn't in today.
SC: Well, what's his number?!?!?
CW: Well, I could go check.
Me: (To CW) Actually, we can't give out numbers, if someone needs to speak with the manager they need to come in Monday through Friday before 2 PM. Or they can speak with the owner Monday, Wednesday, or Friday before 5 PM.
SC: [Unintelligible outrage].
I really have no idea what she said here, since she basically just stormed off.
Me: (To the DCs) I'm sorry about that loud disturbance.
DC1: That's okay, she was really rude--I didn't even know what was going on when she stormed past me.
Me: Yeah, some people don't really know how to behave in society.
I'm sure she'll come in on Monday to bitch about me to my manager. Since my manager has little to no tolerance for asshole customers, she will probably be kicked out of the store on the spot (in fact I spoke with him on the phone and he said that I should have kicked her and all of her children out the moment she called me a douchebag.)
Here's the cast of characters:
Me: Friendly neighborhood sandwich artist
SC: Hateful bitch
DC: Decent customer
DC2: Decent customer no. 2
CW: Co-worker
It was about 12:15 PM, we were getting slammed with a lunch rush (this is a Subway.) We're set up in a basic "assembly line", I'm starting the sandwiches (getting and cutting bread, applying the meat cheese etc, passing it down to get covered in veggies.)
We have a massive line, that in and of itself isn't even something that adds stress to my life anymore, we have massive lines pretty much all the time. Three little kids come up and order subs, I get their subs started and pass them down the line. Right behind them are two college-aged girls who, because of the length of the line had been waiting for about 7-8 minutes at this point.
Before I could greet them, a middle aged woman barges *THROUGH* them (literally knocks them out of the way without so much as a word said to them) and moves behind the three kids I had just serve--the middle aged woman also has two small kids in tow.
At this point, I'm about to tell her where the line starts, and am actually a little shocked that someone could be so lacking in etiquette as to push through a line like that without so much as a word to anyone else in the line. I was likewise surprised no one in the line had any words for her.
But, then she starts talking to the three kids in line.
SC: Alright, did you three get your subs? Okay, well I'm going to pay for them now.
Hearing this, I think, "Ah, she just came in to pay for their subs, she isn't really trying to cut line--and while it was rude to brush through people like that without so much as a word, at least she's not actually trying to cut line."
So I turn towards the first college-aged girl and ask her what she'd like. At this point, things get ugly fast.
SC: Hey! You missed us, we still have three more subs!
It is at this point that I realize, she intends to order a sub for herself and the two other kids. Well, to my mind, she just cut line. It's one thing if one person were to come in and order six foot long subs, and was later joined in line by the people whom the subs were going to. This was a different situation in my mind, three kids came in and ordered subs, this woman (either their parent or some sort of guardian) comes in and since she's buying their subs, wants to jump in front of the entire line of customers to order three more subs. I'm sorry, but once someone is at the "order here" sign, it is their turn. If this woman had come in by herself and ordered six subs up front, that would have been a bit annoying but aside from slightly inconveniencing the other customers, it wouldn't be a true misdeed.
So, I respond the only way that I feel I can.
Me: I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were ordering--but these ladies have been waiting in line for a long time, and were ahead of you in line, I'm going to get their orders first and then I will come back to you.
I made a concession here, namely that I would come back to her once I had finished the two people I was on--even though that would still be cutting some other people. The way I saw it, while she should have been sent straight to the back of the line, there would be less pain for all if I just dealt with her. BUT I still wasn't going to make her sub before the girl whose order I had just started to take--that girl was IN LINE and had started being served, at that point I have an obligation to her as a customer and wasn't going to stop her order in mid-stream just to appease this woman.
SC: BUT WE'VE BEEN HERE!
Me: Um, no, three of you were here. No one said that anyone else was coming, and there are a lot of people who have been waiting in line for some time for their food.
SC: BUT I'M THE ONE PAYING FOR IT!
Me: I'm sorry, but like I said, I'm going to take these two ladies orders and then I will get to you, you will just have to wait--they were ahead of you.
At this point, I decide I'm not going to argue with this woman. I've made my decision, and it's not a point of debate, if she wants to debate it with me she can do it sometime when I'm not in the middle of a wave of customers--or better yet never at all.
Me: (Turning to the customer who I had started to serve) What would you like today?
DC: Uh, (somewhat nervously) could I get a foot long turkey on wheat?
SC: (Screaming at top of her lungs) YOU DOUCHEBAG!!!!!!!!
Me: (Having gotten the bread out and started the sandwich) Alright, would you like cheese with that?
DC: Uh, pepperjack.
Me: Alright, would you like that toasted?
SC: WELL, WHAT IF WE JUST LEAVE RIGHT NOW?!?!? SHOULD WE LEAVE RIGHT NOW?? MAYBE YOU'LL LIKE IT THEN WHEN WE DON'T PAY FOR THESE SUBS!!
Me: (Looking at the second college-aged girl) Alright, and what can I get for you today?
DC2: Uh, footlong turkey on wheat. (Sidenote, 95% of college girls get turkey on wheat)
Me: Alright, and what kind of cheese would you like with that?
SC: MY GOD, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. (Now looking at her children, but speaking very loudly.) NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE FOOD, YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TO EAT ELSEWHERE, WE'RE PAYING FOR THESE SUBS AND THE REST OF US WILL HAVE TO GO ACROSS THE STREET!!!!!
DC2: Provolone, please.
Me: Okay, and would you like that toasted?
DC2: Yes please.
SC: (Now checking out and talking to the clerk at the register) I NEED TO TALK TO A MANAGER, IS THERE A MANAGER HERE???
CW: Um, (pointing at me) he's the uh, assistant manager.
SC: WELL, I NEED TO SPEAK WITH THE MANAGER!! (I'm typing this in caps because she was literally shouting the entire time)
CW: Um, he isn't in today.
SC: Well, what's his number?!?!?
CW: Well, I could go check.
Me: (To CW) Actually, we can't give out numbers, if someone needs to speak with the manager they need to come in Monday through Friday before 2 PM. Or they can speak with the owner Monday, Wednesday, or Friday before 5 PM.
SC: [Unintelligible outrage].
I really have no idea what she said here, since she basically just stormed off.
Me: (To the DCs) I'm sorry about that loud disturbance.
DC1: That's okay, she was really rude--I didn't even know what was going on when she stormed past me.
Me: Yeah, some people don't really know how to behave in society.
I'm sure she'll come in on Monday to bitch about me to my manager. Since my manager has little to no tolerance for asshole customers, she will probably be kicked out of the store on the spot (in fact I spoke with him on the phone and he said that I should have kicked her and all of her children out the moment she called me a douchebag.)
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