I work in a clothes/home decor store situated within a large garden centre. Due to a mixture of things - namely, cost-cutting and controlled temperature for plants - the whole building has stopped using air conditioning.
So, with the hot weather and no air conditioning in store, I wondered how long it would be for a customer to come up and complain about how unfair the heat is to customers.
She came up as me and my colleague were propped up against the till counter trying, and failing, to cool off. I had sweat dripping off my brow.
Her: The heat's unbearable in here. It's not fair, we should have chairs to sit on when it's like this.
My colleague: Oh, yes, that would be great. We could use a chair to sit on too.
Her: Oh, I didn't mean you people. I meant the customers.
(me thinking: Of course, you customers come here and walk around for an hour (granted, it's sometimes longer than that) and then get to go home after. Heck, you can even walk around the open part of the garden centre and get some fresh air. But me and my colleague here have to stand here, work here, all day, in blistering conditions and under a ceiling that is literally jam-packed with spot-lights, making it feel like we're under the desert bloody sun. But no, that doesn't matter. YOU need a chair. Never mind us.)
My colleague: Well, there is a chair in the fitting room. Would you like me to bring it out?
Her: No it's okay thanks. I just wanted to let you know how unfair it is to your customers.
I kept silent because I was worried that I'd spew out unsavoury words if I opened it, but my colleague assured her that, if she ever needs a chair, at any time, that we would gladly fetch her one.
But then, to make matters worse, the woman told us both that she was going to sit in the cafe now and have a cup of tea and then go home and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.
I still didn't say anything, but I'm glad she couldn't mind read because she'd have heard me saying 'Thanks for rubbing our faces in it, jerk!'
So, with the hot weather and no air conditioning in store, I wondered how long it would be for a customer to come up and complain about how unfair the heat is to customers.
She came up as me and my colleague were propped up against the till counter trying, and failing, to cool off. I had sweat dripping off my brow.
Her: The heat's unbearable in here. It's not fair, we should have chairs to sit on when it's like this.
My colleague: Oh, yes, that would be great. We could use a chair to sit on too.
Her: Oh, I didn't mean you people. I meant the customers.
(me thinking: Of course, you customers come here and walk around for an hour (granted, it's sometimes longer than that) and then get to go home after. Heck, you can even walk around the open part of the garden centre and get some fresh air. But me and my colleague here have to stand here, work here, all day, in blistering conditions and under a ceiling that is literally jam-packed with spot-lights, making it feel like we're under the desert bloody sun. But no, that doesn't matter. YOU need a chair. Never mind us.)
My colleague: Well, there is a chair in the fitting room. Would you like me to bring it out?
Her: No it's okay thanks. I just wanted to let you know how unfair it is to your customers.
I kept silent because I was worried that I'd spew out unsavoury words if I opened it, but my colleague assured her that, if she ever needs a chair, at any time, that we would gladly fetch her one.
But then, to make matters worse, the woman told us both that she was going to sit in the cafe now and have a cup of tea and then go home and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.
I still didn't say anything, but I'm glad she couldn't mind read because she'd have heard me saying 'Thanks for rubbing our faces in it, jerk!'
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