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So I was sitting here thinking about some more of the stories I would like to tell you guys from my decade in retail and I just thought of one that happened to me a few years ago when I was working part-time at a well-known video store chain (no, not Blockbuster, this one is still in business). 
Thinking about it even now still boils my blood. It all came rushing back when I remembered it. The hate and anger I felt toward this man just still makes my stomach churn to this day. This is a tale of jaw-dropping rudeness and self-entitlement, so beware.
So one day I was working at the video store, happily going about my business. I was working with one of the managers in training, and it was just the two of us on a Friday evening. It was pretty slow most of the afternoon, but of course just as my manager went outside to take a smoke break, it started picking up. I suddenly had a ton of people in my store and a line at the register. So I was trying to get people checked out as quickly as possible and keep everyone happy because people were starting to look irritated and my manager was of course taking forever and hadn't taken her cell phone with her.
I have a huge line at the register, I'm working as quickly as I can, and while I'm in the middle of ringing someone out, the phone rings. So I answer it politely and ask if they could please hold a moment. The man on the other end just goes, "Fine." I go back to ringing my customer out, and then more keep flooding up and admittedly I totally forgot about the person on hold. Usually if it's been more than ten seconds of waiting the person will hang up and try again later, but NOT THIS TIME. NO. It was my fault for forgetting about him, but customers in the store take immediate precedence over customers on the phone, and I think this is pretty true for any retailer that is not a place like Wal-Mart or Target with people to answer the phone and take care of things. I'm one tiny girl in a store by myself trying to keep everyone from killing each other at the register!
So I could barely even look up from the line because more people just keep coming up and all I can do is literally just keep ringing. Then suddenly, it must have been a half an hour of me ringing nonstop, this guy steps up to the register on his cell phone. I look up and ask him for his phone number to pull up his account, and then I realize he doesn't have any movies in his hand. He's still standing there on the phone and he says, I SH*T YOU NOT, "So what is my compensation going to be?" I
was like, "What?" Then he says, "Pick up your phone." I glance at the handset that is still blinking on hold, and pick it up. Then he tells me through the phone what his phone number is. I noped the hell out and slipped out, "You have got to be kidding me right now." I was in awe. Instead of hanging up and calling back later like most other people, he literally got in his car, still on hold, drove all the way up here, still on hold, and stood in line, still on hold, just to prove a point, and of course, demand compensation for being on hold for so long.
I just stared at him, speechless. I said, "You have GOT to be kidding me." Then I lost it. I had been working a lot and was burned out with rude people and admittedly this one just took the cake and sent me over the edge. I lost my normally professional and friendly demeanor (very rare for me) because I was so taken aback, and I said, "Wait so let me get this straight. You drove all the way up here on hold just to be a jerk to me and try to get a free movie."
And he replies, "I want a movie for free. I've been on hold for over 30 minutes." He literally ended the call and showed me his phone screen. "I think I deserve some COMPENSATION for this."
So I started to try to calm down even though I was fuming, and I said, "Sir I am sorry you were on hold for so long, but as YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE, it's extremely busy in here and I am the only employee. Customers in the store take precedence over customers on the phone. But I am very sorry that I neglected to get back with you and accidentally left you on hold for so long. It was not my intention to do that on purpose."
So he goes, "I was calling to see if you had any more of (Blank Movie) in stock. I think you should give it to me for free since I waited on hold for so long."
Now mind you, of course we do not have any more of this movie in stock because it was a brand-new release and we had literally zero of them on the shelves. I told him, (Blank Movie) is all rented out. We have none left. There are no more of these that physically exist. So naturally he got mad at this and just repeated, "You need to find me that movie or give me a free rental." Oh, I need? Okay. A line was still almost out the door behind him and my frickin' manager wasn't even back yet. I could see people getting mad at him so I said, "You are more than welcome to go pick out another movie and I will give it to you for free this time. I have to help other people now who are actually paying and ready to check out." He actually had expected me to go find him another movie to rent for free while he waited at the register. No.
So he got all pissy at this and I was like, "That is your only option. Or no free movie at all." I stepped over to the second register and told the next person I would help them. He just kept standing there in shock that I would dare defy him, the almighty video store customer. Finally he slunk away and got back in line with a movie. He wordlessly handed it to me and I rented it to him for free. I thought he was just going to leave but he had to add, "You are a stupid woman." My jaw just f@cking hit the floor. I pointed to the door, threw his movies down on the cashwrap and said, "Get out now. Would you allow someone to talk to your daughter or wife that way? You need to leave. I would have gladly helped you and given you a free credit had you not been so grossly overdramatic and rude but you wanted to be the big tough guy and prove a point. Enjoy your free movie, dick."
This got applause from the entire line of people who by now had witnessed what he said and another guy yelled out, "You want me to kick him out for you?" The man grabbed his DVD and hustled out the door really quick. I waited till he left and then burst into tears. One of the ladies in line handed me a tissue and came around the side of the cashwrap to hug me. She said, "Some people are just self-entitled and want something for free and I am sorry he insulted you." Then my manager came waltzing back in looking surprised and bewildered. I just looked at her and said, "I am going on my break now, you can deal with all of this."
The audacity of that man still amazes me to this day!
Thinking about it even now still boils my blood. It all came rushing back when I remembered it. The hate and anger I felt toward this man just still makes my stomach churn to this day. This is a tale of jaw-dropping rudeness and self-entitlement, so beware.
So one day I was working at the video store, happily going about my business. I was working with one of the managers in training, and it was just the two of us on a Friday evening. It was pretty slow most of the afternoon, but of course just as my manager went outside to take a smoke break, it started picking up. I suddenly had a ton of people in my store and a line at the register. So I was trying to get people checked out as quickly as possible and keep everyone happy because people were starting to look irritated and my manager was of course taking forever and hadn't taken her cell phone with her.
I have a huge line at the register, I'm working as quickly as I can, and while I'm in the middle of ringing someone out, the phone rings. So I answer it politely and ask if they could please hold a moment. The man on the other end just goes, "Fine." I go back to ringing my customer out, and then more keep flooding up and admittedly I totally forgot about the person on hold. Usually if it's been more than ten seconds of waiting the person will hang up and try again later, but NOT THIS TIME. NO. It was my fault for forgetting about him, but customers in the store take immediate precedence over customers on the phone, and I think this is pretty true for any retailer that is not a place like Wal-Mart or Target with people to answer the phone and take care of things. I'm one tiny girl in a store by myself trying to keep everyone from killing each other at the register!
So I could barely even look up from the line because more people just keep coming up and all I can do is literally just keep ringing. Then suddenly, it must have been a half an hour of me ringing nonstop, this guy steps up to the register on his cell phone. I look up and ask him for his phone number to pull up his account, and then I realize he doesn't have any movies in his hand. He's still standing there on the phone and he says, I SH*T YOU NOT, "So what is my compensation going to be?" I
was like, "What?" Then he says, "Pick up your phone." I glance at the handset that is still blinking on hold, and pick it up. Then he tells me through the phone what his phone number is. I noped the hell out and slipped out, "You have got to be kidding me right now." I was in awe. Instead of hanging up and calling back later like most other people, he literally got in his car, still on hold, drove all the way up here, still on hold, and stood in line, still on hold, just to prove a point, and of course, demand compensation for being on hold for so long.
I just stared at him, speechless. I said, "You have GOT to be kidding me." Then I lost it. I had been working a lot and was burned out with rude people and admittedly this one just took the cake and sent me over the edge. I lost my normally professional and friendly demeanor (very rare for me) because I was so taken aback, and I said, "Wait so let me get this straight. You drove all the way up here on hold just to be a jerk to me and try to get a free movie."
And he replies, "I want a movie for free. I've been on hold for over 30 minutes." He literally ended the call and showed me his phone screen. "I think I deserve some COMPENSATION for this."
So I started to try to calm down even though I was fuming, and I said, "Sir I am sorry you were on hold for so long, but as YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE, it's extremely busy in here and I am the only employee. Customers in the store take precedence over customers on the phone. But I am very sorry that I neglected to get back with you and accidentally left you on hold for so long. It was not my intention to do that on purpose."
So he goes, "I was calling to see if you had any more of (Blank Movie) in stock. I think you should give it to me for free since I waited on hold for so long."
Now mind you, of course we do not have any more of this movie in stock because it was a brand-new release and we had literally zero of them on the shelves. I told him, (Blank Movie) is all rented out. We have none left. There are no more of these that physically exist. So naturally he got mad at this and just repeated, "You need to find me that movie or give me a free rental." Oh, I need? Okay. A line was still almost out the door behind him and my frickin' manager wasn't even back yet. I could see people getting mad at him so I said, "You are more than welcome to go pick out another movie and I will give it to you for free this time. I have to help other people now who are actually paying and ready to check out." He actually had expected me to go find him another movie to rent for free while he waited at the register. No.
So he got all pissy at this and I was like, "That is your only option. Or no free movie at all." I stepped over to the second register and told the next person I would help them. He just kept standing there in shock that I would dare defy him, the almighty video store customer. Finally he slunk away and got back in line with a movie. He wordlessly handed it to me and I rented it to him for free. I thought he was just going to leave but he had to add, "You are a stupid woman." My jaw just f@cking hit the floor. I pointed to the door, threw his movies down on the cashwrap and said, "Get out now. Would you allow someone to talk to your daughter or wife that way? You need to leave. I would have gladly helped you and given you a free credit had you not been so grossly overdramatic and rude but you wanted to be the big tough guy and prove a point. Enjoy your free movie, dick."
This got applause from the entire line of people who by now had witnessed what he said and another guy yelled out, "You want me to kick him out for you?" The man grabbed his DVD and hustled out the door really quick. I waited till he left and then burst into tears. One of the ladies in line handed me a tissue and came around the side of the cashwrap to hug me. She said, "Some people are just self-entitled and want something for free and I am sorry he insulted you." Then my manager came waltzing back in looking surprised and bewildered. I just looked at her and said, "I am going on my break now, you can deal with all of this."
The audacity of that man still amazes me to this day!
That would have pissed me off more than the phone jerk.
to you AND 
for the manager and the douchenozzle.
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