Entitlement Mom

[Mazthoril]

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.)

[BookstoreEscapee]

I love reading stories where someone asks for the manager and is pointed towards the very person they want to complain about. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

[Evil Queen]

I love reading stories where someone asks for the manager and is pointed towards the very person they want to complain about. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

Me too. The SCs generally leave at that point.

[depechemodefan]

The SC was really rude, with the pushing and the yelling. But I don't know if it should count as cutting. For ex., if me and mom go to a cafeteria type place, she has to sit, she can't stand in line. When I get to the place where you can start ordering, she then joins me. Yeah, it would be annoying if I see a friend come in, and we are not together, but I let her get in line. I never done that. And so far no one has said anything when mom joins me.

Maybe mom just couldn't stand in line for some reason (like all the kids togheter woud be too much for her...uh, wait that sounds lame).

[MadMike]

Nice job ignoring that evil bitch like that. That had to piss her off far more than anything you could have said to her.

[marasbaras]

I can see this either way on the cutting in line bit. Maybe she was parking and sent the kids in first. But, if the other girls had been in line for 7-8 minutes ... where was mom all that time? Hmmm ...

No, barging past others, pushing in ... that's when she loses it for me.

And, I'm with the manager (probably cause I used to be one): yell douchebag at one of my employees, get booted. Right then. Yes, now. No questions asked. No returns.

[depechemodefan]

I guy called me a bitch. The manager told him he had to leave and the guy wanted to fill out a complaint form, so he was allowed to stay to fill out the form. Of course the manager wandered away and the guy comes back up to me and harrasses me "What did I call you? What did I call you?"

[allniter]

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.)

I LOVE your boss

Please follow his instructions, I can't stand customers with entitlement. It's almost as bad as hypocrisy. Great story.

[Broomjockey]

The SC was really rude, with the pushing and the yelling. But I don't know if it should count as cutting.

I disagree. This was pure line-cutting. It would have been one thing if the ones ordering had said "and my mom's coming with some more orders, so can we hold the place in line?" But to storm up during a busy period and place multiple extra orders with no forewarning is sucky and cutty.

[tropicsgoddess]

I disagree. This was pure line-cutting. It would have been one thing if the ones ordering had said "and my mom's coming with some more orders, so can we hold the place in line?" But to storm up during a busy period and place multiple extra orders with no forewarning is sucky and cutty.

Yep, not to mention that woman was a real entitlement whore...some example she showed her kids by acting that way.

[Mazthoril]

What gets me about this whole situation, is this woman was really not being inconvenienced whatsoever.

At the point where I was starting to take the next customer's order, the girl working with me who was doing veggies had no subs. Since we just had made subs for three little kids, that means (generally) not many veggies. Most little kids seem to only have one or two at most things they like on their sandwiches, sometimes they only take them plain. So you can finish their stuff up pretty quickly.

While I was making the two footlong turkeys (which were toasted and eventually ended up having a lot of toppings) my co-worker who was on veggies could have started immediately serving the SC. It really wasn't even a matter of her having to wait, she was just offended that I decided to finish with the customer I had just greeted instead of going back to her. Since this SC had two little kids, who were probably going to get small, easy-to-make subs it's very likely this SC would have been finished before the two girls I was serving since their subs were more complex.

But because I wouldn't stop serving another customer to serve her, she throws a fit. What's funny is she literally could have started ordering her last three subs right away. But she never really gave that option a chance. I could have explained that to her, but I didn't because I'm not going to sit there and debate/argue/explain with someone that immediately resorts to yelling and name calling.

I considered actually throwing her out when she called me a douchebag--but ultimately I said to myself, "I'm working here, I'm making a sub--I have no responsibility to respond to her insults or debate this matter with her, that's not part of what my job is." Part of my job is alleviating customer problems, but as part of the respect and courtesy I extend to them I expect the same back, and I'm not going to have a discussion with someone that is screaming like a lunatic.

It sort of begs the question as to why I didn't just make her subs if my co-worker was free and able to help start subs too. Well, it's because I had already greeted the next customer and in my mind, once that happens I'm now "taking their order." It's rude to break away from that, especially for someone who has cut line and in the process pushed past (without any word of apologies) the person whose order I'm currently taking.

I didn't want to send the message to all the other customers in line that we valued their experience so little that I was just going to let it stand when some blowhard pushes to the front of the line.

[Kogarashi]

I was sort of waffling on the point of whether or not the lady was truly line-cutting, until Broomjockey rightly pointed out that you had no forewarning that she would be arriving with three more orders. ::makes note to self that, should such a situation arise with my own family, those sent ahead are to warn the employees that there are more in the party::

One thing that really irritates me, aside from line-cutting (as opposed to someone holding a place for you in line, which is slightly different) is when parents like this say, "Well, the employee isn't caving to my unreasonable demand, so you're SOL, children. We can't eat here because I won't wait my turn." That's just punishing the children for the parent's stupidity. It bugs me too when they try to lay the blame directly on the employee for the child not getting something. "Employee won't give me a discount on this candy, so you don't get any Junior. Isn't Employee mean?"

::strangling motions::

Heaven help me if I ever end up behind one of them in the store now that I'm not a store employee. "See, Baby, this is why we learn patience, so we don't look like idiots in public."

[TheTigress]

I love reading stories where someone asks for the manager and is pointed towards the very person they want to complain about. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

Happens at our Subway all the time.

What is it about Subway that turns people into the biggest entitlement whores in the universe? Soccer moms are the biggest culprits of it as well. We have had many a SC outburst at mine but none regarding line jumping as of yet. (suprisingly)

And you are spot on about the college girls getting turkeys on wheat.

[marasbaras]

Complaint cards. I swear, people seem to think it's their right to fill them out.

If a person were to call my employee something like "bitch" with no provocation, I'm kicking them out. Period.

If they want to fill out a complaint card and I'm feeling especially nice. I would let them. And, I'd ensure it never went anywhere. These folks lie their brains out.

[Andara Bledin]

Heaven help me if I ever end up behind one of them in the store now that I'm not a store employee. "See, Baby, this is why we learn patience, so we don't look like idiots in public."

No kidding.

I've done the whole "holding" thing for absentee family or friends, but when I do that, I don't even get to the front of the line. I'll have people behind me pass through until whoever I'm waiting for shows up. After all, what happens when I get done with what I'm doing and it's time to pay and the person I'm waiting for (who has the money) hasn't arrived yet?

^-.-^