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This was awhile ago, but I saw the guy again today and it reminded me of my first run in with him.
I'm not clear if the man was buzzed drunk or he's just slightly off his rocker. His whole demeanor was just aggressive and in the beginning he wasn't giving us the pertinent information we needed to finish his sale.
Near end of night. I'm lucky enough to be in charge. An experienced, no nonsense lady is running customer service/10 items or less desk. I hear raised voices and see a stern cashier and a man flailing his arms about. I decide to go on over. First, I stand by my cashier and listen in...
Cashier: This is the correct total. Orange juice $X.XX, cupcakes $X.XX, Strawberries $X.XX and beer $X.XX. The total is $XX.XX.
SC: Garba garba garba(I'm paraphrasing here), no it's not right! The total should be $XY.XX
Goes back and forth. I say to cashier print out a sub total receipt for him to see. She does, he refuses to look at it. He's stepping back and forward, arms still akimbo, getting louder. I read it out loud as the cashier had done. I am not right either he claims.
Moi: What about it isn't correct?
SC: The price!
Me: Which price isn't right?
SC: The PRICE! It isn't right!
Me: Why isn't it right?
SC: Because it's wrong!
Dear Buddha...
I try to get him to look at the receipt he starts calling the cashier a "Biddy". As I'm still attempting to make some sense of this, stern cashier says she is refusing him the sale of the beer as it looks like he's had enough. This apparently angers him enough to finally start making sense. "I'm not drunk! I saw the sign saying the strawberries are on sale!". Eureka! Strawberries! Finally a clue! I say "Let's go back and look".
Now as it happens my husband (DH) was there waiting for me to get off work and had been leaning against a nearby empty register. He decides to walk about 6 feet behind us and stand close by as we look at the strawberries. I can already see the problem.
Me: "I see the issue. Sir, it's brand X strawberries on sale, not brand Y."
SC: "These strawberries were here!" more flailing of arms and stepping back and forth. I stay far enough away that I don't get knocked out.
Me: Some customer probably put them here. No big deal. Just grab a box of Brand X.
SC: THESE strawberries were HERE. This is the price!
Me: I understand these strawberries were here, but they shouldn't have been. We are not responsible for where customers place things. Just pick up a box of Brand X and I'll give them to you for the sale price.
SC: You'll GIVE them to me?
Two steps back this time. He looks offended for some reason, as if I had actually told him how bad he smells. I definitely should have said sell them, not give them. I had made the mistake of thinking he would know what i mean.
Me: You know what I mean. Do you want the strawberries or not?
SC: I want the strawberries I picked out!
Me: You can have those, but not for the sale price since they aren't the ones on sale.
DH: Why are you getting worked up over strawberries man? You know how much time you wasted? You could be home drinking your beer by now.
SC: You talking to me?!
DH: Yeah, I am.
SC suddenly calms down.
SC: "Your right man. It's just been a long night." Turns and heads back to service desk.
I picked up a box of Brand X Strawberries and brought them to the register. I told cashier it was okay to give him the beer. The rest was smooth sailing and SC puts on a good act of pretending to be a normal human being.
I really don't know if the guy was giving us a hard time because we were women, or because neither of us knew that mentioning beer was the key to getting him to calm down. This was long, sorry about that. However this wasn't as long as it actually took to play out in the store.
I'm not clear if the man was buzzed drunk or he's just slightly off his rocker. His whole demeanor was just aggressive and in the beginning he wasn't giving us the pertinent information we needed to finish his sale.
Near end of night. I'm lucky enough to be in charge. An experienced, no nonsense lady is running customer service/10 items or less desk. I hear raised voices and see a stern cashier and a man flailing his arms about. I decide to go on over. First, I stand by my cashier and listen in...
Cashier: This is the correct total. Orange juice $X.XX, cupcakes $X.XX, Strawberries $X.XX and beer $X.XX. The total is $XX.XX.
SC: Garba garba garba(I'm paraphrasing here), no it's not right! The total should be $XY.XX
Goes back and forth. I say to cashier print out a sub total receipt for him to see. She does, he refuses to look at it. He's stepping back and forward, arms still akimbo, getting louder. I read it out loud as the cashier had done. I am not right either he claims.
Moi: What about it isn't correct?
SC: The price!
Me: Which price isn't right?
SC: The PRICE! It isn't right!
Me: Why isn't it right?
SC: Because it's wrong!
Dear Buddha...
I try to get him to look at the receipt he starts calling the cashier a "Biddy". As I'm still attempting to make some sense of this, stern cashier says she is refusing him the sale of the beer as it looks like he's had enough. This apparently angers him enough to finally start making sense. "I'm not drunk! I saw the sign saying the strawberries are on sale!". Eureka! Strawberries! Finally a clue! I say "Let's go back and look".
Now as it happens my husband (DH) was there waiting for me to get off work and had been leaning against a nearby empty register. He decides to walk about 6 feet behind us and stand close by as we look at the strawberries. I can already see the problem.
Me: "I see the issue. Sir, it's brand X strawberries on sale, not brand Y."
SC: "These strawberries were here!" more flailing of arms and stepping back and forth. I stay far enough away that I don't get knocked out.
Me: Some customer probably put them here. No big deal. Just grab a box of Brand X.
SC: THESE strawberries were HERE. This is the price!
Me: I understand these strawberries were here, but they shouldn't have been. We are not responsible for where customers place things. Just pick up a box of Brand X and I'll give them to you for the sale price.
SC: You'll GIVE them to me?
Two steps back this time. He looks offended for some reason, as if I had actually told him how bad he smells. I definitely should have said sell them, not give them. I had made the mistake of thinking he would know what i mean.
Me: You know what I mean. Do you want the strawberries or not?
SC: I want the strawberries I picked out!
Me: You can have those, but not for the sale price since they aren't the ones on sale.
DH: Why are you getting worked up over strawberries man? You know how much time you wasted? You could be home drinking your beer by now.
SC: You talking to me?!
DH: Yeah, I am.
SC suddenly calms down.
SC: "Your right man. It's just been a long night." Turns and heads back to service desk.
I picked up a box of Brand X Strawberries and brought them to the register. I told cashier it was okay to give him the beer. The rest was smooth sailing and SC puts on a good act of pretending to be a normal human being.
I really don't know if the guy was giving us a hard time because we were women, or because neither of us knew that mentioning beer was the key to getting him to calm down. This was long, sorry about that. However this wasn't as long as it actually took to play out in the store.
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