Step. BACK. NOW.

[Dreamstalker]

I was watching SCO and making up bags for customers so I was standing at the end of the last carousel register lane (good sightline and I can make and store a lot of bags). I usually stand by the door, but there was a maskless old lady (MOL) sitting in one of the handicapped carts fiddling with scratch tickets. She had a mask around her chin, so I knew she was capable of wearing one (you have to wear one to get in the store and technically also to shop, but only the "enter" part is enforced). I recognize MOL, she's an entitled (in the negative sense) old bat and a certified pain in everyone's ass.

MOL comes up to me, now wearing a mask. "Where is [sounded like 'prunes']?"
Me: "Pardon, what are you looking for?"
MOL: *pulls her mask off completely, not that this helps due to her accent and mumbling; I take a giant step back as far as I can go* "PRUNES!"
Me: "STEP. BACK. Prunes are in aisle two. Put your mask on, you must be masked to be in the store."
MOL moves closer: "You work, yes? Where are prunes?"
Me: *loudly* "Please STEP BACK and put your mask on NOW. Aisle two." Before I manage to escape backwards over the lane-blocker, I see her put her mask on while giving me a glare. I then circle around another lane to get back to the front (making sure MOL is gone).

C and R (managers): "What happened?"
*as if you two didn't see it* "A customer asked me a question and was hard to understand, she took her mask off and got in my face."

Yes, I'm masked, but that doesn't give SCs the right to get in my face especially with Covid going on.

[Android Kaeli]

I get some of both of these, one guy got offended when I asked him to keep his mask on but just speak slightly louder. He asked if I could hear him with the mask on even if he spoke a bit louder, told him "yes, that's why I asked you to speak up a bit, not take your mask off". Manager he spoke with told him pretty much the same thing.

[Ghel]

You'd think people would know they need to speak louder and enunciate better when they're wearing a mask, but too many people seem to do the opposite.

[XCashier]

Quoth Ghel

You'd think people would know they need to speak louder and enunciate better when they're wearing a mask, but too many people seem to do the opposite.

It's their passive-aggressive way of opposing masks.

I am so freaking glad I am not working in customer service at this time. I would have probably been fired by now for verbally tearing a strip off some anti-mask asshole. They are the reason this damned pandemic has been going on for so long and destroyed so many lives!

[workerbee222]

Begging everyone's pardon, but...

Older people are often dealing with hearing problems already. It isn't at all uncommon to see someone, frustrated with trying to make themselves understood, to pull off the mask and repeat themselves (especially talking TO older people). May not be the optimal response, but it is a common one.

That doesn't mean the custy in the OP isn't an ass, but that trying to make one's self understood is frustrating.

I work with someone with a hearing impairment. I speak to him as little as possible, that's how irritating it's become, and yeah, I speak as slowly and clearly as I can, simultaneously trying not to come across as condescending.

[Mental_Mouse]

On the flip side, I have a hearing impairment, and while the masks can be annoying, I basically suck it up and deal with it... in part because I'm also over 50 and a long-time smoker, so particularly vulnerable to the virus.