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A bit of background:
I'm in college working on a geology degree. On a part-time basis, I collaborate with a very dear friend to do gem & mineral shows around my state as a way of making a few extra dollars. We sell everything from gemstones worth hundreds of dollars to polished stones at a few dollars apiece, and get a pretty wide variety of customers.
Most of the customers are actually very nice, but there's always a few.....
Hagglers
"The price is too high!"
I'm sorry. NO, I will NOT sell you that gemstone worth $500 for less than 1/5 of the marked price, no matter how much you whine, plead, and beg. The profit margin in this business is already extremely narrow, and I'm not about to sell something at a major loss just because you think you're entitled to it.....that price tag is there for a reason.....
Mind you, I give discounts to cute small children, and people who are exceptionally nice, because I can. However, you are neither cute nor nice, so go away.
Just insulting
No, insulting my product will not make me suddenly feel like giving you a better price on that crystal you want to buy. I know I have nice material, and so do you (if it's really crap, like you say, why do you want it so badly you're willing to spend 20 minutes arguing with me and trying to convince me to part with it at a lower price?)
Oh, did I mention, I'm already selling it at well below the price the gemologist appraised it at? The price isn't the problem, the product isn't the problem......the only problem here is the customer.
No, it's not free
I understand it perhaps confused your poor little brain that the price tag was missing. The shows are typically outdoors, and between the wind, small children handling things, and a myriad of other things often dislodges the price tags. When this happens, just ask the nice lady behind the counter, and she will be happy to tell you the price and even put a new sticker on it. NO, the missing price tag DOES NOT MEAN YOU MAY HAVE IT FOR FREE!
Geez, people!
Don't come to a gem show while high on meth
I understand, you're too wired when you're tweaking to sit at home in front of the TV. But please, I really don't want to see you come visit my booth. As you come up to my booth with your sunken eyes greasy hair, the foul odor emanating from your mouth full of brown, slimy, decaying teeth is enough to make my paying customers edge away and leave. You pepper me with indecipherable rapid-fire questions while you jitter around my booth picking up all of my most expensive specimens, probably hoping I'll look away long enough for you to slip one into your pocket unnoticed.
Of course, I don't know that I'd have been able to stop you from just grabbing something and running, so thank you for not doing that.
Shoplifters
I never seem to see you in action, which frustrates me to no end. There's usually at least one of you per show. Thankfully, it's rare that you get away with anything really valuable, but it's still quite hurtful that someone would steal from me.
If I ever see one of you in action, you're not going to get away with it.
After I have relieved you of my purloined items, I shall tie you to a chair, lock you in a small room, turn on a continuous replay loop of Hannah Montana songs, and leave you there to suffer out your days........I feel that would be a fitting punishment for your crimes.
I'm in college working on a geology degree. On a part-time basis, I collaborate with a very dear friend to do gem & mineral shows around my state as a way of making a few extra dollars. We sell everything from gemstones worth hundreds of dollars to polished stones at a few dollars apiece, and get a pretty wide variety of customers.
Most of the customers are actually very nice, but there's always a few.....
Hagglers
"The price is too high!"
I'm sorry. NO, I will NOT sell you that gemstone worth $500 for less than 1/5 of the marked price, no matter how much you whine, plead, and beg. The profit margin in this business is already extremely narrow, and I'm not about to sell something at a major loss just because you think you're entitled to it.....that price tag is there for a reason.....
Mind you, I give discounts to cute small children, and people who are exceptionally nice, because I can. However, you are neither cute nor nice, so go away.
Just insulting
No, insulting my product will not make me suddenly feel like giving you a better price on that crystal you want to buy. I know I have nice material, and so do you (if it's really crap, like you say, why do you want it so badly you're willing to spend 20 minutes arguing with me and trying to convince me to part with it at a lower price?)
Oh, did I mention, I'm already selling it at well below the price the gemologist appraised it at? The price isn't the problem, the product isn't the problem......the only problem here is the customer.
No, it's not free
I understand it perhaps confused your poor little brain that the price tag was missing. The shows are typically outdoors, and between the wind, small children handling things, and a myriad of other things often dislodges the price tags. When this happens, just ask the nice lady behind the counter, and she will be happy to tell you the price and even put a new sticker on it. NO, the missing price tag DOES NOT MEAN YOU MAY HAVE IT FOR FREE!
Geez, people!
Don't come to a gem show while high on meth
I understand, you're too wired when you're tweaking to sit at home in front of the TV. But please, I really don't want to see you come visit my booth. As you come up to my booth with your sunken eyes greasy hair, the foul odor emanating from your mouth full of brown, slimy, decaying teeth is enough to make my paying customers edge away and leave. You pepper me with indecipherable rapid-fire questions while you jitter around my booth picking up all of my most expensive specimens, probably hoping I'll look away long enough for you to slip one into your pocket unnoticed.
Of course, I don't know that I'd have been able to stop you from just grabbing something and running, so thank you for not doing that.
Shoplifters
I never seem to see you in action, which frustrates me to no end. There's usually at least one of you per show. Thankfully, it's rare that you get away with anything really valuable, but it's still quite hurtful that someone would steal from me.
If I ever see one of you in action, you're not going to get away with it.
After I have relieved you of my purloined items, I shall tie you to a chair, lock you in a small room, turn on a continuous replay loop of Hannah Montana songs, and leave you there to suffer out your days........I feel that would be a fitting punishment for your crimes.
). I'm not about to sell it at a $300 loss to appease rude customer. 
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