'If you're in the building, you're working': Grocery shopper demands help from the only employee who cannot assist her

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 2, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

When customers demand help, they want to be helped immediately. And instead of listening when workers actually try to help them, they seem to shut off their ears, and end up throwing a tantrum instead. 

Cashiers don't get the respect they deserve, and lots of customers are very rude to them on the daily. U/NiftyGoblin had a strange story to tell, which they shared to r/TalesFromRetail, a subreddit for retail workers to share the realities of life behind the cash register. 

This OP was just trying to have a normal day until this odd customer came along. This woman was rude to the OP in several different ways, but the OP's behavior is commendable — they didn't treat this shopper as badly as she'd treated them. Instead, the OP flagged down a manager to handle the complaint. Even so, it still didn't end there. The woman had her husband go into the store provide another round of bickering and yelling. This couple sounds exhausting. Perhaps they should shop at a store that better suits their needs, since they clearly have specific demands that this store can't meet. 

Check out the entire story below. Then, check out these cashiers who spilled their pettiest payback they got on their customers. 

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  • 01
    Shelf - Festive CHERO 'Karen then brings my manager over to the self check and loudly exclaims, "Your employee was refusing to help me!" Good 70% RAT MOLAL A ACH
    via Hobi industri on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/TalesFromRetail. Posted by u/NiftyGoblin "If you're in the building, you're working." Long So, I used to work at a very big very high profile retail store. I have a few good stories from my two years there, but this is the biggest one I love to share. I was a cashier, and most often was supervising the self check. My town isn't huge, so most of the customers would at least recognize me.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 03
    Font - If you worked a certain amount of time, you were required to take an hour lunch break. When we had our lunch break, we fully clocked out, and had no access to anything in the system. We were also told that we were expressly not allowed to do any work tasks or help any customers while on our break. If we did the store could get in huge trouble, and we ourselves could even get fired.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 04
    Font - I did different things on my break, but this particular day I had decided to buy a few things for lunch in the store, and then head home to hang out with my mom while I ate, since I lived really close. I happily procured my miscellaneous goodies, including a treat for my mom, and happily stood in the line at the self check, waiting for a register. I had my work vest with me, but it was off and slung over my shoulder.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 05
    Font - When I was next in line and a register opened, this lady shoved past me, litteraly knocking a precious pack of beef jerky out of my hands, and beelined over to the open register. I was annoyed, but I didn't want to waste my lunch break and she wasn't worth a confrontation. So I just quietly picked up my jerky, and made my way over to another register, which had opened up litteraly about ten seconds later.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 06
    Font - I was just happily and quietly scanning my goodies, when I hear snapping and a loud "Hey!" I turn around and find the same woman glaring at me. I blink at her bewildered, before she says "Hey, I need help over here. I scanned this twice, I need you to take it off." I looked over and saw that my coworker, who was actually over the self check, was helping someone else. I look back at Karen and smile and politely say "Oh, sorry. I'm on lunch break right now, so I can't help you. But coworker
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 07
    Font - Karen did not like that. She glared at me, before asking. "Why can't you help me? Your right here?" I blinked at her and explained that I wasn't clocked in, because I was on my lunch break. I could get in trouble for helping her, and I couldn't really even if I wanted to, because my ID wouldn't work in the system while I was clocked out.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 08
    Font - Karen stomps her foot and insists "That's f'ing stupid! You work here! If you're in the building, you're working. You have to come help me." At this point my coworker was done, and had walked over to help, but Karen wasn't having it. "No! I asked them to help, they should do their F'ing job! They're just being lazy!"
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 09
    Font - I just started ignoring the lady and went back to checking out while my coworker tried to explain to her that I wasn't on the clock and couldn't help. But she's not having it. This adult woman throws the stuff she was buying on the ground, leaving her cart and everything there, and marches over to the customer service desk when my manager was standing.
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 10
    Font - Karen then brings my manager over to the self check and loudly exclaims "Your employee was refusing to help me and being extremely rude!" As this point I'd finish checking out and was standing by the self check exit. My manager just looks at me and says "Goblin, are you on the clock?" I tell her nope, and that I'm just trying to get my lunch and go home. So the third person sternly explains to this woman that I'm not on the clock and I'm not allowed to or able to help her. Instead of goin
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 11
    Font - It didn't even stop there. As I was talking to my manager and a few coworkers and explaining what happened, Karen's husband comes in. He goes to Karen's register, finishes checking out and pays, then comes over to us. He then tells me that his wife is in the car sobbing and in severe emotional distress because of how I treated her and embarrassed her, and that "I hope your real proud of yourself."
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 9792469504
    via u/NiftyGoblin
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 9792470272
    via u/zero-cooler
  • 14
    Cheezburger Image 9792470016
    via u/ShelteringInStPaul
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 9792470528
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 9792469760
    via u/WimbleWimble

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groceries boss talesfromretail wtf retail shopping retail worker karen-customer customers working food tales-from-retail break rude karen grocery store
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