'There's nothing I can do': Entitled customer demands employee personally deliver her groceries, employee refuses, leading to a dispute at the grocery store

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    Cheezburger Image 10405104640
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    No, I can't deliver your groceries to your house
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    I work at a severely understaffed small town local grocery store. I'm one of only two cashiers over the age of 18, which automatically makes me a closing shift
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    supervisor (responsible for locking doors, counting tills, etc.) In the evenings, the only employees in the store are me and two high school students. The town this
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    store is in has a very large elderly population, and in the past, the store used to do delivery orders of groceries for those who couldn't drive anymore or were
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    immunocompromised and couldn't go out during the pandemic. But in recent years, we've been losing a lot of employees, and the few people
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    who were able to do deliveries all left, so we no longer have that service. A few weeks ago, an elderly lady called the store asking if she could
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    place an order. I answered the phone while in the middle of scanning a customer's groceries. I assumed she was asking about a special order for an event, and,
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    since I was busy, told her that if she called back the next morning, someone would be able to help her. She hung up on me without responding. I didn't think much of
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    it, until the next day, when she called back again around 5pm. Lady: "I want to place an order." Me: "Okay, the employees who typically take event orders are only
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    here in the mornings, so if you call back-" Lady: "No it's not for an event, I want my groceries delivered."
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    Me: "Oh, I'm sorry. We don't actually do deliveries anymore. But if you call back tomorrow, someone can put the order together for you and you can come pick it up."
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    Lady: "No, I will not call back. I've been pushed off on the phone too many times! I'm a disabled senior citizen, I can't come pick anything up, I can't drive! I've been out of milk for 3 days!"
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    Me: "I understand, ma'am, and I'm sorry, but we don't have a delivery service anymore, and there's nothing I can do."
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    Lady: "You guys have the monopoly on the town. You're the only grocery store for miles!" Me: "I'm aware, and I'm sorry, but it's not up to me whether we do deliveries or not."
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    Lady: "Can't you deliver my groceries?" Me: "No, ma'am, I can't. I'm the shift supervisor on duty right now, and I can't leave the store."
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    Lady: "Well, make one of your employees do it, then!" Me: "I can't, ma'am. The only other employees here are students who don't have driver's licenses."
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    She hung up on me at that point. I mentioned the incident to some of my coworkers the next day at the start of my shift, and learned that this lady had been calling for a few days now. And sure enough, she
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    called again that evening. I was stressed with unrelated things already, so since it wasn't so busy this time, I decided to just take the order for her. I told her if she can send someone to the store to pick
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    up her order, I'll put it together for her. She told me what groceries she wanted and gave me her number to call her when it was ready. Then she told me that I've been "much more pleasant to talk
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    to than the girl yesterday" (yeah.... I'm the same person, just in a less tense mood). In the end, it worked out, her daughter came to pick up the groceries, though she also seemed
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    annoyed that we didn't do deliveries. I didn't voice this to her, but even if we still did, it isn't my job.
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    Caranath 128 8h ago Burpy. I used them when my husband was deployed (I don't drive due to medical reasons). Or door dash or any of the other services out there.
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    Yinxi19 OP • 8h ago This would be great if our town wasn't in the middle of nowhere. It's a 30-minute drive just to the nearest Walmart. But I used to use Uber Eats for groceries when
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    I was in college and didn't have a car on campus. I agree these services are great, it's just harder the further you are from urban areas.
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    stevehyman1 • 8h ago Somebody's daughter needs to help mom out.
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    Unpopu1arop1nion • 7h ago Sounds like a good side hustle for someone. Delivery fee of 20 dollars. That or they could call door dash's if that is available in your town.
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    ThatsltlmOverThis ⚫ 6h ago Her daughter could drive to get the groceries but not do the shopping for her? Um.
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    OldTiredAnnoyed • 7h ago Sounds like it might be time for care home if the daughter isn't able to make sure her mother has what she needs when she needs it.
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    JustanOldBabyBoomer 6h ago I feel for both of you as I have been on both sides of that issue. I'm now no longer able to drive anymore and the loss of independence is frustrating.
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    Bookworm840G • 2h ago OMW! I legit thought this old lady had no one. But she has a daughter?!

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