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[Jimmy]

I work in retail. I'm sure there's others here too. If you're one, you have my sympathy. If you're not, pray you never do.

This thread is here to award those customers who, through their unique distinction of being the bane of service personnel everywhere, deserve special recognition.

My award for today goes to a special lady. Time had not been kind to her. The drugs even less so. In her mid thirties, she already had the face of a fifty year old. She'd dropped her script into our pharmacy today before going out for a chat with her special friend outside. Unfortunately for her, this chat happened to be within earshot of one of our friendly mall cops. She comes back into the store and takes a seat, freshly rolled wad of fifty dollar notes in hand. A few short minutes later, our friendly mall cop has arrived with his friendly police constable to have a friendly chat with our customer. We present her with her medications, minus one.

She stares at me with incomprehension when she asks, "Why can't I have pseudoephedrine?"

A short conversation later and she leaves the store with her two new friends. I feel sincere regret for the suffering her sinuses will no doubt endure, but feel powerless to assist her plight as "nothing else works." In the back of my mind I don't doubt her words, as I'm sure none of the other products I offer could be converted into methamphetamines. Her prescriber is left with a short message explaining the events of the day.

Another day in retail.

[Lightningfalcon]

Have you ever been to NotAlwaysRight?  It is full of stories like this. 
Unfortunately I have nothing to offer thou in terms of actual experiences. 

[UristMcAwesome]

My first job (of which I was recently 'let go' from too 'reduce redundancies') was working at Best Buy. I'm eighteen, so still pretty new to this whole dealing with assholes because I need money for gas and food thing. I worked in the Computers/Laptops section, selling overpriced paperweights to technophobic old people. I made ten dollars an hour, which for my first job is pretty good in my opinion. But it wasn't always easy...

One day an adorable older couple came in asking what's a good laptop for their 15 year old grandson who likes to play WoW ("That world warcraft game with the green people"). Typically when selling electronics to non-knowledgeable customers, we're expected to persuade them to purchase something our of their price range. When I suggested a gaming laptop for around 1600 USD, they said "Oh no, our budget is 600, we really can't pay more than 700 though, because of the cancer treatment." My manager is standing over within earshot of this conversation, by the way, and he gives me the look that means "Keep pushing"

I am a reasonably moral person, so no, I didn't have them buy some gaming laptop their grandson probably didn't need for World of Warcraft (a decidedly low demand game for any modern platform). After they had purchased their reasonably priced 750 dollar laptop (that CAN run WoW on atleast medium settings), my manager came up and chewed me out verbally about how I didn't make a good sale. What? Her husband is having cancer treatment, you heartless asshole :L

[dei]

My first job (of which I was recently 'let go' from too 'reduce redundancies') was working at Best Buy. I'm eighteen, so still pretty new to this whole dealing with assholes because I need money for gas and food thing. I worked in the Computers/Laptops section, selling overpriced paperweights to technophobic old people. I made ten dollars an hour, which for my first job is pretty good in my opinion. But it wasn't always easy...

One day an adorable older couple came in asking what's a good laptop for their 15 year old grandson who likes to play WoW ("That world warcraft game with the green people"). Typically when selling electronics to non-knowledgeable customers, we're expected to persuade them to purchase something our of their price range. When I suggested a gaming laptop for around 1600 USD, they said "Oh no, our budget is 600, we really can't pay more than 700 though, because of the cancer treatment." My manager is standing over within earshot of this conversation, by the way, and he gives me the look that means "Keep pushing"

I am a reasonably moral person, so no, I didn't have them buy some gaming laptop their grandson probably didn't need for World of Warcraft (a decidedly low demand game for any modern platform). After they had purchased their reasonably priced 750 dollar laptop (that CAN run WoW on atleast medium settings), my manager came up and chewed me out verbally about how I didn't make a good sale. What? Her husband is having cancer treatment, you heartless asshole :L

You're a good, kind person for having such compassion towards that sweet old couple. Your manager however needs to take a long walk off a short pier for being a damn dirty capitalist.

[RedKing]

My first job (of which I was recently 'let go' from too 'reduce redundancies') was working at Best Buy. I'm eighteen, so still pretty new to this whole dealing with assholes because I need money for gas and food thing. I worked in the Computers/Laptops section, selling overpriced paperweights to technophobic old people. I made ten dollars an hour, which for my first job is pretty good in my opinion. But it wasn't always easy...

One day an adorable older couple came in asking what's a good laptop for their 15 year old grandson who likes to play WoW ("That world warcraft game with the green people"). Typically when selling electronics to non-knowledgeable customers, we're expected to persuade them to purchase something our of their price range. When I suggested a gaming laptop for around 1600 USD, they said "Oh no, our budget is 600, we really can't pay more than 700 though, because of the cancer treatment." My manager is standing over within earshot of this conversation, by the way, and he gives me the look that means "Keep pushing"

I am a reasonably moral person, so no, I didn't have them buy some gaming laptop their grandson probably didn't need for World of Warcraft (a decidedly low demand game for any modern platform). After they had purchased their reasonably priced 750 dollar laptop (that CAN run WoW on atleast medium settings), my manager came up and chewed me out verbally about how I didn't make a good sale. What? Her husband is having cancer treatment, you heartless asshole :L

And THAT's why I don't buy anything technical from Best Buy (your manager, not you). Or really any other retail outlet. I occasionally hit the nearby TigerDirect if it's something cheap like a peripheral that I need right away.

[Thecard]

My first job (of which I was recently 'let go' from too 'reduce redundancies') was working at Best Buy. I'm eighteen, so still pretty new to this whole dealing with assholes because I need money for gas and food thing. I worked in the Computers/Laptops section, selling overpriced paperweights to technophobic old people. I made ten dollars an hour, which for my first job is pretty good in my opinion. But it wasn't always easy...

One day an adorable older couple came in asking what's a good laptop for their 15 year old grandson who likes to play WoW ("That world warcraft game with the green people"). Typically when selling electronics to non-knowledgeable customers, we're expected to persuade them to purchase something our of their price range. When I suggested a gaming laptop for around 1600 USD, they said "Oh no, our budget is 600, we really can't pay more than 700 though, because of the cancer treatment." My manager is standing over within earshot of this conversation, by the way, and he gives me the look that means "Keep pushing"

I am a reasonably moral person, so no, I didn't have them buy some gaming laptop their grandson probably didn't need for World of Warcraft (a decidedly low demand game for any modern platform). After they had purchased their reasonably priced 750 dollar laptop (that CAN run WoW on atleast medium settings), my manager came up and chewed me out verbally about how I didn't make a good sale. What? Her husband is having cancer treatment, you heartless asshole :L

And THAT's why I don't buy anything technical from Best Buy (your manager, not you). Or really any other retail outlet. I occasionally hit the nearby TigerDirect if it's something cheap like a peripheral that I need right away.

Pssh,  I love being cheated out of money I need for life-saving surgery.  I'd totally come back, if I managed to pay my hospital bills.

Seriously, what a dick.

[fqllve]

I used to work at a gas station and once had a customer ask to see my ID before I sold him alcohol, because he didn't think I was old enough to.

That day I sent a 40 year-old man home without beer because he didn't have his ID.

[Dutchling]

You ask 40-year olds for their ID? 0_o

[Criptfeind]

I think  legally you need to ask anyone who looks above 45 of their ID where I live at least.

[fqllve]

You ask 40-year olds for their ID? 0_o

Only when they ask for mine first.

I think  legally you need to ask anyone who looks above 45 of their ID where I live at least.

It's 27 for cigarettes federally, I think, but my store's rule was anyone under 35.

[DarkWolfXV]

I think  legally you need to ask anyone who looks above 45 of their ID where I live at least.

What is this sorcery, so 45+ olds cant buy beer? Well at least i know of no such thing in Poland.

[Thecard]

I think  legally you need to ask anyone who looks above 45 of their ID where I live at least.

...
You mean "less than 45," right?

[Criptfeind]

Yes. Sorry. Although what I said might not be a bad idea as well.

[Caz]

Around here we have the "challenge 25" thing for alcohol and smokes. You can buy at 18, but if you look under 25 they ask for ID. It stops a lot of the "teenager but looks like he's in his 30's" crowd.

[Sirus]

I've never worked retail, but I have some stories from my short-lived cable days.

Like, the woman who wanted to know how to use the parental restriction controls so her adult son who lived in a tent in the back yard couldn't watch anything violent or sexual.
Or the African-American couple who, upon being asked to tie their (very large and angry) dog up somewhere out of the way, immediately accused me of being racist and demanded to speak to my manager. Manager told me to leave after speaking to them for a few minutes.
Or perhaps the duplex which, thanks to poor placement of the main cable line in relation to the fusebox (where we were required by law to ground the cable) required well over two hundred feet of line just on the outside of the building.