If you go to a store and have trouble finding something, would you want an employee to point you in the right direction, or would you want the employee to walk with you and find the product for you?

In today’s story, a customer wants an employee to literally find the product for her, but she regrets asking for help when she realizes how inconvenient it is for the employee.

Let’s read the whole story.

Yell at me because we’re understaffed? Let me make you feel really guilty

Last summer I was working at my red craft store job checking out people at registers, when my foot slid off the ancient mats and something in my foot’s bones clicked.

Three days of work missed, workmen’s comp, and a few X-rays later, I’m in a medical boot that finally lets me walk without a ton of pain.

A couple of weeks go by, and I’m at work in the boot feeling much better.

Getting around at a good pace and even running faster than my middle aged manager to grab a call.

The night comes to an end and we start the closing process.

There weren’t very many employees working at closing time.

An important thing to note is that at this store we almost always only have a maximum of 3 people including a manager to close the store, some nights it’s 2.

This isn’t a lack of employees it’s corporate orders to save money

So there I am sitting behind the very large framing desk imputing the paperwork into the computer while sitting on a stool to ease off my foot, when a lady stomps up and yells “FINALLY!”

Surprised, I lean around my computer and give a polite “How may I help you?”

She huffs and gives a gesture toward our floor “Yes you may! There is no one anywhere to help me! The only person is that girl (said in a snide venomous way) at the registers that refuses to help me.”

It wasn’t really that she was refusing to help because she was being mean. She wasn’t allowed to leave the register.

Folks on registers cannot leave the area but usually point you in the correct direction.

I start to get up to help her when she says “This place is a mess-” and then something that was a major dig at my coworkers I can’t remember her wording I just remember being incredibly ticked at it

It was at this point I had a idea.

Standing up I say “I’m so incredibly sorry ma’am, what were you looking for? I can help you”

OP insisted on being helpful.

“Your glassware” she said haughtily, “you know, for flowers?”

“Of course!” I say, starting to limp around the counter that since now, had obscured everything below my apron pockets. “Vases are this way, we currently don’t have any in seasonal, but we do have our standard stock.”

The lady literally gasped and stammered when I had fully emerged from behind the counter “Oh- oh no it’s fine! You could just- just point me in the direction…”

“No no it’s fine! It’s this way follow me” I proceed to slowly limp favoring my boot more than I had in weeks and adding some swing in my shoulders for effect. I apologized for the lack of employees on the floor and brought her to the vases (that were very easy to find I’ll have you know)

The customer seemed to regret asking for help.

I grabbed the vase she wanted from the top shelf made a show of checking for chips and ask her if there was Anything else I could help her find.

She straight up refused to look me in the eyes and muttered “no I’m good, thank you… I’m sorry” and walked away

I went back to the frame shop and had an amazing laugh

I hope she thinks about it at night while staring at the ceiling

At least the customer seemed apologetic when she realized she was injured.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person would’ve gone another step further.

Will the customer really learn anything from this experience?

Hopefully she has a close parking spot.

This would’ve been funny!

At least she found what she was looking for.

Eventually.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.