Retail staff have always had to juggle customer service with a heck of a lot of patience.

So once one retail employee’s store reopened after a long closure, she quickly discovered how creative shoppers can be when faced with a laminated sign and a little inconvenience.

Read on for this Tale From Retail from the COVID era.

Customers can’t read signs. Or they can but choose to ignore it.

Recently my work (clothing store) opened back up. One new rule is that only every second change room is allowed open. This is to reinforce social distancing by reducing the amount of people in that area of the store.

The store made sure customers were aware of this change.

So people are aware a change room is closed, we have stuck a sign (white laminated paper) at eye level onto the change rooms dark grey curtain, which is also left closed.

The section I work in has 2 change rooms, so only one is available to use.

But she found some customers chose to willfully ignore the signage.

I went to see if the customer in the change room needed any help and noticed that there was someone in the other one too, the one that is meant to be closed.

I stood next to the curtain and said: “hi, excuse me, there is a sign saying this change room is closed. I’ll need you to exit out of this one and use the one that isn’t closed when it becomes available, thank you”

This customer basically admitted she just didn’t care.

The customer opened the curtain and began picking up her belongings: “Yes I know, I saw the sign. But the other change room is being used”

I told her that the rules still apply, even if the available change room is being used. She’ll just have to wait her turn.

Another tried to feign ignorance.

Five minutes later (and no, I’m not exaggerating) I caught another customer in the closed change room! I went up to the curtain and repeated what I said to the other lady.

The customer opens up the change room and says: “Oh sorry, I didn’t see the sign”

This was unlikely.

Again, white sign. Dark grey curtain. Pinned at eye level.

What about their kids?

Also this was in the children’s section of my store, so clearly these women are setting a good example for their kids: the rules don’t apply if you can’t be bothered waiting.

The rule may have been simple, but a customer’s will is always stronger than reason.

Redditors chime in with their two cents.

This commenter knows the pains of dealing with obtuse customers all too well.

Maybe a sign isn’t enough to dissuade some of the more… determined customers.

Some people just can’t be reasoned with.

Customers say the darndest things.

At the end of the day, she was forced to uphold the rules with grace, even when customers couldn’t do the same.

It’s funny how retail always manages to reveal the quirks of human behavior.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.