August 17, 2025 at 8:45 pm

Grocery Store Employee Asks Customer If He Can Help Her With Anything, So She Tells Him To Call His Manager

by Jayne Elliott

smiling grocery store employee in an apron

Shutterstock/Reddit

Sometimes customers can be really frustrating.

Imagine asking a customer if there’s anything you can do to help, and they don’t answer you right away. Would you move along, or would you wait patiently until they answer?

In today’s story, the employee decides to wait for an answer, but that only makes the customer more upset.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

“LeeMcBOSS, how dare you smile at our customers!”

This one is a few years old from my customer service time at CorporateGroceryStore. Grumpy woman will be GW, my somewhat rude service manager will be SM and I’ll be Me

GW walks up to service desk.

Me in a (rare) good mood: Hey how’s it going’?

GW: Not very good right now. She is clearly upset about something

Me: Ah, uh sorry to hear that? Anything I can do for you?

OP waits for her to answer.

She starts ruffling through her purse for something and is getting upset about something but what more can I do?

She takes a few more seconds in her purse before responding to me. I’m just standing there with that awkward half smile – the one you give when you walk past someone you sort of know but not well enough to say hi.

She looks up

GW: Oh you think that’s funny? Think it’s funny that I’m having a bad day?

OP didn’t expect this!

Me: Uh, no, I just–

GW: GET ME YOUR MANAGER

I’m like a deer in headlights and totally frozen. I page over the intercom system, “SM to the service desk, SM to the service desk.” This old hag sits there stewing and getting more and more upset. SM arrives

SM: What seems to be the problem?

The manager had OP’s back.

GW: Well I’m not having a good day and LeeMcBOSS over here (points to me) IS SITTING THERE SMILING!!

SM looks at me and I give him that “this lady is crazy” shrug

SM (very sarcastically) : LeeMcBOSS, how dare you smile at our customers!

SM then stares right into GW’s eyes for what seems like and eternity. She must have realized how ridiculous she was being. She grabs up her purse and storms out while mumbling.

SM and I had a good laugh!

She could’ve just answered his question and let him know if she didn’t need any help with anything.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

People complain no matter what.

Screenshot 2025 07 26 at 3.29.52 PM Grocery Store Employee Asks Customer If He Can Help Her With Anything, So She Tells Him To Call His Manager

RIGHT!!!???

Screenshot 2025 07 26 at 3.30.00 PM Grocery Store Employee Asks Customer If He Can Help Her With Anything, So She Tells Him To Call His Manager

This person liked the ending.

Screenshot 2025 07 26 at 3.30.09 PM Grocery Store Employee Asks Customer If He Can Help Her With Anything, So She Tells Him To Call His Manager

Here’s a good comeback.

Screenshot 2025 07 26 at 3.30.21 PM Grocery Store Employee Asks Customer If He Can Help Her With Anything, So She Tells Him To Call His Manager

Some customers just like to complain.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.