Store That Sells Balloons Ran Out Of Helium, But Customers Still Come In Demanding To Have Their Balloons Filled

Jayne Elliott

4 months ago

Shutterstock/Reddit

I don’t know what it is about balloons, but they make an ordinary day feel special, which is probably why they are so popular for celebrations like birthday parties.

If you went to a store to have balloons filled with helium and were told that they didn’t have any helium, what would you do? Would you think they were joking, choose to fill the balloons with normal air, or nix the idea of balloons altogether?

In today’s story, one employee shares what happened when their store ran out of helium. Read on to see how the customers reacted.

My store is a dud and I’ve personally ruined several birthdays.

So I work at a “shindig town” where outside of major holidays our main income is balloons. Whether it’s a small little HBD, a giant 5, or a 4 foot trex that stands on the ground.

To provide a little background; helium is a finite resource. Very finite. Our supplier had run out for a while and being a retail store we’re very low on the totem pole for “those who need this immediately” (although customers will try to convince me otherwise)

So we’ve been out of helium for a month. (yes, we used the tanks we sell. All 200. Roughly $10k in sales lost)

Customers don’t understand that they really don’t have any helium.

I see people come in and look at our balloons (its hard to miss. They just stand there, mouth gaping while they look up) and I’ll try to tell them “excuse me but we don’t have the ability to fill balloons” and I get hit with:

-I’m just looking (they try to buy still, 5 minutes later)

-Just use air (the balloons dont float with air? I obviously used the wrong air)

-My granddaughter/grandson/son/daughter/dog/boss NEEDS this balloon (and I need helium)

-I’m putting an order in for tomorrow/next week (I try to tell them that i won’t have it then. “It should recharge by then”…. Ok)

-Your store is a dud and useless! (followed by angry throwing of unused latex balloons)

One customer found another way to use the balloons without helium.

Only one person that I’m aware of didn’t lose their cool.

A dad ended up filling his balloons with air and buying a drop bag to rain balloons on his kid when they came home 🙂

Bonus story: Recently we got a single tank for the foreseeable future. Every customer is limited to 12 latex balloons (on the weekend we’ll usually blow through 3 big tanks).

But one lady REALLY didn’t get it.

A lady called to ask if we had helium and I said yes, and explained the limits.

She comes in and says she wants over 100 balloons. She honestly had a plastic bag full of balloons and plopped it on the counter.

I did a nervous chuckle and said that I can only do 12.

“Oh, I heard that but it doesnt matter, I’m a paying customer”.

I tried to tell her that I literally could not fill that many. No one within an hour drive could.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do the customers think the employees are lying to them?

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

I’ve done this, but on walls not ceilings.