Working retail can be chaotic enough, but sometimes the real trouble comes from customers who hear what they want to hear.

So, what would you do if you explained that part of your job is helping prevent theft, only to have a customer twist your words and storm off, claiming you accused them of stealing?

Would you keep trying to defend yourself? Or would you just let them complain and move on?

In the following story, one self-checkout employee finds himself in this very dilemma and opts for the latter.

Here’s what happened.

No, I’m not accusing you of stealing

It was a really busy afternoon at Schmesco, and I was manning the 10 self-service tills.

I clocked a middle-aged couple looking at the masses of queues for normal checkouts and begrudgingly making their way to self-service.

They got off to a false start because their own bag was made of thick canvas, which the machine mistook for an unscanned item, so I went over to reset the scales.

She wouldn’t be quiet long enough for him to explain.

“Eugh, these are supposed to be SELF-Service tills, what’s the point of YOU being here?” She asks me, rhetorically

I’m slightly taken aback as I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that before.

So, I say, “Oh, well, I help customers when the machines are messing up, and can teach them how to have a better experience, approve age-restricted products, and prevent folks from stealing.”

She whipped around at me and said, “Did you just say I’m STEALING!?”

His manager made sure to have a “word” with him.

Before I could say anything else, she threw her hands in the air and said, “That’s IT! We’re going to a normal checkout! I can’t believe you accuse me of stealing. I’m putting in a complaint to your manager!”

All the while I’m trying to explain that she took it the wrong way, but it didn’t get anywhere as she talked over me the whole time, and wasn’t that bothered as I had other customers to attend to.

Sure enough, come evening time, my manager comes down and says, “I just had a complaint from a customer who wanted me to’ have a word with you’ – so this is the word with you. You did nothing wrong, but if she comes back I have had a word with you.”

Yikes! She sounds like an absolute nightmare.

Let’s see what Reddit readers have to say about customers like this.

According to this reader, customers only hear about 50% of what you say.

This is actually great advice.

Here’s someone who blames the register to avoid problems.

For this reader, the industry is different, but the problem is the same.

Next time, he should watch what he says.

Generally, it’s never good to say ‘stealing’ because people don’t listen and can misconstrue what you say.

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.