Imagine taking your lunch break on a busy day at work, but then a customer complains and seems to think you shouldn’t be taking a break since the store is so busy.

Would you apologize, ignore the customer, or explain that you were on your lunch break?

In this story, one retail worker is in the situation, and she is really angry about it.

Let’s read all the details.

I don’t care if you are on lunch, you should have been helping US!

So I work at a store in a very busy mall. The way that our store is set up is weird, because if you are waiting in line and someone needs to go into the stockroom/staff room, you can very well see the inside.

Anyways, yesterday our store was unbelievably busy. We just launched our holiday items and had a sale yadda yadda.

I was working my usual 8 hours, and as always, my lunch kept getting pushed back. Whatever, that’s life in retail.

I finally get to go on my lunch and I ZOOM into the staff room, because customers were hounding us left and right.

This really isn’t an ideal break room setup.

So I’m sitting in our crowded stock/staff room and I am sitting down and enjoying my lunch, browsing on my phone.

The stock person holds the door open as he is bringing in a lot of boxes etc.

The line up is HUGE, and everyone in line looks at me, sitting on my phone, eating food.

It felt awkward but it’s inevitable, that is how the room is constructed.

The customers complained.

My manager comes in a few moments after the door closes, and asks if I’m almost done my lunch.

I tell her I have a few mins left.

She goes “ah okay, it’s really crazy out there. People saw you sitting and got mad at us”

I was like ok??? That seriously isn’t my problem as I am on my lunch. You’re the manager. If there is a problem like that, you can fix it.

Some customers think they come first no matter what.

My lunch ends, I get my uniform back on and head onto the floor.

Unbeknownst to me, the next person in line was the person that was making the biggest stink about how long the line was and saw me sitting in the staff room. She was an older women, with her husband and teen daughter. Probably a few years younger than myself

Me: how can I help you today?

Lady: can I give you some constructive criticism? Next time there’s a line up and there’s people lining up out the door at your store, you should be on the floor, instead of in the back on your phone. We’ve been waiting in line for almost 10 minutes

There’s not really anything she can do if she’s on her lunch break.

Me: uhh…I am really sorry miss. But I was on my lunch break.

Lady: I am not saying that you don’t deserve a lunch break. I am just telling you that it’s very unprofessional to sit down while there is a line up outside. We could have been out of here so much faster if you did.

Me: if I was on the clock I would have, but as I already said I was on my lunch break. I was not technically working. I am sorry about the wait do you want to speak to a manager?

Lady; no. I just wanted to let you know that for next time.

It was infuriating.

The transaction goes on as normal after that.

And I am just so angry.

I usually have a pretty high tolerance but for someone to be mad at me for something that was out of my control was just awful.

I hope this is my last holiday season working in retail. I already can’t handle it .

The real problem is the break room setup. There should be some way to block the view from the rest of the store. Perhaps a curtain or something like in a changing room?

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

The customer really wasn’t making much sense.

This is a similar story with a very different ending!

I bet the customer would’ve shut up if she had responded like this.

An employee at a costume rental shop shares their experience.

Retail workers aren’t robots who can work nonstop without taking a break.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.