Some customers can be really frustrating. I’m talking about customers who either aren’t listening or simply don’t understand the reality of the situation.

Imagine working retail and a customer wants to buy something that you currently don’t have in stock. Would you try to sell them something similar, or would you let them leave and buy what they want somewhere else?

In this story, one employee deals with a frustrating customer who knows what she wants until she finds out the store doesn’t have it.

Let’s read all the details.

Customers don’t even listen to themselves.

I work in a gas station that’s owned by a grocery store in the Midwest.

For whatever reason, we’ve been having problems with our distributor and we haven’t been getting nearly enough of the cigarettes we sell the most of.

Tonight we’re out of Newport 100s, Newport shorts, and Newport light 100s. We sell tons of these so naturally people are mad.

We also have a deal going on right now that you save $1.50 if you buy two packs, but all we have are the Newport light shorts.

One customer had a weird question.

In walks this lady with her daughter.

L: Can I have two packs of Newport light 100s?

Me: I’m sorry but we don’t have any. We’ve been having problems with the distributor so all we have are the light shorts.

L: Oh. Well does the (unaffiliated gas station) across the street have the $1.50 off two deal too?

The customer apparently didn’t find what she was looking for.

Me: (dumbfounded that she would think I would know our competitors deals) I don’t know what their deals are as we aren’t affiliated with them.

L: Okay well I’ll go across the street then.

I just couldn’t believe that she thought I would know another company’s deals. But that wasn’t the end of it. She came back in an hour later.

L: I’ve driven all over town! I need two packs of Newport light 100s.

The employee clarified.

Me: Miss I’m sorry but like I told you before we don’t have any, only the shorts.

L: points at shorts They’re right there!

Me: Those are the shorts.

L: That’s what I want!!

This is getting confusing.

Me: You want the shorts? You asked for the 100s.

L: Yeah I want the 100s!

Me: We don’t have them we only have the shorts. (I was so irritated at this point)

L: Okay yes I’ll take those.

Me: The shorts?

L: Yes.

Me: Okay that’ll be $13.80.

Is the customer even listening?

She looked at the packs and I knew she was going to say something so I waited to put the payment through. Sure enough

L: Umm no these are the shorts.

M: (very irritated and not even caring if she reports me to the managers) Yes that’s what you asked for after I told you that we don’t have the 100s. I verified that that’s what you wanted and you said yes you wanted the shorts.

L: just looks at me

Finally, the end of a very painful customer interaction.

Me: Would you still like to purchase them?

L: Yes.

I put the payment through and give her the receipt.

She then proceeded to sit in our parking lot for an hour. I can only assume she was writing a complaint email to the store. But if you really won’t listen to me, at least listen to what YOU are saying.

Wow! That woman clearly wasn’t understanding or listening or something!

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person explains why they once got a write up.

Another person witnessed a customer get upset about cigarettes.

A smoker shares the difference between the two types of cigarettes in this story.

It’s very frustrating.

Customers need to stop taking out their frustration on cashiers.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.