It feels great when your workday ends and you get to relax and unwind.

Staying a bit later to help someone is highly overrated, as the worker in this story found out.

Why you should never hang around after work.

I currently work in the position of technician at a pharmacy placed inside of a grocery store.

Our pharmacy receives a high volume of customers and scripts, so there’s rarely a dull moment.

The events of this day will be the opposite of dull.

This story happened about three months in, when I was finally becoming comfortable in all the positions of the pharmacy.

I was especially good at handling issues and customers over the phone, so most of the phone duties landed on me.

Our Sunday hours run from ten until five and tend to be maniacally busy and chronically understaffed (story of our lives though, right?).

At around three p.m. I receive a call from a woman asking us to refill one of her medications.

Let’s call her RL for Rushed Lady.

RL: I need to get my **** filled. You do that.

She’s speaking so quickly that I have to ask her to repeat the drug name. This only serves to make her more irritated and speak even more quickly.

Then her diva moment escalated.

After finally piecing together what it is she needs done, I let her know this is her last refill.

M: I’d be happy to fill this for you. When would you like to pick this up?”

RL: Today. I need it today.

M: No problem at all. Please remember that-

click The line goes dead before I can remind her that we close at five today.

Despite the fact that we’ve closed at five since before I was alive, I like to remind our customers since that bit of information often slips their minds and leads to ugly problems.

No problem right? I’ll just dial the number that we have on file for her.

I call and leave a voicemail reminding her that we close at five and set her medication aside so that I don’t forget to give her another call around four o’ clock if she hasn’t show up yet.

Fast forward to four p.m. and RL has yet to show up.

I manage to squeeze in my break between the four o clock rush and give RL another call, with no answer.

We survive the rest of the afternoon until five o clock rolls around.

So she leaves, but the drama follows her.

I feel terrible knowing this lady will be unable to get her prescription tonight, but I had done the best I could.

I clock out and decide to do a little shopping in the store before I go home and spend about half an hour in the store.

As I’m walking out, an associate from the customer service grabs me and asks if I work in the pharmacy. My silly response is, of course, yes.

CSG:( customer service guy): Great, because we’ve got a lady at customer service who is pretty mad.

My stomach instantly sinks, because I know exactly where this is headed. Sure enough, CSG directs me to an angry looking woman who is pacing the customer service area.

The second she opens her mouth, I recognize the speed induced slur of RL’s voice.

RL: I need my medicine TO-DAY.

I check my watch, just to be sure that no miracle has occurred and it is still way past five.

M: Unfortunately ma’am, we are closed for the day, and have been for the past half hour. I called you twice to remind you that we closed at five and even left a voicemail.

Then the customer kicks it up a few more knotches.

RL: I don’t have time for no voicemail, you little *****. I have time to get my meds, so hurry up and get it for me.

M: Unfortunately I cannot sell any prescriptions without the pharmacist present. We have been closed for half an hour and the pharmacist has gone home.

RL: I know you have a key, so open up that gate and get my meds!

M: I’m sorry ma’am, I don’t have a key. I don’t even have registers available to do that.

RL: I’m going to call your manager (good luck, he’s on vacation with his phone off) and let him what an unhelpful little ***** you’re being! You’re lucky I don’t beat the **** out of you right here and now!

Now I’m scared and glancing at the customer service people for help. They’re just sitting there watching this woman cuss me out and threaten to beat the hell out of me.

Finally, the hostility is tapering off…

After about ten minutes of this, RL winds herself down and asks when we open tomorrow.

M: Nine a.m.

RL: I’ll be there at 8:45.

And then she prances off into the sunset. While I start to bawl my eyes out in fear and embarrassment, CSG starts to laugh and clap.

CSG: We told her all that stuff, but she just wanted to yell at someone from the pharmacy.

Bonus: Apparently she didn’t come in the next day, or the next, or the one after that…

Here is what folks are saying.

This makes a lot of sense.

Bill them how?

You must have no tolerance for this.

No is an important word.

I imagine you learn a lot about customers!

Some people are shameless.

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.