Some customers demand the world from poor employees.

This home-improvement store employee got the blunt end of a customer’s rage when service was temporarily delayed.

Security ended up throwing the customer out because of his unruly behavior.

Read below for the full story.

“I OWN FOUR COMPANIES!”

I work as a cashier at a large home-improvement store in South Florida, and I’ve been working there since January. Learning curve was easy, and you also learn about the inefficiencies of the store.

As a college student, it is a decent job to have at the moment.

The problem here is that our policy states that if a forklift is in use, the aisle it is in and the adjacent aisle where the lift is being worked must be closed. No exceptions.

Something falls, you die, I laugh, company gets sued, no one wins.

Here’s where the story begins.

Customer — whom we shall refer to as Not-So-Bright (NSB) — enters the store, and I give my signature greeting…

Me: “Hello, sir! Is there anything I can assist you with today?”

NSB: “No, I’ve been here before… new guy.”

Me: (unfazed) “Alright, sir, just give a holler if you need anything.”

An impatient customer was demanding immediate service.

I walk back to my register to take care of a purchase for another customer. It’s about 8:30 PM, and I work on the furthest end of the store with all the lumber and such… so it was pretty dead. Forklift crew comes by, I wave, they set up to get a pre-made fencing pallet.

No biggie… right? Wrong.

Anywho, forklift driver goes in at an angle and gets the fork stuck inside two pallets. All-stop. Nobody move. Call the manager. Make sure everything is clear. Now, at the beginning of the whole process, NSB wants to get his lumber cut, but the aisle is closed until we fix this.

NSB: “Hey kid, when’s this aisle gonna be open again?”

Me: “Well, the forklift seems to be having a problem, so nothing can happen until then.” (Now for the sweet talk) “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, and I’ll make sure an associate will be ready to assist you when the aisle opens.”

NSB: “Well, why the heck can’t they open it for me?”

The customer decided to channel is rage to this employee.

Now, surely this customer must be a god by what comes next.

I go back to my quiet register, and because of the lack of customers, fire up one of my eTextbooks on my phone to do some light studying. Perhaps ten minutes pass.

“Timber!” a loading guy yells… and the pallet falls from the top of the shelf to the floor… and sorta explodes… not very exciting, actually.

Now NSB is piping. He goes off for a little on the loading guys, but they’re not used to dealing with customers, so they don’t take any grief from him.

So I assume he figures that he is obliged to direct his anger to the cashier that must have started all of this, and furthermore, is preventing HIM and only HIM from being helped.

The exchange went like this.

NSB: “Hey! You!”

Me: (a little off guard) “Hello again, sir. How can I assist you?”

NSB: “You can start by telling those jerks over there to get their heads out of the clouds and start letting me through.”

Me: “Sir, they’re working hard to clear up the accident. They shouldn’t be more than another ten minutes.”

NSB: “Forget you, man. Get me a manager. Now.”

Me: “Right away, sir.” …I said rather curtly.

And the customer suddenly snatched his phone.

I make the call over the intercom, just so NSB knows. I get a call from the manager, and he says he’ll be right there after he finishes something, but for whatever reason, after a few minutes, he isn’t here. NSB went off somewhere, and I resumed my study.

NSB swoops out of nowhere and swipes my cellular (it was on a kickstand sitting in front of me) and says: “You’ll freaking get this back after I get my wood cut.”

I’m not even attempting to defend myself because I was so shocked. I just apologize, call again… and then take an awkward moment to realize my property has been stolen from me.

Me: “Sir, give me back MY phone.”

NSB: “No, not until—”

Security to the rescue.

WHAM — the asset protection guy had been on him and got him in a headlock. NSB freaks out and curses everything and their mom; all the while, asset protection fishes my phone out to give to me.

NSB cools off, and asset protection kicks him (quite literally) out of the store and makes sure that he is no longer welcome in the store.

Asset protection guy stayed with me for a bit to make sure NSB didn’t come back. Even bought me a drink too.

Good times in retail.

Delays happen, but snatching a phone is not the answer.

Other users have something to say.

Charge the customer, says this one.

This user shares a genuine reaction.

Praises for the security guy.

This person is happy for the employee.

And here’s another funny retort.

Check your temper or face the security guy.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a rude customer who got exactly what they wanted in their pizza.