When working in customer service, there can come a point when patience runs out, and you’re forced to speak up.

So, what would you do if a customer’s child kept picking up merchandise while you were trying to help, and it started to get out of hand? Would you keep your composure and hope the parent speaks up? Or would you step in and set a boundary yourself?

In the following story, one cashier finds himself in this very predicament and ends up saying something. Here’s what happened next.

AITA for Warning a Customer?

One day, a customer comes in with her child (maybe 2 years old), looking for a product.

I work with her and try to help find the best price possible while the child picks up store products. She has to consistently stop him, occasionally apologizing. I don’t say anything.

This persists for about five to six minutes, until he starts slamming drawers shut.

After a few minutes, he tries to put a stop to it.

I stop him from picking up something expensive by gently touching it before taking it, saying, “Here, let me have that, buddy.”

I return to look for a specific product for customer when he lifts a $405 piece of merchandise and throws it at the ground. This is something that can easily be damaged if handled in such a way.

I’m a little upset at this point and tersely say, “Okay, ma’am, if you can’t stop him from destroying my product, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I swiftly picked up the product.

Suddenly, the woman got very upset with him.

She picks up the kid and says, “He’s mean.”

I return to my computer to keep looking for what she wants, and then she says, “You know what, forget it. This is not how you treat a customer. You are very rude. You could have asked if I could take him away from the store. He’s a baby. You must not be a parent.”

I said nothing in return as it’s not my place to debate the efficacy of parenting. She left, and that was that.

AITA?

Yikes! That’s rough, but most employees would’ve done the same.

Let’s check out how the readers over at Reddit would’ve handled it.

Here are thoughts from someone who’s worked retail before.

For this person, parenting is hard, but that’s the price you pay.

According to this comment, her workplace would’ve done the same.

Here’s a mom who would rather have that happen than the alternative.

He did her a favor, and she should consider herself lucky.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.