Some customers act like every rule exists only to inconvenience them.

This store employee dealt with one of those customers while working at a package pickup location that requires customers to show a government-issued ID before receiving their packages.

The customer forgot his ID at home left without much fuss when the employee explained the policy.

But when he returned with his identification, he suddenly seemed determined to challenge every step of the process.

So, what should’ve taken less than a minute turned into a debate over why the rules existed in the first place.

Read on to see how it all played out.

Are you saying you don’t trust your customers?!

My store happens to be a package drop-off location for when drivers can’t/won’t leave a package at the customer’s door.

There is a very strict rule of the customer presenting their physical government issued ID to us before we’ll give them their package.

Most customers understand why this rule is in place and are fine with it. This customer was not.

At first, he didn’t seem upset.

Customer (walks in and sees the big sign say that they need their ID): “I forgot my ID at home. If I give you my name and address, can I get my package?”

Me: “Sorry, no. You need your ID.”

Customer: “Alright. I’ll be back.”

The customer didn’t seem upset when they left, and I went back to cataloguing the merchandise that had been water damaged by a freak accident. About an hour later the customer returns.

He came back and was very pushy.

Me: “Welcome back.”

Customer: “Give me my package. I don’t see why you wouldn’t give me it earlier. Who else is going to have my name and address?”

Me: “It’s the rule. It’s to make sure that we’re giving the right package to the right person.”

I take his ID from him and go look for the package.

Then, he asks a dumb question.

Customer: “Are you saying that you don’t trust your customers?!”

Me (walking back with the package and confirming as I walk that the information matches): “I’ve never met you, and I don’t know you. We just want to make sure that you’re receiving the right package.”

I hand the ID back and move to scan the package out.

Customer (snatches ID from my hand): “Well, that’s just stupid and poor customer service. Now give me my package!”

By now, he was getting impatient.

Me: “In a moment. I need to scan it out of our system first.”

Customer: Huff’s impatiently.

Me (finished scanning out the package and gesture to the signature pad): “Alright, last step, please sign, and hit okay with the pen.”

Customer: “Unbelievable. What are you going to do if I refuse to sign?”

He snatched it and left.

Me: “If you don’t sign, I won’t release the package.”

Customer: angrily signs and throws the pen down.

Me (making direct eye contact with them and hitting the okay button with the pen): “Alright. All done. The package is all yours.”

Customer: snatches the package out of my hand and stomps out the door.

Suddenly, her boss appeared.

Boss (comes up from the back where they were dealing with the landlord over who is paying for the water damage): “Did she actually ask if we didn’t trust our customers?”

Me (chuckling): Yup!”

Boss (shaking their head): “How do you get to be an adult and still think like that?”

Me: “Dunno, but they’re probably also convinced that any day now a Nigerian prince is going to make them rich.”

Wow! What a bad attitude for no reason.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a hardware store employee who lost his cool with customers wandering around after closing time.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit would handle him.

Here’s what this reader would say.

That is a good point.

According to this comment, here’s what to say.

So true!

This customer might want to think about how he’d feel if the situation were reversed.

It’s easy to complain about ID checks and signatures when you’re the one picking up the package.

But if the store handed his package to someone else who simply claimed to be him, he’d probably have a very different opinion of those rules.

Either way, a quick ID check and signature seem like a pretty small inconvenience compared to losing a package.