There’s nothing like getting thrown into the fire during your first day on a job.

Some like to refer to it as “sink or swim.”

But, if you’re gonna start a new job, you might get some of the aggravating things about it out of the way on Day One.

Just ask this worker.

They started a new job at a store and immediately had to deal with a customer who threw them for a loop.

Let’s take a look at what happened!

Customers, why?

“I just started a new job. I have worked in retail a couple years and started working at another store.

Since today was my first day at this store, I spent most of it doing modules but they put me on the register towards the end of the day.

I reached to the end of my shift and it was about time for me to clock out when my coworker, the only other person working the front, ask me if I could hold down the fort while she went on break.

Sure, why not?

I agreed to it because it was only 10 minutes.

What could possibly go wrong?

Dumb decision.

I don’t know what it is but for some reason you either get the most customers, or the most difficult customers right before you clock out. It’s like they can smell it or something.

Anyway, no sooner had she gone to the break room then my register was absolutely swamped.

I was doing alright taking care of everything, but then the assistant manager came out and asked me if I could help ring up a few balloons this guy was buying. It’s a bit of a complicated process because you can’t just scan a balloon that’s already been inflated.

This was pretty annoying…

There’s individual numbers for each and this guy got a bunch of different ones so I had to type them all in.

At the time I was in the middle of helping a customer and I asked her if I could wait until I was finished with him and she said yes. The guy I’m helping asks me if I’m sure about that and I say yes without a second thought.

I’ve already handled a huge line and a lady who must have bought half the store. Can’t be that challenging, right?

That’s when I look up and make eye contact with the guy. He’s making the most unhinged, maniacal, “HEEERE’S JOHNNY” looking grin I’ve ever seen and I wonder what the hell I just got myself into.

He buys about three fairly inexpensive items. Nothing crazy. Maybe he’s just messing with me. But then when I’m done he grins even wider and hands me a big wad of change and I suddenly realized why he said what he said.

What a classy guy!

It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was quarters but it was almost all nickels and a few dimes. And he had three customers behind him, including balloon guy.

I managed to count out the change far more quickly than expected, as someone who isn’t exactly a math or numbers person but the whole process of counting out all those nickels was a pain in the neck.

He apologized afterwards and we joked about it a little bit. In retrospect it was sort of funny but also, what the hell, dude?”

Let’s see what readers had to say about this.

This person weighed in.

Another Reddit user shared their thoughts.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about an employee who decided to push back against time micromanagement.

And this individual weighed in.

Well, that was interesting.

But trial by fire is a good way to get acclimated to a new job.

It sounds like they handled it just fine…

Some customers just don’t get it, do they…?