Shutterstock

Some shoppers become extremely confident the moment they decide an employee cannot possibly help them.

An older customer insists two young managers are too inexperienced to know what “waxed paper” even is.

So they check the aisle anyway and find plenty of it sitting exactly where she had already looked.

See how this in-store embarrassment went down.

You’re Too Young to Know What That Is

This happened last week.

I was co-manager with my peer (we will call him Buddy) and we start to do a lap around the store to make sure the team is doing alright and see what needs to get done before we leave.

Responsible employees. Will they get more than they bargain for?

As we start our walk, this older lady is about to pass so I ask her:

Me: Hello, are you finding everything okay?

Lady: (Angrily) No, I’m not.

OK, coming in hot. What does she seek?

Me; Okay what are you looking for so we can help you find it?

Lady: You can’t help me, I’ve already checked and you don’t have it.

Me: What is the item?

Buddy: If you tell us what item it is we can see if maybe it’s in the back room since you didn’t see it on the floor.

Buddy going above and beyond. What’s this lady’s deal though?

Lady: Don’t bother, I know you don’t have it cause I checked, I went to the aisle your employee told me to go and it was not there.

Me: What’s the item?

Lady: Waxed Paper

Me: Wax Paper?

Lady: Wax-ED PAPER

Buddy: Right, Wax Paper

Oh boy. We’re getting nitpicky here, I guess?

Lady: WAXED PAPER. You use it to wrap food like sandwiches. NOT parchment paper. WAXED PAPER. You’re too young to know what it is.

(Searching in our store device, typed in wax paper, says we have 29 on the floor in the aisle)

Me: Okay it says we have some so if you want to follow me we can go and look for it together.

(I have been smiling and have been super nice through this whole interaction)

Service with a smile. Will the lady reciprocate?

Lady: No, I already looked and you don’t have it so feel free to go check out what I already know for yourself and I’ll be in the ice cream if you need me.

(She proceeds to walk away)

I look at Buddy and smile.

What does OP have up their sleeve?

We walk over to the aisle where it said they would be and I kid you not, right NEXT to the parchment paper….

On the TOP shelf are at least 20 containers of WAX paper.

Me: Hmmm how many do you think she needs????

Buddy: One, just grab one…

Me: I think she needs all 20 of them!!! What do you think?

Buddy: (laughs) Oh god no just get one.

Buddy, c’mon! Have some fun with it! What’s a good compromise between one and twenty?

Me: (grabs 3 of them and finds lady) Hello, I wasn’t sure how many you needed so I grabbed three just in case.

(I’m smiling from ear to ear)

Lady: (looks up from her phone and sees the wax paper in my hands) Oh my goodness where did you find those???!

Eating her words (wrapped in wax)?

Me: In the aisle. They were on the top shelf next to the parchment paper so that could have been why you missed them.

(Cause you didn’t look above your eye line)

Lady: Oh gosh you must be feeling pretty good right now, making me eat my words.

She takes two of the wax paper containers and I end up accidentally running into her a couple more times throughout the night.

Oof. Awkward run-ins, the worst. How did she respond to the encounters?

Each time her face got super red.

It was a good night.

Sounds like this lady was redder than a beet.

Let’s see what the comments have to say.

One person says, let me count the ways…

Someone else says, ugh, technicalities…

Another person says, OP didn’t live under a rock.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who thought HR was doing them a favor, only to realize they were really saving the company money.

Another person says, ask for help if you need it… or don’t!

The managers found stacks of wax paper right beside the parchment paper, then brought several rolls over to the customer with a smile.

She immediately realized what had happened and spent the rest of the visit getting visibly embarrassed whenever they crossed paths again.

Turns out age matters less than occasionally looking at the top shelf.