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Some customers make a simple request much harder than it needs to be.

For one bakery cashier, that happened when a man left a plant on the counter where she served food.

Her boss had told her to keep plants off those surfaces, so she asked him to move it.

But when she suggested putting it on the floor, he refused and threatened to leave without buying anything.

She offered another option, but by then, he was really upset and decided to just leave.

Keep reading to see how this all played out.

Man calls ME “difficult” after refusing to listen to my directions.

I (19F) work at a normal convenience store with a bakery section. It is right at the front of the store, where the doors are. Therefore, the first thing people see is my lovely face and all the cakes and bread.

I stand there behind the desk throughout my whole shift. The entrance resembles a greenhouse and is therefore also the place where the flowers and plants are placed.

This is important because we are not allowed to have the flowers and stuff on our desk, as it is a health and safety violation (bc dirt germs). But since my desk is placed right at the entrance, people buy the flowers from me before or after going through the rest of the store.

When she noticed the flower, she started looking for the owner.

I am therefore told by my boss that I should ask customers to place the plants on the floor or hold them in their hand.

When this incident occurred, I was on an afternoon shift in charge of the bakery alone. I am helping a customer, and in the process, I move from one end of the bakery to the other, not having a clear line of sight to the desk where people place their items.

When I arrive back with the items the customer needed, I notice a flower has been placed on the table. I ask the customer if it is theirs, but they say no.

I make a note of it, and I notice a man to the far left looking at the cake display. I finish up with the customer, and the man moves over in front of me.

He finally admitted that it belonged to him.

I ask him if the flower is his, but he ignores me and starts stating what he would like to buy. I repeat the question, and he answers.

The following convo then starts:

Him: Yes.

Me: Okay, sir. Then could you remove it from the desk, please? It’s not allowed to be there.

For whatever reason, he refused to listen.

Him: Oh. (Proceeds to pick up plant and place it on the display case to the left of me.)

Me: Sir, that won’t do either. Could you place it on the floor?

Him: (Picks up plant.) No, I won’t do that. (Sets plant down once again in the same spot.)

Me: (Getting very confused.) Sir, it’s not allowed to be there—

Then, he walked away.

Him: (Cutting me off.) I won’t place it on the floor. Now, if you continue, I won’t buy from you.

Me: Sir, if you won’t place it on the floor, could you then just hold it?

Him: No, I won’t bother with this. If it’s gonna be this way, I won’t buy. Goodbye.

Me: (Standing confused.)

When his wife asked about the cake, he blamed the bakery cashier.

His wife then comes out of the store and walks over to him. He then moves to leave with her.

She asks: Aren’t we gonna get cake? (Her oblivious to what has just gone down.)

They move a little away and leave the flower on my desk.

Him: No, I don’t wanna buy anymore. She is being difficult.

Luckily, the next customer was nice and bought the flower anyway.

And then they leave, and I pick up the plant and place it back where it came from.

The most comical thing is that my next customer, a sweet lady, came in a minute or two after and picked up the same flower he had and came to buy it from me. And SHE put it on the floor from the start.

So I’m happy to say the flower probably got a great home.

Wow! It’s funny how that worked out.

Let’s see what thoughts the readers over at Reddit have about this situation.

This person gets where the guy is coming from.

According to this comment, that’s the store’s problem.

It does sound pretty weird.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who got the perfect revenge after being told he can’t work from home.

This would be easier.

Putting something you’re about to buy on the floor does seem a little weird.

So it’s understandable that he didn’t like that option.

But she still had rules to follow, and holding it would’ve solved the problem.

The store should give customers somewhere else to set their plants while they pay.