Closed registers usually stay peaceful for a reason, especially when opening one means inviting every nearby customer into the same tiny problem.

One retail worker makes an exception for an elderly couple, but what happens when that favor instantly attracts a growing checkout line?

Let’s see how one helpful exception turned into an entire department’s headache.

This is where it begins…

But no one reads.

So I end having to tell nearly everyone who stands there obliviously that it’s closed.

At this point me and my manager are setting up signature assortments for Fourth of July when I see an old couple walk up to the terminal.

OL = Old lady, me=Me

Giving an internal exasperated sigh, I tell them it’s closed.

Things start escalating real quick…

OL: Angry Sigh “Where are we suppose to go then? He has bad knee and can’t walk that far.”

Now I’m all for opening the terminal for the sake of customer service. But the attitude she starts giving off ticks me off.

I give a quick look to my manager who’s looking to see what I’m gonna do.

Me: “ I can open the register for you. “

OL: “THANK YOU”

You won’t believe what happened next!

Setting the business date and counting up the starting float. I check them out. Not wanting to get off task too long I silently pray that no one gets in the line.

Next thing I know I get a line of customers

Next customer comes up, she wants to split her transaction up to use up both her coupons.

That’s fine. It’s time consuming to do so, but still it’s fine.

I get through the second lady fine. But instead of leaving immediately. She sticks around to look for her keys in her purse, blocking the ability for another person to checkout.

UH OH…

I ask if she can move so I can take some one else and she exclaims she needs to empty her purse to look for her keys.

I wait five minutes hoping she finds them quick, but I quickly lose patience with the building line of customers

I move over to another terminal and open it.

By this point all four terminals are open with associates from other departments manning them to quell the building line.

Except one new guy that I’m training. To which I’ll mention never got an assigned associate number for the terminal.

Not his fault, but it only adds to the frustration as he needs help getting setup while I take customers

Cue difficult customer three.

The customer is pretty rude.

Rudely she states.

Cu: “ Are you open?”

Me: “Yes Ma’am.”

Cu: “Are you sure?”

Me: Internally “You can walk to another register if you keep up that attitude.”

Me: “Yes Ma’am”

It went on and on!

She’s buying a pair of sunglasses and they come to about $14. She pays with a hundred. Meanwhile I only have a hundred in fives, ones, and a ten.

Cu: “Do you have any fifties to give me?”

Me: “ No Ma’am, I only have small bills.”

Cu: “Okay” Still pays with $100

Great now I’m gonna get cleaned out.

That’s so ANNOYING!

I get all my tens, all my fives, and most of my ones, and give her the change.

Cu: “ Ohhhhh, that’s a lot of change. Don’t you have anything bigger?”

Me: “No Ma’am.”

Cu: “Can’t you get some bigger bills from there?”

She points to my coworker’s register.

Me: “No ma’am, it would cause a variance.”

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GEEZ!

Cu: “Okay… I’ll pay with my card then. I’m not taking that much change.” Pushes change towards me

Are you kidding me!

Me: “I already processed the purchase miss. I’ll have to return it.”

Cu: “Oh, okay.”

One return and a purchase later and All the customers are gone. I’m stuck with closing all the terminals.

I need a drink.

YIKES! That sounds so frustrating!

Why couldn’t the customers just be a little kinder?

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user knows what would have triggered them!

This user shares their experience with a customer.

This user shares how they never carry cash!

This user feels bad when they have to pay with a 100-dollar bill.

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 user knows how to redirect some customers.

The worker opened one register as a courtesy, then watched the situation snowball into multiple terminals, longer lines, and increasingly awkward customers.

One shopper blocked the lane searching for keys, while another drained the fresh till with a $100 bill before changing her mind.

By the end, four registers were running, and the employee still had to close every single one again afterward.

He opened one lane for kindness and somehow unlocked the full side quest retail boss battle.