I work at Snow and Rock (ski/outdoor shop). Some of the things I've experienced there are just plain hilarious in hindsight.
- Typical moaning about waiting (one guy actually phoned the store to complain that he was waiting in the queue for the till - and it was the guy at the till who answered the phone. Logic?)/no stock/item not available in the size/colour they want. I'll just bend over and start pushing it out for you, sir...
- As a ski boot fitter, seeing people's manky feet all day isn't that very rewarding. When I have to serve someone who hasn't cut their toenails, it's pretty bad. But the worst one I had was some guy who had a fungal nail infection on ALL of his toenails. Due to health and safety, I had to refuse him service, and he then spent about half an hour calling me everything under the sun and claiming that he didn't have an F.N.I, before then launching off at the manager (who then asked him to leave due to his foul language).
- People who want extra discount on sale items, and make it seem as if they're doing you a massive favour in buying that product. For example, once winter season's done, you can pick up a pair of ski boots for around £150. People try them on, then say 'what deal can you do for me?', Erm, none? They're already reduced by 40% which is more than I get in staff discount. Then they do the whole 'well I won't buy them then'. I always just say 'ok'. They always end up buying them anyway.
- EVERY single person who asks to try on a pair of Oakley's always commets on the number of locks on the cabinets (there's 4 in total - 2 on the cabinet, and 2 padlocks). 'God, it's like fort Knox!' Oh. Original. Really original. Like I haven't heard that ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO!!!! What do you expect, there's about 2 grand's worth of stock sat in this one cabinet alone!
- People bringing in items they didn't buy from us to send to our repairs department at head office, and getting arsey because we DARE to charge them £10 to send the item back to a manufacturer we have no links with at all.
- People bringing in items they did buy from us to send to the repairs department and kicking up a massive fuss because 'this item's just not good enough'. Sorry love, I'll be more carefull when I'm stitching the seams next time, shall I? Because It just HAD to have been me who made that jacket. That you lovingly put a ski slash into the shoulder of. Which therefore invalidates the warranty.
- There was once a guy who casually walked into the store, stood net to the till point, whilst both tills were being used, and just kept bellowing 'SERVICE!!! SERVICE!!!!' at the top of his lungs. I finished serving my customer, looked at him and bellowed 'WHAAAAAT!!!!????' back to him. I got a verbal warning for it, but my manager had to run out to the stock room as she was laughing so hard.
- New year's day. Everyone who's working is hanging. We're all recouperating in the boot pit upstairs, when we hear someone banging on the door. I go down and answer it to this guy who says he wants a ski boot fit done. 'Sorry sir, we're not open for another half an hour'. 'But I need to get some ski boots, I've got to get to the airport in an hour!' You what!? You waited until NEW YEARS FRIGGIN' DAY, AN HOUR BEFORE YOUR FRIGGIN PLANE RIDE to get some boots!? SOD OFF, MATE!
-The absolute worst thing of all, the creme-de-la-creme, the mother of all things that gets my back well and truly arched - kids. I hate kids so much. Running aroud, smashing things over, oblivious to anything, everything and everyone - and all the while their parents are just casually looking at shirts, and dropping them onto the floor because they decide they don't like them. Occasionally, you here a faint 'Timmy, come here please', as the parent half-arsedly tries to reign in the kid with a verbal command that has as much persuasive power as a wet fart, but to no avail.
I'm actually toying with the idea of puting sentry guns on the doors and setting the target as anyone under 10.
I'm sure there's more I can think of.