The Worst Customer – Part 1

Almost a year ago I wrote a post that was called the 10 minute interview in which I talked about my method of hiring fast food employees and how it can be adapted to other professions.

I realized that these 4 questions don’t only serve as a great interview guide, but they also remind me of some very interesting stories. So, I’d like to take some time and share those stories. We’re going to start with question 1: Tell me about the worst customer you’ve ever had to deal with.

It was Wednesday, and I was working the morning shift (7am to 5pm.) I had just finished collecting the money from the registers and was preparing a bank deposit when there was a knock at the office door. Opening the door I saw my cashier standing there with a crisp new $100 bill.

“Can you make change for the lady at the counter?” she said, handing me the bill.

I said “Sure, no problem” as I grabbed 5 20’s off of my desk and locked the door behind me.

As I got to the counter, I noticed my store was nearly empty. There was a family near the back sitting at a table, and one single lady busy holding down my counter.

I walked up to her and said “were you waiting on some change?” but she simply gave me a blank stare.

All of a sudden, the lady in the back of the restaurant came charging up to the counter saying “that’s my money, why did you assume it was hers?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I was told the lady at the counter, and this was the only lady at the counter. Here’s your change.” as I held out the stack of $20 bills.

She didn’t take it. Instead, her scowl embiggened and she repeated (only louder) “Why did you assume it was her $100 bill?”

Again, I repeated “I’m sorry, I was told to make change for the lady at the counter, and there was only one lady at the counter.”

“No, that’s not what you assumed,” she said. “You assumed that because I was black that I couldn’t have a $100 bill, so you thought it was the white lady’s. You’re just a racist.”

Somehow managing to restrain my laughter I once again said “No Ma’am, I simply thought that somebody waiting for $100 wouldn’t get up and walk away. Here’s your change” and I held it out for her again.

Still, she didn’t take it.

“I don’t need to sit here and be mistreated because of my skin color. You think that black people can’t have any money, that we’re all on welfare don’t you you little prick? I don’t have to take this shit from an ignorant racist like yourself.”

At this point her food was being placed on the tray in front of her and her kids were starting to pick at the food.

“You’re right, Ma’am” I said. “And I don’t have to sit here and be insulted by a customer either.”

“Here’s your $100 bill back,” I announced as I placed it on the counter and proceeded to dump her tray of food into the trash can. “We’re not going to serve you. Have a great day.”

This pissed her off even more. She started calling me every name in the book, at which point I simply told my cashier to help the next customer and went about my job without acknowledging her.

My non-responsiveness wasn’t enough, and she took out her cell phone and dialed 911. I couldn’t restrain my laughter this time as I heard her telling the officer that she was being racially discriminated against.

Shockingly, within the next 20 minutes two policemen actually showed up. When they walked into the door the lady flagged them down. Before heading over to them though, I noticed that the one officer whispered something to the other.

That’s when he went over to the lady and spoke to her. About 20 seconds later they were placing her in handcuffs and exiting the store.

Laughing hysterically I asked one of the officer’s what was going on.

“is she the one that called us?” he said.

“yup, why?”

“well, she’s got felony warrants out for her arrest. We recognized her as soon as we walked in. I can’t believe she actually called us.”

That was the end of that. At least she managed to take her $100 off the counter before going to jail. She probably needed it for bail.

5 comments September 17th, 2008