The big store was very busy today. Many people want to buy things for the holiday coming. I work at this store, not in a fancy job, but I am good at it. My job is to help people find what they need and to make sure they are happy. Today, I was helping a lady find some special thread for her sewing. She was very nice and said thank you many times.
Then I hear shouting. Not just normal talking loud, but angry loud. I look and see a woman, she is middle age, with bright red hair. She has a big purse and wearing a fancy coat. Next to her is a boy, he look like teenager, he is looking at his phone. The woman is talking to another worker, a young man named Kevin. Kevin is new and sometimes get scared by loud people.
The woman is saying that Kevin promised her something for free. She say she was here yesterday and Kevin say if she come back today, she can have a big box of cookies for free. The cookies are for the boy. The boy do not even look up from his phone. The cookies are not free. They are very expensive cookies, almost ten dollars. They are for a special sale, buy one get one half price. Not free.
Kevin is looking very white. He say he not remember saying that. The woman say he did. She is getting louder and people around them are starting to watch. I do not like this. I walk over to help Kevin. I am used to people like this woman. They think they are the most important person. They think rules do not touch them.
I go to stand next to Kevin. I try to smile, but it is hard when someone is yelling. The woman stop yelling at Kevin and look at me. Her eyes are like sharp little stones.
“You!” she say. “You are in charge here?”
I am not in charge. The manager is in charge. But many people think anyone who is not a customer is a worker. And sometimes, it is easier to pretend.
“I can help,” I say. My voice is calm. I think about my cat, Mittens. Mittens is black and white and likes to sleep in sunbeams. Thinking of Mittens always make me feel calm.
“This worker,” she say, pointing at Kevin. “He promised my son a free box of cookies. These cookies.” She hold up a box. It is the expensive cookies. “And now he say no. This is not good service.”
I look at Kevin. He shake his head a little. I look back at the woman.
“I am sorry for the misunderstanding,” I say. “Our cookies are part of a buy one, get one half price promotion. They are not free, but you can buy one and get a second one for half price.”
The woman laugh. It is not a nice laugh. “Promotion? He tell me free. I have important son. He need a treat. Are you calling me a liar?”
“No, ma’am,” I say. “I am not calling you a liar. I am explaining our current sale. Perhaps the worker yesterday was mistaken.”
The boy finally look up from his phone. He say, “Mom, it’s fine. I don’t need the cookies.”
The woman turn to the boy. “No, honey. This is important. They cannot just lie to you and then pretend nothing happen.” She turn back to me. “I want those cookies for free. And because of this bad service, I think you should give me more.”
I see people watching. Some look angry for the woman. Some look uncomfortable. Some look like they want to leave. This is not good for the store.
“Ma’am,” I say. “I can give you the buy one, get one half price deal. That is the best I can do for the cookies.”
She put her hands on her hips. She is a big woman, and she look bigger when she is angry. “This is not acceptable. I will speak to your manager. Where is he?”
I look around. The manager is not here. He went to a meeting this morning. He will not be back for hours.
“The manager is not here right now,” I say.
“Of course he is not!” she say. “So you are in charge? You make the rules?”
“I follow the rules, ma’am,” I say. “And the rule is the cookies are not free.”
The boy sigh and look back at his phone. The woman is getting redder. Her voice is louder. “This is unbelievable! I am a good customer here. I spend much money. And you treat me like this?”
Suddenly, a phone rings. It is a very loud, annoying ringtone. Everyone jump. It is the woman’s phone. She answer it, still looking angry.
“Yes? What is it?… No, I am busy… What? The dog ate the… Oh, for heaven’s sake!” She hang up the phone. She look very mad now.
“My dog,” she say. “He ate my prize-winning poodle’s special shampoo. I have to go home. But I am not forgetting this. You will hear from me.”
She grab the boy’s arm. He did not seem to want to go. She pull him towards the door. As she go, she knock over a display of socks. Socks go everywhere. She do not stop. She do not say sorry.
Kevin look at me. He is shaking a little.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“Yes,” he say. “But that was… a lot.”
“It is okay,” I say. “She is gone now. And no one got hurt.”
I look at the socks all over the floor. I look at the people who stop watching. They start to walk away. The lady with the thread come back to me.
“Thank you,” she say softly. “That was very… intense.”
I smile at her. “It is my job to help,” I say. I go to get a broom for the socks. The expensive cookies are still on the counter. No one bought them. The woman did not get them for free. She did not get anything extra. She just left. Sometimes, that is how it works. You just have to wait for them to leave.
