Current Events > Would refusing this customer service in the future be a dick move?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I (work at convenient store, been here for 6 years. Passed 2 years I've been strictly on overnights. This regular that comes in, he has always been a cool dude and he usually buys lottos and beer from the store.

Last night at around 12:45am he came in trying to cash a lotto ticket (worth $20). (Our lotto machine goes down at midnight, has always been this way. It only goes back up when the morning shift arrives after I do end of day, which is usually around 5-6am depending on the day) He knows I can't cash the ticket as I told him multiple times before that it goes down at midnight. He always does this if he doesn't make the cutoff and it's usually not a problem except sometimes he just gets upset, it's whatever. Tonight I told him I couldn't do it (again) and then all of a sudden he says "Well that short fat black chick always does it", I asked if it was Emily (fake name) and he says "no not her". Only person I can think of is Linda (fake name). Tom doesn't confirm or deny, if that's who he was talking about (she hasn't worked here in 4-5 years).

I have no idea why he brought her up after all these years of me denying him until today, anyways, he buys another ticket and some beer with his debit card (we accept debit but not credit for Lotto) and then on his way out he says "You get robbed one time and now your scared" I was thrown back from this, I really had no idea how to process that comment at the time. (I was robbed with a gun last year in July, yes it was a store robbery and I am okay, dude was caught and put in prison for multiple armed robberies. Justice worked out, thankfully).

After he left, my disbelief wore off and I became pissed. So I decided I'm just going to deny him service next time I see him. I will do my best to remain professional about it but I won't ring him up again. I texted my boss and let her know if she gets a complaint from him that's why. She has my back and is going to talk to him but I refuse to ever ring him up or do anything for him ever again. Would that be a dick move?

I'd honestly do it based off of that "OTHER person let me break the rules!" bullshit alone.

Ive had that happen a couple times where regular customers go off on a racist tangent. I still served them but I never respected them and stopped chatting with them

Not a dick move; you have the right to deny anyone service, but you also need to be able to follow through. But also be aware if you think the person is a threat, because people are so fucking petty if they're told they're banned from anywhere, especially a place of convenience.

Thank y'all for having my back. I haven't seen him tonight, so I haven't had to deal with it yet. I have the next two days off so hopefully he comes soon when my boss is here. She is more pissed off then me hahahaha she went into Mama Bear mode lol hopefully she gives him a ear full and he decides to never come back.

GeminiDeus posted...

Not a dick move; you have the right to deny anyone service, but you also need to be able to follow through. But also be aware if you think the person is a threat, because people are so fucking petty if they're told they're banned from anywhere, especially a place of convenience.

Well I'm not worried about him being a threat, but you truly don't know people. But your right about following through and I don't want to deal with him constantly coming back trying to get me to let it go or whatever. So I'll just not be cordial with him anymore and just be really short with him for now on, if he comes back in. Thanks for the advice.