Poll of the Day > At my liquor store rarely do I have problem customers, but today

(+) Yeah! (+)

This interaction took the cake.

Last week a guy with a long red beard came in and bought some mini bottles of salted caramel moonshine. I've seen him before, and thought nothing of it. Out of the corner of my eye I swear I saw him open it and drink it outside my store but in the view of my window by the public garbage can. Okay, noted. Guy comes in the next day and same thing happens. So, I tell my crew if we see him come in again I am going to stand outside by the garbage can in hopes my mere presence will encourage good or at least not blatantly illegal habits.

Today I am in the office, and I hear a voice ask for salted caramel moonshine minis. I stand up, in full view of the customer and walk outside and wait by the garbage can. Not right next to it but close enough, and I was watching. Guy walk outside, goes to the garbage can and fiddles with something, opens a mini, drinks it and throws it in the can. I mention that I can't be having this kind of thing happen in front of my building. He goes "huh?" and I repeat myself, I cannot have this happen in front of my building, or else I might have to not serve somebody if it keeps up. He didn't say anything but he looked mad, and walked away.

15 minutes later the guy comes back inside asking for another moonshine mini. I see him and I tell him we are not serving him, as he just had one outside. He proceeds to argue about my sign(on the door, it says if you are visibly intoxicated we will refuse service) and what visibly intoxicated is. I tell him he just drank one a little bit ago and I saw it, that is enough. Visibly intoxicated in this case means we visibly saw him drink it just a few minutes ago. He then gives me the middle finger and walks out saying he won't be back. I hope he doesn't come back. I know I certainly didn't do anything wrong and in fact if anything I was being too nice, actually giving him more than one opportunity to correct his behavior before I said anything.

I don't have problem customers at my store, this man being one of the first. I am not really sure what motive he had for coming back, because since I saw you drink one of the minis 15 minutes ago(breaking multiple laws) that is an argument you will lose every time.

In retail when they say they won't be back, they often are. I do hope he doesn't. And to think, all he had to do was go outside of the view of my store's window, as in 30 feet in either direction, down the mini and I wouldn't know, and I am not really supposed to action on things I merely suspect or have not personally seen with my own two eyes.