I may be wrong, I usually am, but wasn’t there once a time when the employees of stores were required to be NICE to you? When did this trend end? When did people become so surly?

I was in a local grocery store recently. An old man asked a guy in the produce section a question. The old man was very soft spoken and quiet. All he wanted was a specific kind of vegetable. He didn’t even necessarily want the veggie right then. He wanted to know if the store carried it.

“We don’t have any” the employee bellowed. Yes, BELLOWED. Gruffly and angrily.

The old man proceeded to try to follow up his question with another, but the employee would have none of it.

“WE. DON’T. HAVE. ANY. I already told you that.”

The old man walked away while the employee looked at another worker with a “Did you get a load of that guy?” kind of look.

If the man had been rude, I would understand. But he was very soft-spoken and kind with his question. He hadn’t been pushy or accusatory.

The employee, however, was pushy. What a jerk.

Seriously, aren’t employees supposed to represent the company? Aren’t they supposed to be as helpful as possible? Should they not treat their customers with respect?

I’m finally taking a stand. I’ve had it.

I’ve begun reporting employees to the manager. I feel I deserve the ability to shop at a store without being insulted by the staff.

However, I’m fully aware that often just reporting the employee will not work. So I’m taking additional steps as well. Next time I am treated rudely, I will take the merchandise I would have purchased, hand it to the manager and explain that they just lost this amount in sales. I will even COMPLETE my full shopping trip to prove the amount I WOULD have spent.

I’m sick of it. These people are getting paid to provide a service. I’m sorry if I’m impugning upon their “personal time” by asking where the diapers are located. I’m sorry that my spending money is not their priority.

You know what? Screw the little ingrates. Next time I’m treated rudely I’m going to start yelling, “Don’t touch me there! I don’t like bananas! Stop trying to kiss me! I don’t want to smell your pet lizard!”

I wonder if that will work?