Sometime policy can take a hike!

[Mamadrae]

I freely admit that when I pulled this antic I was 18 and on a moral high horse at the time. The customer might have actually been correct but I didn't feel he went about it the right way.

I was working at a local fast food joint. I'm always put on drive thru for my superior politeness skills or something. I blame having a grandmother raise me who lived through WWII. Anyways, we get a new girl and before the rush I'm showing her the ropes of the register.

Now said girl had some kind of skin disorder and our uniforms have short sleeves. I forget what the disorder was called but one of the first questions I asked was what it was. She explained it was genetic and there was 0 risk of spreading it or anything.

Lunch rush hits and I have my hands full with drive thru. New girl is doing a wonderful job up front. She's obviously done this work before, just needed to learn the register really, and not a single customer has made a comment about her skin.

Enter Sucky Customer that was lucky I didn't slap him.

He places his order with the new girl who's not far from my register (no idea who the heck though having the DRIVE THRU register up front was a good idea). However when she says she'll be right back with his food the following happens.

SC: I don't want you getting my food. Your arms are disgusting! *looks about sees me in the middle of talking to someone on a head set* I want her to get my food.
ME: *not paying attention as I finish placing the car's order* Sorry, say again sir?
SC: I don't want that disgusting girl touching my food. You get it for me.
ME: *starting to plot murder for insensitive jackass* It's genetic and don't think our managers would have her working if...
SC: I said get my food you slow *number of words that small children should not hear included the dreaded C word*
ME: Why certainly sir I'll ge....get....a...aaa....ACHOO! *making it a point to practically spit in my own hands and sniff rubbing my nose all over my hands* I'll get that for you now.
SC: *looking totally grossed out* Nevermind, she can get it.

Now I'm mentally grinning in triumph only to turn around and have my manager standing right behind me. She simply told me to go scrub my hands and get to work.

Later though, after the rush, she said she had to fight not to laugh her ass off at the whole thing.

[Ironclad Alibi]

That's wonderful.

Congratulations on the quick thinking.

[Apathy]

Good work.

And apparently he didn't have too much of a problem with that other girl, since she got her food anyway.

[Anriana]

I don't see where you broke policy at all, unless there's a policy against sneezing. Well played.

[Samaliel]

Sorry about asking this, but as a non native English speaker, I wonder what could the C-word possibly be. I can think of a F-word, a N-word, a B-word or even a D-word, but no C-word comes to mind.

If you're not comfortable with posting it here, feel free to send me a Private Message. Or just disregard the request. I think I can live without knowing one more slang derogatory word. But I'm curious. ^^

[Becks]

Good one!!!!!!!!

[BaristaTrav]

I'd have done much worse. Moreover, the SC could have just quietly called you over and said "look, would you mind getting my food instead of her. I'm just kinda grossed out by her condition." That would be.. somewhat understandable. Rather than being completely ignorant, insulting, and belligerent about the whole thing.

[Mamadrae]

I'd have done much worse. Moreover, the SC could have just quietly called you over and said "look, would you mind getting my food instead of her. I'm just kinda grossed out by her condition." That would be.. somewhat understandable. Rather than being completely ignorant, insulting, and belligerent about the whole thing.

I agree. I mean logically I believe the customer is within his rights to ask that someone else get their food but the way he asked was completely wrong. Hence the thought that while the policy he was trying to use was ok, it went out the window the minute he opened his mouth and was an arse about things.

[SuperB]

She shouldn't have to answer questions from the ignorant at all, as if she or management would allow anything contagious to begin with but if it's a constant thing that bothers her or interferes with work, "management" should provider her a long sleeve shirt to avoid the issue.

Is it psoriasis or eczema? I would think most people would know what they are if told but as I said, many ignorants out there.

[Crazeyal]

Well done! Policy can INDEED go hang.. (If yer willing to take the consequences..)

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I would have given him his money back and told him to NEVER come back or I would call the cops on him for verbal assault and sexual harassment( for the c-word). But, I don't work fast food, so I could get away with it.

Good thinking on your part, though!

[tropicsgoddess]

Well Done!!!!

[Mamadrae]

She shouldn't have to answer questions from the ignorant at all, as if she or management would allow anything contagious to begin with but if it's a constant thing that bothers her or interferes with work, "management" should provider her a long sleeve shirt to avoid the issue.

Is it psoriasis or eczema? I would think most people would know what they are if told but as I said, many ignorants out there.

I almost want to say eczema because that sounds familiar but I hate to say it's one thing and it's really another.

I too did think that management should've let her put on a hoodie or something if she wanted it covered. It was cool enough in the store that she could do that even in the hot months. Unfortunately our head manager (store manager I think?) was unimaginative and did everything by the book. Only folks allowed long sleeves was folks in the drive thru cashier in the winter months.