[BG]I work at the paint desk of a big-box hardware type store. We, like many, have a bit of shelving devoted to markdown products, mostly consisting of "oops paint" that's been tinted and for whatever reason the customer gave it back/didn't buy it. per strictly enforced policy, i cannot modify the colors of mistinted paint, it is AS IS.[/bg]
OPEN YOUR STUPID EYES!
So I'm by myself at the paint desk, my co-worker in paint is up a 12 foot ladder hauling boxes around in the topstock fixing a safety issue.
I take an order, the people let me know they'll be back to pick it up. I get started at the dispenser computer when I hear from the markdown shelf....
SC: THIS IS WRONG!!
Me(turning quickly): Pardon?!
SC: THIS IS WRONG! WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Me: Okay ma'am.. what is wrong?
SC: This paint isn't two dollars! All of these others are two dollars why isn't this one? it's WRONG! YOU NEED TO FIX IT NOW!
I look, and she is holding a quart of paint. Most of our mistinted oops quarts are marked $2.50. The one she is holding is $10. It's just white paint, like for trim, and I remember marking it down, because it was returned with about a finger-width missing from the can.
Me: (explaining above) and since those paints are colored and you have to just keep whatever color they are, and this $10 is white just like off-the-shelf and easily usable, just missing a little bit of paint, we marked it down by about %10 instead of making it $2.50.
SC: Oh!
She slams the quart back down, and I go back to trying to make the other people's paint.
SC: What is this for? (please note I am facing opposite her clicking on a computer)
Me turning around: What is what for?
SC: THIS! (she is just standing there staring at me. No pointing, not even staring at the product she's asking about.. just me.)
Me: Ma'am there are several things on that shelf, which product are you referring to? (I sigh and walk around the desk so I'm next to her
SC: this stuff! *points at box of cabinet restore kit*
Me: that's to refinish your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, rather than replace them. It has paint and a glaze.
SC: What color is it?!
Me: The color circled in black is the color of the product. (there is a chart of all the available colors in the box. The tinted color is indicated by a thick black circle around the chart box, made by one of those superfat sharpies. It's really obvious even at a glance.)
SC: And what color is THIS one? *points at another box*
Me: The color is indicated by the circle.
SC: Okay, is this paint flat? *moving to a can of mistint paint*
Me: As you see here *points to label* it is Satin finish.
SC: And this one?
Me: Also Satin.
SC: THIS ONE?!
Me: Flat.
SC: WHAT COLOR IS THIS?
Me:
It's..
SC: IS IT GRAY?! or tan? or olive?
Me: it's sort of in between them all, ma'am.
SC: Okay I'll get this one! You shake it for me, now!
Me: If you'll wait up at the paint counter, I'll be with you as soon as I finish this order that came in before you, thanks.
SC: But I just want it shaaaaaaaaakeeeennnn!!!
Me: -rinse, repeat-
SC: Fine! *she huffs off to the main counter and I go back to what I was doing. As I'm pulling the first people's paint from the counter, I see them at the desk. I also see the SC pointing the paint splotch from the lid at them, demanding they tell her what color it is
They seem to take it well, the lady saying it looks kind of gray. SC then proceeds to interrogate them on whether they think it would be good for a closet, whether it would make her colorful clothes "pop", etc etc. I bring them their paint and they walk off, him like
and her like 
I shake SC's mistint paint and bring it back
SC: Can I pay for this here?
Me:
SC: Do I pay here or at the register?
Me: Up at the registers, ma'am.
SC: Oh good here *shoves her credit card at me*
Me: No, ma'am, you pay up at the register. *hands her card back*
SC: *CBF* Fine! *storms toward the register, a whole five feet directly behind her*
The cashier was even redlining so there was no wait at all...

Open your ears!
A woman comes up to the desk with a torn-off paint can label with some drips of the paint down it. She wants me to try and color match it. It's a pretty grey-blue color, and the label is bright yellow. I put it in the machine, and it results in a lovely teal green.
the paint isn't a thick enough layer to keep the yellow beneath from being picked up by the optics. I explain that I can take it to the color wall and try and find a similar color, at which point I will come show her and have her approve it, then I will mix her paint. She nods, so off I go. 30 seconds later, I've found a pretty close color, and she's GONE. So I set the chip and the label aside and move on, helping others for a good 30 minutes. She returns.
SC: Hey! My paint's not up here!
Me: Oh hi ma'am. As I said earlier, I need your approval on the color before I can mix it up for you. *I show her the paint chip against the bits of spilled paint on the label.*
SC: *barely glances* It's fine whatever. Why didn't you tell me I had to approve it? I wouldn't have left!
Me: I'm very sorry ma'am, I swore I mentioned it.
SC: Well you DIDN'T!
Me:
It'll be about two more minutes. Thanks for being so understanding
OPEN YOUR STUPID EYES!
So I'm by myself at the paint desk, my co-worker in paint is up a 12 foot ladder hauling boxes around in the topstock fixing a safety issue.
I take an order, the people let me know they'll be back to pick it up. I get started at the dispenser computer when I hear from the markdown shelf....
SC: THIS IS WRONG!!
Me(turning quickly): Pardon?!
SC: THIS IS WRONG! WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Me: Okay ma'am.. what is wrong?
SC: This paint isn't two dollars! All of these others are two dollars why isn't this one? it's WRONG! YOU NEED TO FIX IT NOW!
I look, and she is holding a quart of paint. Most of our mistinted oops quarts are marked $2.50. The one she is holding is $10. It's just white paint, like for trim, and I remember marking it down, because it was returned with about a finger-width missing from the can.
Me: (explaining above) and since those paints are colored and you have to just keep whatever color they are, and this $10 is white just like off-the-shelf and easily usable, just missing a little bit of paint, we marked it down by about %10 instead of making it $2.50.
SC: Oh!
She slams the quart back down, and I go back to trying to make the other people's paint.
SC: What is this for? (please note I am facing opposite her clicking on a computer)
Me turning around: What is what for?
SC: THIS! (she is just standing there staring at me. No pointing, not even staring at the product she's asking about.. just me.)
Me: Ma'am there are several things on that shelf, which product are you referring to? (I sigh and walk around the desk so I'm next to her
SC: this stuff! *points at box of cabinet restore kit*
Me: that's to refinish your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, rather than replace them. It has paint and a glaze.
SC: What color is it?!
Me: The color circled in black is the color of the product. (there is a chart of all the available colors in the box. The tinted color is indicated by a thick black circle around the chart box, made by one of those superfat sharpies. It's really obvious even at a glance.)
SC: And what color is THIS one? *points at another box*
Me: The color is indicated by the circle.
SC: Okay, is this paint flat? *moving to a can of mistint paint*
Me: As you see here *points to label* it is Satin finish.
SC: And this one?
Me: Also Satin.
SC: THIS ONE?!
Me: Flat.
SC: WHAT COLOR IS THIS?
Me:

SC: IS IT GRAY?! or tan? or olive?
Me: it's sort of in between them all, ma'am.
SC: Okay I'll get this one! You shake it for me, now!
Me: If you'll wait up at the paint counter, I'll be with you as soon as I finish this order that came in before you, thanks.
SC: But I just want it shaaaaaaaaakeeeennnn!!!
Me: -rinse, repeat-
SC: Fine! *she huffs off to the main counter and I go back to what I was doing. As I'm pulling the first people's paint from the counter, I see them at the desk. I also see the SC pointing the paint splotch from the lid at them, demanding they tell her what color it is

They seem to take it well, the lady saying it looks kind of gray. SC then proceeds to interrogate them on whether they think it would be good for a closet, whether it would make her colorful clothes "pop", etc etc. I bring them their paint and they walk off, him like



SC: Can I pay for this here?
Me:

SC: Do I pay here or at the register?
Me: Up at the registers, ma'am.
SC: Oh good here *shoves her credit card at me*
Me: No, ma'am, you pay up at the register. *hands her card back*
SC: *CBF* Fine! *storms toward the register, a whole five feet directly behind her*
The cashier was even redlining so there was no wait at all...


Open your ears!
A woman comes up to the desk with a torn-off paint can label with some drips of the paint down it. She wants me to try and color match it. It's a pretty grey-blue color, and the label is bright yellow. I put it in the machine, and it results in a lovely teal green.

SC: Hey! My paint's not up here!
Me: Oh hi ma'am. As I said earlier, I need your approval on the color before I can mix it up for you. *I show her the paint chip against the bits of spilled paint on the label.*
SC: *barely glances* It's fine whatever. Why didn't you tell me I had to approve it? I wouldn't have left!
Me: I'm very sorry ma'am, I swore I mentioned it.
SC: Well you DIDN'T!
Me:


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