Hello CS.com!
Bit of background since this is technically my first post (though I've been lurking on here a long time) I'm the product manager for a DSD company that supplies confectionery, souvenir trinkets and clothes to the stores around my state. Typically most of my days are spent at the office, but whenever it gets too busy or our normal delivery personnel aren't available I usually have to take up the slack of getting orders out.
One of our best selling items over the summer has been a particular type of peanut brittle made by the local brewers, with the gimmick naturally being that they add a hefty amount of their premium beer and pale ale into the mix. Tastes pretty much the same as any other type of brittle (which, admittedly, is pretty good) , but people really like it and as a result the stores we service keep running out of it. The following tales cropped from my valiant efforts to keep everyone supplied with their sweets.
Wait till you're out of earshot, or at least out of uniform!
Our cast:
Me: I am myself, and he is me.
SB1: Soldier Boy 1, apologetic and polite
SB2: Soldier Boy 2...just read on.
I get a call from the local air force base, stating the troops desire their hard earned shares of sweet alcohol and sweeter caramel but the comissary no longer has any to give. Since the usual boys are servicing the stores in the Valley, an hour away, I speed rush an order of brittle through and high tail it out there to make sure everyone's happy. I get checked in, the store manager voices her appreciation and off I go to our set to fill the shelves anew with goodies...
...whereupon I'm promptly cold clocked by something very cold indeed as I'm kneeling to fix up the candy bar display. Literally something nails me directly in the head from above, and as I go falling back onto my butt a large bottle of soda rolls off back to the feet of two men in full camo duty fatigues. SB1 has his hands full of other such snacks, and is looking absolutely mortified while SB2 goes to retrieve the drink from the floor.
SB1: Oh my God. Oh I am so, so sorry! I saw you there and wanted to ask if you had any of that beer candy, then I lost my grip on the soda.
I rub my head, which is certainly sore as would be expected from being smacked with a 2 liter bottle hurtling down at mach velocities, but I've endured far worse in my life and can tell the most this is going to leave is a bruise.
Me: Oh, it's okay. I'm fine. And uhh, beer brittle right, it's in the box next to you.
SB2: Oooh, hey score!
He proceeds to grab half of my delivery (about six bags worth of the stuff) and tosses them onto the pile in SB1's hands.
SB1: Thanks, umm, you sure you're okay?
Me: Yeah, seriously it's fine. I used to play soccer when I was in college and suffered more than my share of broken noses and black eyes. No serious harm done.
SB1: Okay, well again, I'm sorry.
SB1 carefully steps around me as does his buddy and it seems all is well...for about a second...then I hear this behind me.
SB2: Dude, what was that about? You don't apologize to store employees. They're used to having shit dumped on them, or thrown at them. Don't waste your breath, it's not worth it.
Me:
Um, excuse me, sir, First off, I'm still right behind you! You didn't bother to get more than 10 feet away from me before you said that. Second, as indicated by the fact that I'm not wearing the store's outfit and have a tag that says VENDOR on me, I'm not an employee here, so major fail of logic on that part.
Thirdly, and most important of all, regardless of your opinion on us lowly peons, you're wearing the uniform of one who's in service to a very substantial faction of the United States Armed Forces!!! So long as you've got that on you, you are acting as a face for the organization responsible for fighting for our freedom and our well being. Everything you say while in that outfit is a reflection on you, your fellow enlisted and everyone else in said force.
In other words: SAVE THE DEROGATORY SHIT FOR YOUR OWN TIME!!! Don't disgrace the other brave men and women serving our country by showing they're having to affiliate with you!!
Had this been just a random customer I'd probably have let the comment go, but a clearly enlisted soldier? No...just, no.
Only the first leap to your defense is free.
Our cast:
Me: Still me
STB: Sweet tooth baby, a 30 year old with the mind and demand of a 3 year old
STB2: Sweet tooth baby's mother/girlfriend/wife/sister, I honestly couldn't tell.
I'm at one of the big box stores around town, who naturally have also cleaned out of the tasty peanuty goodness over the weekend. Fortunately I have enough to cover the space till we can resupply so I start pulling caramel corn off the above shelf and make another facing.
Well it seems this act of trying to cover for our poor planning did not sit well with someone as I promptly hear a cry of "Oh not again!!"
I turn as STB comes ambling up, eyes looking like they're about to spill forth with tears and hands shaking as he points to my half finished fake-out.
STB: You never have that candy when I come in! Why do you never bring enough candy when you come by!?!?
Me: Oh, well I do apologize sir, unfortunately the thing is-
STB: I just want some of the damn beer candy! I'm in here every week, and YOU NEVER HAVE ANY!!
Me: Well sir, as I'm trying to explain-
STB: Just order more of the beer candy! How hard is that?
STB2: Dear, he's trying to tell you, please let him finish!
Me: Yes, uh thank you, well basically the beer brittle has proven to be far more popular than we were expecting. We're rushing to get more in all the time, but occasionally some stores just sell out of it faster than we can replenish it. Please don't worry though, I'm writing an order up for double the amount right now. I'm making sure every store has a sufficient amount for the coming week. If you come back in a day or so, we'll have more out, ready and waiting for you.
STB:Well fine then, but you'd better! Cause if I see you in here again without that candy I'm going to kick your ass across the parking lot!
Me:
STB2: Dear, go wait in the car, now!
STB leaves and STB2 heaves a huge sigh.
STB2: Sorry, we've been having problems at home, he's just venting.
Me: Oh I understand, and I empathize. It's been no picnic for us trying to keep up with the demand.
STB2: I'll bet, just please make sure you do get that beer brittle in soon. I'm getting sick of dealing with his constant temper tantrums and sometimes I wonder if it'd be better for me to just step back and let him kick someone's ass.
And again I'm
Yes many thanks to you, lady. Come to my rescue, then immediately tell me that next time I'm on my own. I think I can see where those problems at home may be stemming from.
I now realize I could possibly have told them that they can also order stuff directly from us...but I'm not so sure I want them to know where I and my colleagues work.
Anyway, that's my grand intro submission to this forum. Pleasure meeting you all and I'll be back soon with more tales to tell!
Bit of background since this is technically my first post (though I've been lurking on here a long time) I'm the product manager for a DSD company that supplies confectionery, souvenir trinkets and clothes to the stores around my state. Typically most of my days are spent at the office, but whenever it gets too busy or our normal delivery personnel aren't available I usually have to take up the slack of getting orders out.
One of our best selling items over the summer has been a particular type of peanut brittle made by the local brewers, with the gimmick naturally being that they add a hefty amount of their premium beer and pale ale into the mix. Tastes pretty much the same as any other type of brittle (which, admittedly, is pretty good) , but people really like it and as a result the stores we service keep running out of it. The following tales cropped from my valiant efforts to keep everyone supplied with their sweets.
Wait till you're out of earshot, or at least out of uniform!
Our cast:
Me: I am myself, and he is me.
SB1: Soldier Boy 1, apologetic and polite
SB2: Soldier Boy 2...just read on.
I get a call from the local air force base, stating the troops desire their hard earned shares of sweet alcohol and sweeter caramel but the comissary no longer has any to give. Since the usual boys are servicing the stores in the Valley, an hour away, I speed rush an order of brittle through and high tail it out there to make sure everyone's happy. I get checked in, the store manager voices her appreciation and off I go to our set to fill the shelves anew with goodies...
...whereupon I'm promptly cold clocked by something very cold indeed as I'm kneeling to fix up the candy bar display. Literally something nails me directly in the head from above, and as I go falling back onto my butt a large bottle of soda rolls off back to the feet of two men in full camo duty fatigues. SB1 has his hands full of other such snacks, and is looking absolutely mortified while SB2 goes to retrieve the drink from the floor.
SB1: Oh my God. Oh I am so, so sorry! I saw you there and wanted to ask if you had any of that beer candy, then I lost my grip on the soda.
I rub my head, which is certainly sore as would be expected from being smacked with a 2 liter bottle hurtling down at mach velocities, but I've endured far worse in my life and can tell the most this is going to leave is a bruise.
Me: Oh, it's okay. I'm fine. And uhh, beer brittle right, it's in the box next to you.
SB2: Oooh, hey score!
He proceeds to grab half of my delivery (about six bags worth of the stuff) and tosses them onto the pile in SB1's hands.
SB1: Thanks, umm, you sure you're okay?
Me: Yeah, seriously it's fine. I used to play soccer when I was in college and suffered more than my share of broken noses and black eyes. No serious harm done.
SB1: Okay, well again, I'm sorry.
SB1 carefully steps around me as does his buddy and it seems all is well...for about a second...then I hear this behind me.
SB2: Dude, what was that about? You don't apologize to store employees. They're used to having shit dumped on them, or thrown at them. Don't waste your breath, it's not worth it.
Me:

Um, excuse me, sir, First off, I'm still right behind you! You didn't bother to get more than 10 feet away from me before you said that. Second, as indicated by the fact that I'm not wearing the store's outfit and have a tag that says VENDOR on me, I'm not an employee here, so major fail of logic on that part.
Thirdly, and most important of all, regardless of your opinion on us lowly peons, you're wearing the uniform of one who's in service to a very substantial faction of the United States Armed Forces!!! So long as you've got that on you, you are acting as a face for the organization responsible for fighting for our freedom and our well being. Everything you say while in that outfit is a reflection on you, your fellow enlisted and everyone else in said force.
In other words: SAVE THE DEROGATORY SHIT FOR YOUR OWN TIME!!! Don't disgrace the other brave men and women serving our country by showing they're having to affiliate with you!!
Had this been just a random customer I'd probably have let the comment go, but a clearly enlisted soldier? No...just, no.
Only the first leap to your defense is free.
Our cast:
Me: Still me
STB: Sweet tooth baby, a 30 year old with the mind and demand of a 3 year old
STB2: Sweet tooth baby's mother/girlfriend/wife/sister, I honestly couldn't tell.
I'm at one of the big box stores around town, who naturally have also cleaned out of the tasty peanuty goodness over the weekend. Fortunately I have enough to cover the space till we can resupply so I start pulling caramel corn off the above shelf and make another facing.
Well it seems this act of trying to cover for our poor planning did not sit well with someone as I promptly hear a cry of "Oh not again!!"
I turn as STB comes ambling up, eyes looking like they're about to spill forth with tears and hands shaking as he points to my half finished fake-out.
STB: You never have that candy when I come in! Why do you never bring enough candy when you come by!?!?
Me: Oh, well I do apologize sir, unfortunately the thing is-
STB: I just want some of the damn beer candy! I'm in here every week, and YOU NEVER HAVE ANY!!
Me: Well sir, as I'm trying to explain-
STB: Just order more of the beer candy! How hard is that?
STB2: Dear, he's trying to tell you, please let him finish!
Me: Yes, uh thank you, well basically the beer brittle has proven to be far more popular than we were expecting. We're rushing to get more in all the time, but occasionally some stores just sell out of it faster than we can replenish it. Please don't worry though, I'm writing an order up for double the amount right now. I'm making sure every store has a sufficient amount for the coming week. If you come back in a day or so, we'll have more out, ready and waiting for you.
STB:Well fine then, but you'd better! Cause if I see you in here again without that candy I'm going to kick your ass across the parking lot!
Me:

STB2: Dear, go wait in the car, now!
STB leaves and STB2 heaves a huge sigh.
STB2: Sorry, we've been having problems at home, he's just venting.
Me: Oh I understand, and I empathize. It's been no picnic for us trying to keep up with the demand.
STB2: I'll bet, just please make sure you do get that beer brittle in soon. I'm getting sick of dealing with his constant temper tantrums and sometimes I wonder if it'd be better for me to just step back and let him kick someone's ass.
And again I'm

Yes many thanks to you, lady. Come to my rescue, then immediately tell me that next time I'm on my own. I think I can see where those problems at home may be stemming from.
I now realize I could possibly have told them that they can also order stuff directly from us...but I'm not so sure I want them to know where I and my colleagues work.
Anyway, that's my grand intro submission to this forum. Pleasure meeting you all and I'll be back soon with more tales to tell!
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