Why must you put me in this spot?

[Moosenogger]

Had an elderly couple come into the store today. I opened the door for them and politely chatted before helping them order their food. They wander off to continue shopping while I go to help others.

After a few minutes, I hear over the radio, "[Seifer], please tell the [elderly woman] that those salad dressing packages are NOT free."

I turn around and see the elderly woman in the middle of a free-for-all with our salad dressing packets (which are $0.29 each). She has stuffed several of them into her purse and is just finishing her attack on our condiment rack when I walk over. I'm already irritated, because I don't want to get into a confrontation over $3 worth of salad dressing.

I try to politely inform the woman that the dressing is not free, but she just nods and (I assume) plays dumb. I was at a loss, so my manager stepped in and "politely" told the woman to cough up the salad dressing in her purse and either pay for it or leave it. She ended up buying one and returning the rest, and simply said she, "didn't know."

Okay. I hate the fact that the salad dressing isn't free. I also hate that there isn't a sign stating such (I've already told management about it). However, I HATE when people put me in the position of theft referee either due to their own incompetence or behavior.

Bonus:

Had a lady try to steal a $0.49 banana today. She only caught my attention because I saw her start eating the banana the moment she picked it up. I figured she might try to dump the peel and play dumb, so I informed the cashier that they needed to charge her for the banana, too. (I'm glad I did, because she was trying to nonchalantly hide the peel behind her back/under the counter. Real subtle, lady.)

Funny thing is, if she had just picked up the banana and walked off, I wouldn't have watched her so closely.

[blas]

These were free, but when the times I worked at restaurants, old people (especially women) would load their purses up with all the little jellies, butters, and coffee creamers at the tables. It was usually inevitable, after any table of seniors, you'd have to do a full refill of the condiments at the table.

Makes me wonder how many of them have entire kitchens full of little jelly and butter packets.

[barainga]

Funny, when I go to Bob Evans they always give me way to much of those little packs of syrup and jam and butter. Its kinda nice though, occasionally we run out so I have some as backup. Makes me glad I always tip the ladies that work there.

[Dave1982]

I hate this sort of petty selfishness......complimentary doesn't mean you can take all of them, all you can eat doesn't mean you can eat it all, etc. And they always try to make it look like YOU'RE the asshole

[Sonoma]

Back in my fast food days, we had one family that was known to everyone on staff. After their visits, our salt, pepper, sugar, & Sweet & Low inventory would be decimated. It got to the point that as soon as we saw them enter, we'd pull those items back behind the counter, and only serve them a reasonable number (ie, what would be used with the food they ordered).

[Raveni]

At Grocery Store, we had a code for stuff like that which we obviously couldn't weigh since the customer ate it and tried to hide it.

And on the big display that faces the customer it would say "FOOD EATEN IN STORE - $1.00". Everyone else in line could see it too, because the letters were all in CAPS. Never once had a customer complain about it, though several looked upset about it and never came back (which was an acceptable outcome).

Don't make us play referree. You may not like our decisions.

[PepperElf]

"FOOD EATEN IN STORE - $1.00"

my only complaint about that is that... what if the item is worth more than a dollar?

[MoonCat]

I recall seeing a woman at the Woolworth's snack counter once taking fistfuls of straws out of the dispenser on the counter.

Then there's the woman I work with who used to take a handful of sweetener packets every day in the cafeteria. She didn't even buy a drink that might need sweetener...just took a bunch of packets. Every. Day.

Until *someone* left a coupon for the same brand of sweetener on her desk. She got the hint. Haven't seen her do that since.

[Moosenogger]

At Grocery Store, we had a code for stuff like that which we obviously couldn't weigh since the customer ate it and tried to hide it.

I had to laugh at the attempted banana-thief. After she left, I asked my manager (who happened to be the cashier to help her) what happened. According to her, when she asked the woman if she wanted to add the banana onto her pre-pay for gasoline, the lady said she had "forgotten" about the banana. She apparently only had the money for gas, so she ended up pre-paying for less gas so she could afford the whopping $0.49 for the fruit.

I'm wondering what would have happened if she hadn't brought any money with her. What would she say if we had her arrested over a $0.49 banana?

[Catwoman2965]

I recall seeing a woman at the Woolworth's snack counter once taking fistfuls of straws out of the dispenser on the counter.

Then there's the woman I work with who used to take a handful of sweetener packets every day in the cafeteria. She didn't even buy a drink that might need sweetener...just took a bunch of packets. Every. Day.

Until *someone* left a coupon for the same brand of sweetener on her desk. She got the hint. Haven't seen her do that since.

Amazing how cheap people can be. I will admit, once or twice, to taking ONE packet of a new sweetner, to try, so if I bought it, and didn't like it, wasn't stuck with it. And only if what I was having at the restaurant didn't require any.

[Amadan]

I remember when I used to work in a bingo hall the old folk would always take the paper napkins, you'd open a pack of 100 and four customers later they'd be gone. It got so bad we used to set out their trays with napkins on them, it looked like "customer service" in reality it was to avoid confrontation about the number people were taking. Mind you the big rolls of toilet roll (bum scarring stuff) used to go missing too.

I have to admit I do take all the coffee sachets left in my room when I'm in a hotel but I feel like I've already paid for them (well my work paid for it anyway), plus I take my own coffee with me as I use more than the "daily allowance". The stuff I get from hotels goes in the cupboard or my draw in the office in case I run out.

I really don't handle caffeine withdrawal well.

[Jester]

Makes me wonder how many of them have entire kitchens full of little jelly and butter packets.

My old roommate Space Cadet used to always bring home or keep from delivery orders all these packets of condiments. I won't list them...let's just say it was EVERYTHING.

Which, if he actually used them, I could almost see. But...he really didn't all that much. When he finally moved out, I threw out a LOT of condiment packages that had sat in our fridge for a long, long, LONG time.

The only thing on this end I've ever been guilty of is whenever I order from the Chinese place, I ask for extra duck sauce, because I like a lot of it with my egg roll. And they always provide it without question. Sometimes a little extra, sometimes a lot extra. But whatever I don't use, I stick in the fridge. And it does get used. Because sometimes the "little extra" isn't enough for me, so I dig into the stash. And just the other day, my roommate ordered Chinese, and offered me his egg roll. Being hungry, I took it. And....saw that they had only brought him one packet of duck sauce. *tear* But then I thought, wait a minute....I might just have some extra in the fridge! And sure enough....I DID! And I was happy again.

[bainsidhe]

I once read an article talking about employees thieving office supplies. Surprisingly, it was most often done by those earning a decent wage. The lowest wage-earners were least likely to walk away with office supplies. Just further proof that folks take because they can, not because they have to.

[XCashier]

These were free, but when the times I worked at restaurants, old people (especially women) would load their purses up with all the little jellies, butters, and coffee creamers at the tables. It was usually inevitable, after any table of seniors, you'd have to do a full refill of the condiments at the table.

It happened when I worked fast food, too. My restaurant eventually had to put all the condiments behind the counter and hand them out to whomever asked for them, and only as many as they'd be likely to use at the meal.

I hate this sort of petty selfishness......complimentary doesn't mean you can take all of them, all you can eat doesn't mean you can eat it all, etc.

Exactly. Other people need them too, don't be greedy. And it does cost the company money; they don't get the packets for free.

[Mr Hero]

I once read an article talking about employees thieving office supplies. Surprisingly, it was most often done by those earning a decent wage. The lowest wage-earners were least likely to walk away with office supplies. Just further proof that folks take because they can, not because they have to.

My brother is sometimes guilty of that. I was surprised how many spoons he took from his work for a couple weeks ago when we saw "The Room." And his work never noticed them gone.