"Excuses?!"

I had a grandfather and his granddaughter come into the store today.
To get the child her first pet hamster.

Which apparently they'd been all up and down the valley searching for hamsters and our store was the only one who still had some. (we had 4 available at that time, but sold all the rest before I was even halfway through my shift) 

And the customer wanted to be able to hold the hamsters.
Which, since they were planning to purchase one, I could have let the girl hold one.

However. I had literally just taken everything out of the cages to clean them. Leaving just hamster and bedding inside. So there were no convenient houses for me to use as scoops to scoop the hamster out so that the customer could see it closer.

Plus. Policy does state that we aren't allowing the handling of pets at this time due to the pandemic.

The customer wasn't put too much out by the fact that he or his grandkid couldn't hold the hamster.
Because apparently he expected me to be able to do that for them.

Nope.
I had nothing to put the hamster in at that moment (though I could have gone and grab something I admit, but the guy didn't really give me a chance to break away to do so) so I told him I could show them the hamsters in their cages.

Which was a slight obstacle.
Because one of the lightbulbs that lit up the middle row of hamster cages.
Had burned out.

So that cage was dark and it was difficult to see the hamsters on that row because they were in the darkest corners.

But the guy was like "Well you gotta switch on the lights so we can see the hamsters!" 

To which I responded "That light is broken and we haven't yet been able to replace it--"
I don't think he even let me finish the sentence before he interrupted asking: 

"Are you gonna keep making excuses or are you gonna make a sale?" 

Which...I'm paid by the hour dude. I don't care if you buy or don't buy something here. I still get paid regardless. 
But like. Rude much? Entitled much?

Oh. It was so hard to not snap at him then and there.
Like. I'm NOT making EXCUSES. I'm telling you our policies and telling you why I can't just snap my fingers and turn on a light because it's BROKEN.
There's only so. much. I. can. do.

And the dude was like "I just come in expecting good customer service and you're not giving it to me."

Just like *eye twitch*
if I could breath fire he wouldn't be standing there so smugly really.

But his confrontational attitude shifted as I turned to the cages and pulled one open so that the customer could see it.
"That's more like it!"

Like dude.
If you'd been just a tad bit nicer and given me a tad bit more time to answer your questions then I would have happily helped you sooner with the hamster. *shakes head*
Honestly. I wasn't in the mood. 
I'm burned out with work. Burned out with entitled customers who come in without their freaking masks on expecting me to have what they want in stock the second they ask for it.
*exhales*

The dude was quite charming and nice after I got him his paperwork and picked out the hamster his grandchild wanted.

but honestly...I hope the hamster bites him.
"You gonna keep making excuses or you gonna make a sale?" Like geez dude. That's just asking to get kicked out of the store. XP Take your business elsewhere. At this point I wouldn't have cared. One less customer coming to the store is one less person risking my life during this pandemic.

Just.
Gah. 
I don't like them.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi