There was one woman we had a while ago who lives to complain. Every week something else is wrong, like the time she brought back a tray of mince four times because it was "off" (but we checked with the head of Meat, she said there was nothing wrong with it).
This week (and my last shift) it was her heavy-duty mop. She claims it snaps first time out of the box and she wants a refund - but she doesn't have a docket. As the supervisor is off on her break, I got put in charge even though I'm not supposed to be. I explain that I can't give a refund on the mop unless she has a docket, but I can give here a replacement. But no, she wants a refund.
When I explained that she needed proof of purchase, she startes waving the broken mop around saying that it is her proof of purchase and demands get a refund. When I told her I couldn't do it because we needed proof of it AGAIN, she starts going on about how I'm deliberately unhelpful and how she has four kids to feed, etc. and demands to see the manager. Now at nine o'clock, he's gone home, so I can't do that. She wants to see the head supervisor, but she isn't around either and the PA is down so I can't page her either.
Now, I'm trying to juggle not only her problems, but two new staff members on their first shifts, when one of them stuffs up. So I excuse myself and go over to see what's up and manage to fix that problem, when this woman comes over, points to broken mop at me like a sword and starts harping on about something else. Now, as I'm distracted trying to egt the newbies back on track, she thinks I'm not paying attention and starts trying to hit me with the broken, pointed end.
So we go from bad to worse. I'm trying to sort out the two new cashiers while fending off this woman who seems to be trying to skewer me with this mop and I'm totally cut off from the rest of the world - the Meat and Prodcue guys have gone home, Liquor has shut down, and it'll be another hour before anyone from Grocery shows up. The two cashiers aren't any help, they're now scared shitless and haven't even heard my instructions to go into Customer Service and call Centre Security. Normally, I'd do it myself, but as it's all closed off, I can't get to the phone, or at least get away from this woman long enough to get in.
Now, I've been a cashier for 2 1/2 to 3 years, and I've never had something like this before, so I ask myself, what do I do now? The answer is smiple: call security myself. But if I can't get to the phone via the door because it's closed and this woman's swinging a broken mop at me, how the hell do it get in?
The answer is simple: don't use the door. Instead, I have to dive over the Customer Service register (which is about waist-height) in order to get in. I managed to land and roll without hurting myself and call Security, telling them I've got a woman trying to attack me. Naturally they'll send someone right over.
But apparently, it's not my day. One of the junior workers decides to make matters worse, and laughs at psycho-bitch-with-mop, who, in turn, takes offence to being laughed at, and so turns on them. The only thing I can do is go back out. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire ...
So I head back out and mange to cut off the woman before she gets to them and block her way, ducking and weaving, trying very hard not to get hit, while at the same time stop her from getting the cashiers. However, my constant evasive manoeveures upset the woman, and she attacks even harder. Not good. I make up my mind and decide that this can't go on too much longer and do somehtign else stupid: I decide to disarm her. I still don't know how I did it, but I managed to catch the mop in mid-swing, catching the woman off-guard. Fortunately, Security showed up just then. After checking her bag, they find something she's tried to steal and so take her by the arms and lead her away. Of course, she wasn't going to go quietly, and tries to fight them off before running away, but Security caught up to her and she got taken to the Police Station.
Later, I noticed another mop which had been returned because parts were missing and asked if I could try something. I put it on the ground and nothing happened. After twenty minutes of trying, nothing happens. The mop was never damaged to begin with.
I was so glad that was my last shift.
