Assaulted

[veg4animals2006]

Today started off as a fairly normal day at work. I was scheduled for a 9 hour shift starting at 11 am. Mondays aren't usually very busy and when I arrived at the store there were no customers (we open at 10 am.) We picked up a little bit at lunch but then had a non-eventful two or three hours. I had a customer accuse us of salting our fish (which we don't do) and I had a feeling they were just fishing for a free meal, but they left disappointed.

Dinner picked up early.. around 4:30.. and we had a steady rush through till 7. I was on our main in-house cash register taking orders as normal, another employee was on dining room (checking customers, taking out orders, etc), and another was on drive-thru. Around 6, right before our dinner rush, a couple came in and ordered two fish dinners, very-well done. A few minutes later their order went out, the wife came up to get the tray and she inspected the fish to see if it was done enough but warned us that her husband may come back up if it wasn't. Sure enough... a few seconds later the husband came up to the counter with a plate of shredded fish. He threw it down on the counter as I politely asked "Was it not well done?", hoping that I could satisfy him by saying we'd quickly drop some more fish in the fryer for him if he'd like. Instead, he just yelled at me that NO, it wasn't done well enough and that he just wanted his "fucking money" back.

I was a bit taken back because he was overly upset that his $4.00 dinner wasn't cooked perfectly and that he had rushed directly to being inconsolable. I said I would be right back and with his plate in hand I headed to the kitchen to speak to the assistant manager on duty. She asked if he wanted more fish, but I explained that he was very upset and he just wanted a refund. I went back up to the front counter where the customer was waiting and explained that I would need his original receipt. He responded "Well, YOU'LL have to come to the table to get it!" and stormed off to his seat. I followed and his wife got the receipt for me. They argued a bit with me as I stood next their table and tried to explain that if we had cooked the fish any longer it may have come out too dry to serve. His wife just lightly mentioned that that's the way he likes it and I returned to the register to refund him for his dinner.

I rang up a new ticket, minus his dinner, to give him a refund. The change wasn't as much as I expected and seemed off but I compared the two tickets and I didn't see a difference (mind you.. I was quite flustered at this point and kind of on my guard) so I just returned to their table with their change. A few seconds later he came back up to the counter yelling that the change wasn't correct and called me an imbecile. He handed me back the change and told me just to keep they money, give him a new plate of food and that he'd throw it away himself! Then he tried to take the original receipt from my hand (the one that was voided and no longer valid). I took my hand back quickly and said that I needed to keep the original for the store's records and then he grabbed my arm and yelled something about how he WOULD take the receipt and that he'd just talk to the store manager about this later. (He is a regular customer and knows our store manager.. as many of our regulars do.)

By now the assistant manager was up front because he was causing quite a scene and I had headed back to my register with the customer's discarded refund. I looked at the manager and said I needed a minute.. then headed to the back. I sat at the office desk for a second trying hard to hold back tears and to stop shaking, but the tears came anyway. Before I knew it I was balling and had to get some tissues, but I knew I couldn't leave the other employees alone during dinner rush so I quickly pulled myself together and headed back to the counter. He was still sitting with his wife as she finished her dinner. Thankfully, there was a line of customers so I was distracted for awhile.. then I busied myself with side work until they left (they stayed for another 10-15 minutes). I got us through dinner, finished my side work, and left about 30 minutes early.

When I think about him grabbing me I still feel odd.. like I was violated somehow.. maybe I'm just being  emotional about it, but I really wish I would have taken our cook's advice and called the cops. I felt entirely vulnerable while he was still there.. as if I had actually done something wrong.. and I don't know if I can work there knowing he could show up at any minute. Our store manager works tomorrow so I think I will call up there or go by sometime during the day to talk to her about it and I hope to god this is taken seriously. I had no idea what the protocol at work was for something like that and I'm not sure even our assistant manager did.

My mom said next time something like that happened she'd back happy to head up there with a gun and threaten the asshole and my fiance was appalled that nothing was done about it. The customer could have done something much worse and with me being pregnant I just don't know if I can take that chance. I love my job 99.9% of the time, but it's customers like that that really make me question it.

[jennalms]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 12:33 AM

i reallly think you should have filed a complaint. he had no right to grab you like that. i am sorry you feel so violated, that is horrible.

[LYNDELOU]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 12:51 AM

It is against the law in any state for someone to grab you WITHOUT your permission...!!!

In our state is is called BATTERY....With a possible (depending on the severity of the incident ) 1 year in jail , probation , court cost and it is a 4th degree felony...Which is then usually dropped down to a 1st degree misdemeanor...( Also depends on the persons priors )!

File charges....Let this person and anyone else who thinks it is okay to man handle you that it is NOT OK...

Man , women or child.....KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF....!!!

So sorry this happen to you Sweetie!!

[AprilT]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 4:05 AM

This certainly sounds like this little man is a big bully.  You should file a police report so that he gets put in his proper place.  This is America, we don't put up with crap like this.  You might want to also ask the police what the company you work for should have done as well, assuming they knew the guy grabbed you.  You might like where you work, but they need to do what is right as well, and likely should have called the cops themselves.

[treystiredmommy]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 7:40 AM

Something similar happened to me at work. i was a waitress at denny's working the overnight shift. my manager threw some people out for being obnoxious they refused to leave so he went to the back to call the cops and i was taking a carry out order and one of the guys who was ball to the wall drink picked up my glass of orange juice and threw it at my head. he missed but i was semi used to this behavior so i went after him but my cook caught me. anyway i couldnt press charges because i was in the process of moving out of state and wouldnt have been there for trial if it went that far and charges would have been dropped but i did get him banned from the store.  if you are truely uncomfortable waiting on this guy remember that you as an employee have a right to refuse service to people for a few reasons and previous assault im sure is one of them. talk to your manager and let him know you are no longer comfortable waiting on him.  maybe hell get banned or maybe he will hae to be served only by managers.

[older]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 7:45 AM

I AM SO SORRY THAT JERK PUT YOU THROUGH ALL THAT, SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST NATURAL BORN ASS**, AND THIS GUY IS DEFENITELY ONE OF THEM.  DON'T TAKE ANY MORE STUFF FROM HIM, LET YOUR MANAGER HANDLE HIM, AND HE GRABS YOU ONCE AGAIN, REPORT IT TO THE POLICE.

[veg4animals2006]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 10:15 AM

Thanks everyone. I'm not sure what I can do now.. especially since I don't know his name or any other information, but I'm sure that if he contacts my manager I can get it if I need to.  I feel kind of silly because all he did was grab my arm, but at the same time it was completely uncalled for and just felt wrong. :(

(Original Poster)

[MythicMMM]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 10:28 AM

Heck, here in taco bell, they will call the cops and put you in the back of a car if you just start yelling at employees! definitely file a report!

[Aasiyah]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 6:48 PM

This guy is probably used to man handling his woman!  i would have smacked his head off his neck!  you should have walked away from the get and told him to speak to the manager.  He is a regular and he thinks he can manhandle you... no.. i would definitely not be a sitting duck nor a punching bag. Thank god he didn't punch you

[tericared]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 7:53 PM

oh hell to the no....some one should have called 911, is there any video of this?   If so it still may be possible to file a report with the cops.......

[sugarmagnolia1]

Jun. 2, 2009 at 8:42 PM

WOW. I would feel violated. Im sorry this happened to you. I worked at goodwill throughout high school and summers from college and this AWFUL regular we used to get purposely ran into me with a shopping cart and I felt the same way. I was totally STUNNED