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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Great_Palpatine on 2025-05-31 08:35:19+00:00.
I love all these small retail MC stories so I'm adding some of my own. Nothing major ever, but I hope you'll enjoy reading my stories of MC.
A bit of context. I work in a specialised profession, in which I'm not authorised to do quite a number of technical things.
But my role at the store helps in two ways.
First, I can hear you out, and help you decide whether you need my boss to handle your request. If that's the case, I will refer you to her.
And second, I am competent enough to solve some problems on my own, in which case I can help you and you can be on your merry way.
Now, on to the story.
One evening our store was unusually very busy, and there was a long line of people. In my profession, 7-8 customers is counted as a long line. Each problem can be fast or really slow, and it is important in my profession that we deal with each problem properly.
So, my boss and I do what we always do. She handles the difficult request, I do an initial "triage" to help customers whom I can, and refer those whom I can't.
I make my way down the line, and finally I reach this gentleman.
He gives me the side-eye, saying "you can't help me, only your boss can, I want to talk to your boss."
Lovely, when you hear someone say this to you in retail without any context, you already know your evening is going to be great. /s
Me: "I see, do you want to tell me your problem? Perhaps I can help."
Him: "No I will wait for your boss."
Me, complying, and always putting on my happy smile for the customers: "Sure thing!"
I help everyone else in line, and the other customers are all content. One of them even gives me a compliment, because in their eyes they got to "skip the queue". LOL.
So this gentleman continues to wait, and since he doesn't want my help. I roam about our store, helping other customers who aren't even in line.
Finally, he gets to my boss after half an hour's wait, who says in all of one minute "Oh, unfortunately I can't solve your problem."
The man blinks at her, opening his mouth to say something, then closing it again. The problem in question? Something I could have told him that we couldn't have fixed anyway, since it was a legal requirement.