Trying to catch him slipping, Nate?
Basic Instinct
Transcript
Customer: I don’t want this.
Nate: Then why did you bring it up here?
Customer: What?
Nate: We’ll take care of it.
Nate: Les, I need you to take this back to Produce.
(Closeup of Garlic)
(Les FREAKS, Nate rolls eyes.)
The first panel works all by itself! XD
The grocery clerk experience in one frame.
Ranks pretty high on the list of things I’ve always wanted to say in retail…
working at a gas station for 5 years has taught me that all customers suck. except those who have had the fun of working retail themselves
@Surachinen true story, we’re the only ones with consideration/empathy for those poor saps behind the counters
1 year of mandatory retail and/or food service should be a prerequisite for college application; just so we have a few less douche-bags in the world. My first dorm-mate didn’t even know how to make grilled cheese he was coddled so heavily.
Work a night shift at any convenience store. Faaaar more fun, and a hell of a lot of hungry stoners willing to take ANY form of suggestive marketing as the peak of their night’s experience. XD
hehe, before I registered that it was Garlic, i thought it was testicles…. hehe
Are we surprised that this is where your mind is? ;-)
Nate should shove them in his mouth, just to see what he does.
hahaha +2
But, Tia is right… those are VAMPIRE testicles! If yuour gonads were all shriveled up and smelly, and someone broke them off to show to you, wouldn’t YOU recoil quickly?
The retail background in me wants to nit pick and point out that the code on the garlic doesn’t actually exist.. It should be 4608. Just sayin :P
Otherwise, I totally agree with David. Shove ’em down his throat.
Hahaha, it’s been over 5 years since I’ve run a register, but I did think that looked odd. Fixed now!
Lol, awesome!
Are the codes the same across all supermarket stores and chains?
Or did you all just happen to work at the same store?
Or are you all just having fun with each other and I’m unwittingly getting sucked into it?
god, how could you remember that? i don’t even remember the code for bananas!
heh… never again will I return to the register of doom… and that is funny, how Les reacts to the garlic cloves.
I like Nate’s reaction to Les, a kind of “Oh, gawd, are you still pretending at that?”
Also, why isn’t Les in the banner? Or, for that matter, Aya?
And lastly, since this is the first time I’ve come across the comic and have read it up to date tonight alone, I just want to say, great work, Nick! It’s always great to see a comic so consistently humourous that can still give rounded characters and develop them further.
Les is a pretty new character! Aya has also always been kind of minor, but she’ll be taking a more active role soon. I’m sure I’ll continue to update the banner as time goes on.
And a serious thanks for the kind words. Glad you’re enjoying it!
I hate it when customers bring me crap they don’t want to put back themselves, especially when they’re standing five feet away. Or leave stuff in the -completely- wrong area.
Reminds me of my grocery days. My favorite story is of walking down the aisle and being accosted by a BlueHair who literally grabs me and says: “Dates! I need some dates! Where are all the Dates!” Without batting an eye I politely inquire if she had considered taking out a personal ad and continued on my merry way.
I worked at Bi-Lo once, and I had a customer actually refer to me as if that was my name. “Bi-Lo! Bi-Lo! Where is your ______?”
I’ve also had people in Wal-Mart ask me questions when I was wearing my work shirt, even though I didn’t work at Wal-Mart.
That has happened to me in tons of different places, just cause I’m dressed nice.
Try wearing a nice vest into a store or bar.
Likewise when you answer the phone at work with your assigned greeting and the person on the other side launches into a tirade… before you (not they) realize they’ve got a wrong number and called the wrong freakin’ COMPANY.
I’ve had customers call my store to ask what the phone number for a different store in the strip-mall is, like we’re a phone-book.
I keep getting people calling and asking about our competitor’s prices and sales and such. Then when I say “uhhh, this isn’t (insert competitor’s name here)” they will reply “yeah I know, but I just figured you’d be able to help me”
I literally had someone call in and ask how to use fabric softener.
Hahahaha I used to hate that sitting at the register, too. That and these two things.
People who just have to check the reciet (sp?) right THEN AND THERE. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind you checking it, but why can’t you move a couple of feet so that I can serve some more customers? *grrr*
and the
“That would be 3,68, please.”
“Do you want the 68?”
Well… yeah. Otherwise I would’ve asked for 3.00!
Oh, come on, you know what they mean… or are you one of the ones who would get confused if they asked if you wanted the 18?
Argh, I knew I didn’t word it properly…
Of course I know what they mean. If they were actually paying with a 5 Euro note or higher. I do exactly the same if I’ve got the small change.
But actually only giving me the 3 and THEN asking “Do you want the .68” is just plain annoying. And it happened quite a few times.
And nope, I’m not that dense that I’d get confused with the 18.
Yes, that’s a fair point, but they’re still *trying* to be helpful. Given that you have 2 euro coins, it’s a nonsense with 3.68. If it was 2.68 and they get out the 2 and then ask, it’s because they were deciding whether to hunt for the change or get out a 1.
Is les supposed to be a sanguinarian?
Well, American corporate society dictates that ‘The Customer is Always Right!’….except that they AREN’T!
Pretty much; I think that’s why I lasted so incredibly NOT long at half of my customer service jobs… I always ended up telling the customer what was correct and they always got pissed at me. But yeah, American corporate society = garbage; guys don’t even know how to do a real job :P
I was wondering if Les was still around. He hasn’t been featured as much lately.
How long until he gets Tracy on her knees?
As a cashier who just passed his 11th year with the same company, I will tell you that I -live- the first pannel a minimum of 30 times a night.
Also, I do belive you even got the PLU code for garlic right as well. 200pts authenticity bonus, good sir.