Christ. this brings back memories of my retail days of the odd “Happy customers” as i called them.
 
Defcon 5: Peaceful negotiation.
 
Defcon 4: Understanding the customer and sympathize if possible and peaceful negotiation
 
Defcon 3: This is where kindness and patience are starting to be tested. calm up beat side of me fails. but negotiations continue.
 
Defcon 2: All else fails, grab someone from my store with authority. because i have either lost will power or i dont trust myself with the abuse they are throwing at me. This is usually the end of the story because the boss’s usually take over.
 
Defcon 1: I have only used this option twice. (and i didnt get fired because the boss sympathized when i told them the reasons) This is specially reserved for the cruel customers. the ones that use swear words, personal insults/Abuse, Personal confidence crushers, discrimination e.c.t. You know, the real nasty customers. theres grumpy but then theres nasty and cruel. That retail face that us retail people put on to serve customers? Drops. Real me comes out. well…more specifically… The legitimately angry side of me from outside of work is unleashed. finger point, pointy eye brows, Savage and angry persona comes out, snappy jaws and snappy teeth then watch the person in question recoil in shock and horror when they suddenly realize that retail workers do bite back once in a while.
 
 
One of the two times i lost my crap was when a customer threw a packet of bacon at me. (of all things lol)  
Now im a big believer in that the greatest way to hurt someone is to make them instantly regret their actions without the use of swear words or violence. for several minutes i turned into one of those Angry American Drill instructors that train U.S. marines.
 
Two things stopped me from losing my job that day. One, security camera. Two, A fellow worker witnessed what happened.  
So i was put under “discipline procedure” and “watched my work performance” for a while, Officially. Although it was name only. Management didnt really want to but he “had” to to show that he “did” something about it.
 
Good times retail lol