Obligatory "on mobile" warning.

This isn't my story, but my mom's that she told earlier today.

This takes place a good 10 years or more back, back when Blockbuster was still a thing. In my home town, there three of those stores. I worked at one near a Wal-Mart, my dad worked at one near a Stines, and my mom was store manager of the largest store in the city (corporate policy had a rule against family working at the same store). For the most part, the jobs were what they were- renting out movies, selling movie snacks, processing returns, and stocking shelves.

Well, my mom's store had this one customer (we'll call him Richard, because he had the personality of another name for that name) who would come in regularly at yell at the employees while demanding they find the movies he wanted. Oh, but he wouldn't just yell, he'd curse them out in a way that would make a sailor blush. It was so bad that he'd sent many a CSR (the rank title for anyone below Assistant Manager) away crying.

From the start, no one wanted to help him, but he would keep screaming and cursing if no one did what he said. Eventually, one day, Richard cane into the store and started his regular routine. After getting in the face of a CSR and unleashing a string of yelled curses at them, the CSR just walked away and went to the back stock room and office.

Richard- "What are they doing?"

Mom- "Exacrly what I told them to. From now on, you deal with only me."

Richard decided to take this as a challenge and unleashed his tirade on my mom. When he was done, my dished it right back.

Richard- "You can't talk to me that way!"

Mom- "I'm the store manager, so you can either deal with it or go to another store in town, but both my son and my husband work at the others, so unless you want to deal with them, then your only choice is the one the next town over, but even that manager won't put up with your act!"

Richard wound up renting his movies and from then on, the only employee he dealt with was my mom.