The customer had a bad experience with FedEx and decided to take it out on me. We had screwed-up a delivery (not me) and it had caused him a lot of problems. I walk-in, he starts pitching a fit about how FedEx sucks, and I attempt to calm him down and explain that we occasionally make mistakes. Then he balls-up his fist and acts like he's going to hit me. That's when I left. He did essentially the same thing the second time I went back...crazy man.
Dude I had a woman hitting my truck with her fists one time because I double parked her car. When I walked out of the building she saw me and said "I'm calling FedEx you bastard". I tried really hard to calm her down while separating my docs and loading my freight while she screamed about me sucking at customer service.
She finally got a rep on the line and demanded my name. I gave it to her calmly along with my employee number and she called me a liar. I had to hold my I.D. up to her to confirm before she'd get out of the way.
When I got in that night my boss just shook his head. He asked what happened and I told him and he sighed 'well - she wants both our jobs. Never in my 17 years kid'.
Ha. People are crazy out there. I will say, the second someone touches me or threatens me my polite interaction is over.
I had a separate occasion when parked near hydrant that a skinhead blocked the hydrant boxing me in. He got really pissed when I toot'd the horn twice and started calling me a ferret and demanding I shut up. I toot'd again and he came to the truck and tried to rip the door open screaming "I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS ferret". The door was locked (the one time I'd actually secured my driver door) but I was ready to put a boot in his face. Needless to say I wasn't polite in my response basically telling him with more friend's and c's then he'd used that I'd run him over and trash his girlfriends car if he didn't get back in and move.
Needless to say he moved.
Neither occasion did I get in trouble. I was just upfront and honest. Perhaps I'm in a good station?