Buying something at the Apple Store is usually a straightforward experience.
You go in, grab what you need, and maybe make some small talk with an employee while waiting for your item.
However, according to one Apple customer, a joke at checkout could lead to uncomfortable retail exchanges you wouldn’t expect to have that day.
In his video, he shares one such unusual interaction with an Apple store attendant.
‘Uncomfortable’ Apple Store interaction
TikTok user Andrew Lafferty (@andrewlaffertyy) shared his story on Jan. 28, racking up over 236,500 views.
In the video, he explains how he was at an Apple Store in Williamsburg, Virginia, waiting for a store employee to bring out his new AirPods.
While chatting with the store attendant, he allegedly asked Lafferty if he wanted a bag for his new AirPods.
“I said, ‘No, that’s OK. I think I’m just gonna raw dog these out of the store,’” Lafferty allegedly said to the employee jokingly. “I’m just trying to have a little fun,” he further explains.
At that moment, however, the mood took a sharp turn.
The Apple employee, seemingly dead serious, allegedly responded, “Can I be honest with you? You have made me uncomfortable the entire time you’ve been in here.”
Lafferty was caught off guard, wondering how his joke turned into such an intense reaction.
“This is one of two things I said to him,” he says, recounting their brief interaction. The first was when the employee asked if he wanted AirPods Pro, to which he replied, “No, sorry, I don’t have Pros money.” The second was the raw dog comment.
“Come on, what do I do? What am I doing wrong?” he asks viewers, seemingly baffled by the situation.
What’s a possible explanation for the employee’s reaction?
While the employee’s response might seem like an overreaction, retail workers have legitimate reasons to feel uncomfortable or even unsafe on the job.
In fact, a recent survey found that “more than a quarter of retail employees say they feel unsafe at work, while around half have experienced customer aggression or harassment.”
Additionally, 11% of respondents reported facing “physical violence” at work within the past year.
Of course, this doesn’t excuse inappropriate behavior from employees, but it does offer some insight into what might be happening behind the scenes.
Viewers offer up theories
In the comments, users found the situation amusing and shared some possible theories on what could have been happening.
“I want to believe he was doing a more in depth bit than you,” wrote one user, implying the Apple employee was in on the joke.
One user who claims to have worked at the specific Apple location wrote, “As a former Apple Williamsburg employee, I know exactly who you’re talking about.”
A third commenter suggested another way Lafferty could’ve countered.
“You respond, ‘Some people play hard to get. I play hard to want,’” they wrote.
@andrewlaffertyy i’m sorry okay, just tryna have fun #apple #hashtag ♬ original sound – Andrew Lafferty
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lafferty via TikTok and Instagram messages. We’ve also contacted Apple via email for official comment.
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