H H Stone & Sons Inc

I will not set foot back in this store. The older clerk is incredibly rude; thinks it’s acceptable to run down a customer in the parking lot to yell at them for little to no reason. Will tell the whole story, but tend to be long-​winded. Will add «too long; didn’t read» at the end. Want to add that I’m not a high maintenance customer. If I’m treated fairly & w/​courtesy I will do the same in return. When I’m not, I vote w/​my money by no longer patronizing a business.
THE EVENTS:
I always want to support local business rather than going to big box stores & have come to this store a number of times. Today I needed some paint. A clerk came over & asked if I needed help. I asked him for a gallon of the color I liked in a gloss & it would be in a bathroom. He convinced me that I should go w/​an eggshell, instead. While the paint was mixing I gathered the rest of my items.
I went up to the counter when I was ready & there was an elderly man at the register. He rang me up & I saw on the screen the gallon of paint was $ 50. I know there are fancy paints that can get very expensive. I’ve never felt the need to buy expensive paints, usually getting the paint around $ 30/​gl; middle of the road stuff.
Me: «The paint is $ 50 per gallon?‘
Clerk «Yes, it’s ‘Regal Select’»
Me «I didn’t tell him I wanted that. He just picked out the most expensive gallon w/​out asking me?»
Clerk «Well, this is an eggshell. Whenever a customer wants an eggshell this is what we automatically give them unless they tell us otherwise.»
Perhaps why I was talked into eggshell?
Me: «I’ve literally never had a paint place do that. Usually they’ll ask if you want low, middle, or high end. If they don’t ask, they’ll just pick middle of the road. I don’t want to pay $ 50/​gl of paint.»
I said all of this politely & calmly. At this point, like any typical clerk, he could have said something to the affect of: «I’m very sorry for the misunderstanding, let me mix you up something in your price range.» If he had I would have happily bought it & been on my way; end of story.
Instead, he says, disdainfully: «You should have asked him how much it would be; next time do that» As if it’s my fault!
As he says this he picks up the can & brings it into the back of the store to the paint section, acting very annoyed w/​me, then calls to me: «We’ve got another paint that’s.» I interrupt him w/​something to the effect of «That’s fine, forget it. I’m all set». I will not patronize a business that automatically gives people the priciest product w/​out consulting them & then act rude & degrading. I had a small pile of supplies I left on the counter as I walked out of the store.
Almost to my car, I hear the man yelling (!) something about me «being rude». I turn around, shocked, & see the man storming back into the store. This is just out of hand. I go back over & he meets me at the door, ready to fight! He yells at me that I’m just like everyone else today, then makes the hand to chin «F Off» gesture! Says he’s 76 years old & young people these days are all rude (I’m 30). I continue to speak calmly & quietly that he can’t blame me for his experiences w/​other people & how their rudeness is not my fault. I also try to explain to him that him yelling at me in the parking lot is inappropriate. We move back into store. He, still ½ yelling, keeps telling me how rude I am & that he has the right to call me out on it. At this point I’m crying a little (the death-​date of a loved one is this week, so I’ve been a little sensitive lately, plus I wasn’t exactly expecting to be getting yelled at today by a stranger), but I’m still trying to have a reasonable conversation, keeping an otherwise calm demeanor & calm voice. I don’t know why I did this to myself. I really should have just left. But something in me really couldn’t handle being treated that poorly & wanted badly to make a bad situation right! The 1^st clerk came over & confirmed that’s what they do when someone want’s eggshell. Then, even though he did not see the interaction, said that if I was rude it was their right to call me out on it! The 2^nd man says he shouldn’t have yelled at me, then immediately takes it back & says something to the effect of «I think we’re done here», basically dismissing me from the store!
Me: «This is unbelievable»
1^st clerk: «It’s unfortunate»
Me: «It sure is.» *Walks out.*
Ok, fine, guys, if you don’t care about your business, it IS your right to yell at customers if you want, but it’s also a customer’s right to never come back, post reviews all over the internet, & patronize big chains instead!
TL;DR: Clerk got most $$ paint w/​out telling me. 2^nd clerk blamed me for not asking how much it would be. Walked out instead of doing business. 2^nd clerk runs after me to yell at me that I’m rude for walking out. Go back, attempt rational conversation w/​man, try to make neg situation pos. Man continues yelling, telling me I’M rude, dismisses me from business. Went to Home Depo