Anything Could Happen In The Next Half Hour

(I make tuition bookings for students. A parent of one student comes to see me in a huff because of the time of his son’s lesson.)

Parent: “You booked [Son] in for 3:30 pm tomorrow. We can’t possibly make it at 3:30 pm. I booked it at 4 pm. I don’t know why you booked it in at 3:30. You need to move it to 4 pm.”

Me: “I remember you coming to book in the lesson. You agreed to 3:30 because nothing else was avail—”

Parent: “You’ve made a mistake. You need to move my son’s lesson. We can’t make it at 3:30 and you’ve booked it in for 3:30.”

Me: “You booked it for 3:30. I remember the conversation… You even went out to the car to check with your son that it was fine for 3:30.”

Parent: “It’s in my diary at 4 pm, so I booked it at 4 pm. I don’t understand why you’re unable to just book him in at 4 pm.”

Me: “There is another student at 4 pm. She’s been there for more than 12 months, so that time was never available.”

Parent: “My wife told me it was booked for 4 pm, too.”

(At this point I’m shaking with a combination of rage and fear, but I know I’m right so I continue.)

Me: “Give me a moment and I’ll check the registration forms.”

Parent: “I know we booked it at 4 pm. Just move the other student.”

Me: “Give me a moment” *I walk away and find his son’s registration form*

(I hold the registration form out, still shaking, showing the parent.)

Me: “Is this your writing?”

Parent: “Yes”

Me: “Read out what it says under comments.”

Parent: “3:30 Friday.”

Me: “You booked the 3:30 spot. So that is what you have.”

Parent: “I still don’t understand why you just can’t move other students around…”

(Brain explodes.)