Can’t Quite (Nut)Crack This Caller

(I work for a professional ballet company which shares space with the non-professional school. Because so many dance students and many of their teachers perform in our production of The Nutcracker, normal classes for the students are limited to the first week of December, and open up again after the New Year. There are signs in every studio, lobby, dressing room and bulletin board announcing the last day of class before the New Year. I receive a call on the second week of December.)

Me: “[Ballet Company].”

Caller: “Yes, my daughter is in ballet level 1. Is there class today?”

Me: “Actually, last week was the last week of classes until the New Year.”

Caller: “I understand. Could she take the ballet 1 class on Thursday instead?”

Me: “No, there are no classes this week at all. Classes resume on January 2nd.”

Caller: “I understand. How about next Tuesday?”

Me: “Unfortunately, that would be December 18 and we have no classes next week. They start again in January, after the New Year.”

Caller: “I understand. If I could get her there for next Saturday, will there be a ballet 1 class?”

(By now, I am struggling to figure out how else to communicate to this woman.)

Me: “Do you have a calendar handy to look at?”

Caller: “No. I just want to know if my daughter can come to class next Saturday?”

Me: “No, no classes next week. No classes until after January 1.”

Caller: “I understand.”

(The caller proceeds to ask about three or four more December options for dance classes for her daughter, continuing to respond with “I understand” after I repeated the schedule. She finally hangs up and I turn to the customer who had been waiting patiently at my window to buy Nutcracker tickets.)

Me: “How many times was that?”

Customer At Window: “I counted seven.”