I was working in a store this summer where the customers were either tourists or regulars who came in exclaiming what a beautiful store we had, saying they had gone past it so many times and had never actually come in before. No matter the reason, many people loved it, and some just came in to breathe in the atmosphere and listen to the music.

One day, a few customers were walking around in the store, and I was alone by the register. Two women who did not know each other came up to make a purchase. On their way out, they both started looking around a bit again. Then, one of them came back after a while.

Woman #1: “I found this one, too.”

I took her payment. She walked toward the door, only to have something catch her attention again.

A man came up.

Man: “I want to buy this. Hold on; I’ll have to use my laundry money.”

He started to count up very small coins. We chuckled a bit as he talked about how difficult it was to come in here and not buy anything.

Just as we finished the transaction, the two women came up again with new purchases, causing the second woman to start laughing loudly for anyone to hear.

Woman #2: “This is hilarious! We’re never getting out of here. We were both here just a moment ago!”

Man: “I know! It is so difficult to leave.”

Woman #2: *To [Woman #1]* “We’ll have to close our eyes and walk out this time.”

Woman #1: “Well, this is my third purchase, so I definitely need to get out of here.”

With some laughs and what looked like a sudden friendship between the three, they finished their transactions.

Woman #2: *To me* “Don’t worry; we’ll get out of here now so we won’t bother you anymore.”

Me: “Oh, don’t worry; you’re welcome here any time. I don’t mind. You are welcome even if it is just to look around.”

They laughed at that.

Man: “Of course, we are; we can’t look without purchasing!”

Woman #2: “Well, I have to stop now, unfortunately, or I’ll run out of money.”

Then, they all hurried along the few meters to the door, making a point of not looking at anything. I had a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

A mother and her son (about eight years old) came in, wanting to buy a stone statue. They asked if we could set it aside so they could get it on their way home. Noticing that the boy was very eager for this purchase, I turned to him.

Me: “Of course! I just need a name and phone number.”

Boy: “My name is [Boy].”

Mother: *Smiling and whispering* “Oh, and my phone number is [number].”

Me: “Great! Do you want me to wrap it up so it is protected while you are away?

Mother: “What do you say, [Boy]? Should she wrap it?”

Boy: “It is not a present; it is for me.”

Mother: “Yes, but this is just to protect it so it doesn’t break.”

Boy: “Oh.” *Turns to me and answers firmly* “Yes!”

I did so and put the note with the name and number on it. Later that day, the boy came back.

Boy: “I have a package set aside. My name is [Boy].”

I gave it to him and told him the total, and he paid with what I assumed was his mother’s card. We exchanged all the normal platitudes, and as he walked away, I noticed his mother waiting by the door, smiling proudly.

It is always nice to see kids so happy that they can do things themselves.

I work for an insurance company in the department where we deal with cases and either approve or deny them. We do not sell.

One of our most common processes is paying out for life insurance. If the customer dies, the executor can contact us and start the case. To continue with the case, we need certain documents, e.g., the death certificate.

In certain cases, we have to ask the police for the death certificate — no need for a crime to have been involved. If the police in any way have been involved with the discovery of the person in question, they will have the needed documents.

This was the issue in this particular case. I was working when the police called.

Me: “[Insurance Company], [My Name], how can I help you?”

Police: “Hi. We have received your request for the death certificate of this person.”

They gave me the needed case number, so I could find the customer.

Police: “But the person is not dead.”

Me: *Totally baffled* “Wait… What? They’re not dead?”

Police: “No, this person is most definitely alive.”

Me: “Are you really sure that it’s the same person? Can you say the name again?”

Police: “[Customer’s Unique First Name], [Customer’s Birthdate].”

Me: “Wow… This has never happened before… What are the last digits in the ID number?”

They gave a number that did not match the one in our system.

Me: “Wait, that is not the same as I’m seeing here. The ID number here is [number]. Are you able to find them?”

Police: “Wait… Yes. Now I found them. Okay, that person is actually dead.”

Yes, it really turned out that there were TWO people with the same very unique first name and the exact same birth date — but different last digits in their ID. This had never happened before, neither to us nor the police. We had a good laugh about it.

To be fair, the almost-mistake most likely happened because we are not allowed to give the full ID number through our written contact method with the police, thanks to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The bosses are working on making this kind of things easier, but as most should know, needed changes for customer service are rarely prioritized over other things in big companies.

A tourist waits one week before asking for a 100% refund for a guided city tour, on a bike. She took the full three-hour tour. Her reasons for complaining are:

Tourist: “The group was too large!”

Her party was three out of thirteen people. The website clearly states that groups can be as large as fifteen people.

Tourist: “The guide was insufficiently knowledgeable!”

The guides are trained and tested, but opinions differ…

Tourist: “The city was too crowded!”

It’s a capital, in summer. What were you expecting? Some people…

I work in a bubble tea café. In walks a small group of people, with one female customer who is studying our menu thoroughly. I notice she is talking to another member of the group about some of our premium choices, three of which are currently unavailable and have big signs over their pictures saying “sold out”.

Everyone but her orders, and she finally seems to make a decision.

Customer: “Hi. Can I have the [sold-out premium drink]?”

Me: “Unfortunately, that one is sold out, as indicated.”

Customer: “Oh. What about [different sold-out premium drink]?”

Me: “That one is also sold out, sorry.”

Customer: “Hmm. Okay, then I’ll have a classic milk tea, instead.”

Me: “Great! With tapioca topping?”

Customer: “Yes, please. Oh, wait, does the classic milk tea have milk?”

Me: “Uh. Yes, the classic milk tea is with milk.”

Customer: “Oh, I didn’t know. That’s fine.”

I make the drink and hand it to her. She comes back a few minutes later.

Customer: “Excuse me. What toppings did you put in?”

Me: “Tapioca? The ones you agreed to?”

Customer: “Oh, okay. They’re weird.” 

With that, she walked out. I turned to my coworker and asked if we both heard all of this; she was equally as confused as me.