Unfiltered Story #235024

Patron: “Hi, I need a medical book for my class I’m taking.”
Me: “I’m sorry, but we don’t carry textbooks.”
Patron: “Oh, no, it’s not a textbook, just a regular book.”
Me: “All right, do you know the title?”
Patron: “No, but it’s for my class at school. I’m at (local community college).”
Me: “Do you know the author’s name by chance? Do you have a syllabus?”
Patron: “No, I left it at home. It’s just a medical book! Why is this so difficult?”
Me: “I have rows of medical books in the nonfiction section, I need an idea of what you’re looking for. Let me check your school’s website and see if I can find out what book it is.”
I go on the college’s website but she doesn’t know the name of the class or the professor’s name, just keeps repeating that it’s “medical”. I show her the website, hoping she’ll recognize the professor’s name, but she doesn’t.
Me: “Honestly, I’m really sorry, but without some more information I can’t tell you if we own the book you’re looking for or not. If you’d like to go home and call us back once you have the title, we’ll be happy to look it up for you.”
Patron (sighing): “Can you just show me the section? I’ll recognize the book if I see it.”
Me: “Certainly, but I will warn you–it’s a big section, there are thousands of books.”
Patron: “Whatever.”
I take her over to the section and point to where the medical books start and walk her to the end. She grabs a random book off the shelf.
Patron: “Is this the book I need?”
Me: “I honestly don’t know.”
Patron: “Is it what my teacher wanted me to get?”
Me: “Again, ma’am, I’m sorry, without knowing a title, author, or subject matter of the book, I really don’t know what your teacher wanted you to get.”
Patron (getting angry): “Well, you just don’t want to help me!”
Me (giving up): “I’m trying, but you really haven’t given me anything to work with. Feel free to browse the section, and if you think of any more information let me know.”
I leave and go back to the desk. She went down to the Administration office and complained about me. Short of being physic and reading her professor’s mind, I’m not sure what else I could have done!