Chalk It Up To Inexperience, Part 2
I work in an independent, privately owned local arts and craft supply store. There was no higher up corporate that breathed down anyone’s neck – just my direct boss who had founded the store twenty years prior and has always worked there herself since so she takes no crap from anyone.
This happened way too often to keep count, but we had our way of dealing with customers like that.
Note that the German general word for chalk describes a lot more items than the English term does.
Customer: “I’m looking for chalk.”
Me: “Alright, what kind exactly?”
Customer: “Normal chalk!”
Me: “Would you mind explaining to me what qualifies as ‘normal’ chalk to you? We have several different items that could fall under that description. What do you want to use it for?”
Customer: “Urgh, for art, obviously! How hard can this be?!”
Me: “Fantastic. So, we have chalk [for writing on blackboards], street chalk [the kind kids use for drawing on the sidewalk], chalk pastels, oil pastels [literally ‘oil chalk’ in German]-“
Customer: “Oh, uh…”
Me: “—chalk pastel pencils, chalk paint, chalk paint markers—”
Customer: “Wait, I…”
Me: “—chalk powder and plaster [also commonly called ‘chalk’ by a lot of our customers]. You asked how hard this could be? Only as hard as you make it by not answering a simple question.”
Customer: “…I, uh… I need chalk pastels, please.”
Me: “Of course, sir.”
My boss found this spiel hilarious every single time.
Related:
Chalk It Up To Inexperience
