Come Rain Or Dine
Caller: “Hi, our family is travelling to your state, and we have a reservation there in a month, and we want to sit on the patio. Will the weather be nice?”
Me: “Uh, well it’s summer so it will likely be a nice temperature, but I can’t guarantee the weather.”
Caller: “Can’t you check the local weather report?”
Me: “That’s usually only good for a week ahead at most. I can’t tell you if the weather on the patio will be good in a month or not.”
Caller: “But you’re a local! Don’t you know?”
Me: “Do you know what the weather will be like in your hometown a month from now?”
Caller: “Yes! Hot and sunny with a chance of some rain!”
Me: “And that’s guaranteed.”
Caller: “I’m calling from Hawaii.”
Me: “Well, a year-round tropical environment is a tad bit more stable than coastal New Hampshire.”
Caller: “How can you possibly accept bookings on a patio a month in advance if you can’t guarantee acceptable weather?”
Me: “We have an indoor space, and we have umbrellas.”
Caller: “That is very unprofessional! How do I make a complaint?”
Me: “I don’t have the number for the local meteorological society, but I can give you our corporate email?”
They took the email, and sadly not the hint.
