Giving Customer Service A Bad Name, Part 2

(Note: The conversation has gone smoothly until this point. I have decided to join a well-known game shop’s rewards program. I am also female.)

Cashier: “So, can I have your name?”

Me: “Sure! It’s Esme [Last Name].”

Cashier: “Okay, can you look at this to verify all of your information?”

(I look at the screen.)

Me: “It’s all fine, except that it’s an ‘E’ on the end of my name, not an ‘A’.”

Cashier: “Got it!”

(He quickly retypes my application.)

Cashier: “This is it, isn’t it?”

Me: “Uh, no. It’s still wrong.”

(I point to the end of my name, where he has put ‘Ae’.)

Cashier: “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll fix that right away.”

(He retypes my name again.)

Cashier: “Okay! I think I’ve got it!”

(I look at the screen once again. The only thing he has done is capitalize the ‘E’ at the end, spelling'”AE’.)

Me: “No, that still isn’t my name. It has one ‘E’ at the end; no ‘A’.”

Cashier: “OH! So it’s spelled E-S-M-A-Y-E?”

Me: “No. No ‘A’ or ‘Y’.”

(Note: By this time, the man’s coworkers have started listening in, and are all laughing.)

Cashier: “So… No ‘A’?”

Me: “No.”

Cashier: “So it’s just E-S-M-E?”

Me: “Yes, that’s my name.”

Cashier: “Your name is weird.”

Me: “I get that a lot.”

Cashier: “I can see why. It’s just so strange. No girl should be named that. It’s a MALE name!”

Me: “Uh…”

Cashier: “Have a nice day!”