Missing The Y In DIY

(I work at the returns desk of a big-box home-improvement store. A customer is bringing back a pesticide/weed killer sprayer.)

Me: “Hello, did you have a problem with the sprayer?”

Customer: “Yes! It won’t work. It keeps clogging up. This is the second sprayer I’ve brought in, and I haven’t even finished my deck!”

Me: “What type of spray are you using in the sprayer?”

Customer: “I’m using the deck stain listed on the receipt there.”

Me: “There’s your problem: this sprayer won’t work for deck stain.”

Customer: “What?! What do you mean?! That’s not what I was told! I was told this would work just fine!”

Me: “Who told you that it was okay to use a pesticide sprayer for deck stain?”

Customer: “Well, I don’t know his name, but he looks… um… he works here, okay?”

(I start the returns process on the register I’m at.)

Customer: “So, what would you recommend to stain my deck?”

Me: “I’d go right over to aisle five and look at the paint sprayers.”

Customer: “But those are so expensive! I can’t afford one of those.”

Me: “Well, you could always buy a brush and do it the old-fashioned way.”

Customer: “But that’s work!”