Needs A Part Of Truth

(The weather has been so cold and icy that numerous roads have been closed and our store-to-store delivery truck has been cancelled for the day. A mother and daughter walk into the store at around 10 am on a Tuesday and approach my co-worker, who’s still very new.)

Coworker: “Hi, how are y’all doing today?”

Daughter: “Hi, my name is [Daughter] and I ordered some parts yesterday. I was wondering if they came in yet?”

Coworker: “Okay. Give me a second to pull up your information.”

(He gets the necessary info from her and off the computer and goes into the back to look for her order and comes back a couple of minutes later empty handed.)

Coworker: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t think your parts have arrived yet. It looks like they were ordered at [Time] yesterday which puts the delivery time at noon today.”

Daughter: “No! I didn’t order them yesterday. I ordered them on Saturday.”

Coworker: “The computer shows they were ordered yesterday, not Saturday.”

(At this point the women are getting more irritated.)

Mom: “Well, they should be here already!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but they won’t be here until at least noon.”

Mom: “Well, I thought they could get here sooner.”

(I step in.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but our store-to-store delivery truck isn’t coming at all today. The route has been shut down due to all the ice on the roads.”

Daughter: “Well, my order should have been here yesterday!”

(I look up her info again the same way my co-worker already had and notice that not only had the order been placed yesterday, but she had ordered all high-end, name brand parts.)

Me: “Well, our system shows that the order was placed yesterday at [time] and therefore would normally arrive today at 12:05. But, because of the road conditions, the truck is not making deliveries today. It won’t get here until tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

(Customer is starting to get really agitated and into a huff.)

Daughter: “Well, my car has already been on blocks for four days now and I need it to get to and from work!”

(I decide to try and see if we can find her parts in the store brand, since we’re more likely to have those on-hand.)

Me: “Well, let me see if I can help you find anything similar to the parts that you need. What’s the year, make and model of your vehicle?”

(She provides the info at which point I realize she’s just precisely described the only car in the customer parking lot, so I decide to call her bluff.)

Me: “Okay, and what color is it?”

Mom: “What does that have to do with anything?”

Me: “Is it purple?”

Daughter: “Yes, why?”

Me: “And it’s on blocks?”

Mom: “Yes! It’s been un-drivable for four days and she really needs it!”

Me: *pointing to the only car sitting in the customer parking lot* “Then how did you drive it here?”

(Both women left in embarrassment. They came back the next day for the parts that were ordered.)

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