Return Of The Shipping

(The German parcel service has “shipping stations,” automated PO boxes for sending and receiving parcels. I have a return label from an online retailer to send some of what I ordered back and get a refund, but I’m unsure if those labels work with shipping stations, so I enter a post office and post the parcel manually. This exchange happens after handing in the parcel.)

Me: “Excuse me. I was wondering if shipping stations can be used for returns?”

Employee: *pause* “Shipping stations.”

Me: “Yes?”

Employee: *pause* “For returns.”

Me: “Yes?”

Employee: “Think about that for a minute. Should be fairly obvious.”

Me: “Sorry, that might be a stupid question, but if I could figure it out by myself, I wouldn’t have to ask.”

Employee: *in a rather condescending tone* “Of course you can’t use shipping stations for returns. Those are for receiving shipments, not posting them.”

Me: “Oh? Okay. Thank you.”

(Unsure of whether I merely had had about twenty very vivid dreams of posting parcels at shipping stations, I checked online. Not only do shipping stations allow the posting of parcels, but they do allow returns. I don’t mind underpaid employees getting things wrong, but please don’t try making me look like an idiot just because you don’t know what services you provide.)