(I work as the guest services manager at a hotel. Early one morning, around 9:00 am, a local resident comes in looking for a room. She pays cash and leaves a deposit, and since we have a vacant room already cleaned, I agree to check her in. Around 2:30 pm, the customer comes back to the front desk.)

Me: “Hi! Is everything okay?”

Customer: “Oh, yes. There’s just been a change of plans. I won’t be needing this room tonight, after all, so I’ll be checking out now.”

(At this point, I prepare for a fight, because housekeeping has just finished for the day. I won’t be able to refund her room charge if the room has been used in any way, because I can’t rent it out until it has been properly cleaned.)

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that. I will have to go check the room, though, before I can—”

Customer: “Oh, yeah, no problem! I just took a shower, had a nap, nothing crazy in there. No damage, I promise.”

Me: “Yes, well, unfortunately, housekeeping is finished for the day, and since the room has been used, I won’t be able to refund your money today. You see—”

Customer: “Oh, I know.”

Me: *pause* “What?”

Customer: “I said, ‘I know.’ I don’t want my money back; I just wanted to pick up my deposit.”

Me: “Oh! Well, in that case, you’re all set to go.”

Customer: “Oh, good. I was starting to think something was wrong.”

Me: “My gosh, no. It’s just that normally when this happens, people expect to get their money back, and they fight with us.”

Customer: “Really?”

Me: “Oh, yes. You have no idea. I’ve had people check in at 3:00 pm, and at 11:00 pm, they want to leave and be refunded or have the charge removed from their credit card. People get really aggressive about it, too; last month we had to call the police on a woman because she was trying to get in the office to assault my front desk clerk. She destroyed part of my lobby!”

Customer: “Really? That’s unbelievable. You would think people would understand the concept of paying for what they use or consume. Some people just never grow up.”

Me: “Well, here’s your deposit back, and thank you again for not pitching a fit.”

Customers: “No worries. Thanks a lot!”

(Best customer I’ve had in weeks.)

(I have been working at the same bookstore for three years, but I have a terrible memory for faces and names. Customers remember me much more frequently than I remember them. One day, I am very busy and overtaxed when a lady walks up to me.)

Customer: “I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I was in here last year.”

(I don’t remember her at all and cringe inwardly, waiting to hear what her complaint is.)

Customer: “You recommended this travel guide to me, and I had the most lovely vacation! I just wanted to let you know.”

Me: “Oh. Uh, thank you! People never come back and tell me when something was good.”

(She left with another travel book.)

I live in a city where everything is within walking distance, so I don’t own a car. This generally isn’t a problem, except in a few select instances, such as buying groceries. The store is a good mile from my apartment, so carrying everything by myself becomes a real challenge. One day I decide to just order a bunch of stuff to be delivered so I won’t have to make another trip to the store for a while.

Fast forward to the day the food is supposed to be delivered. My initial payment doesn’t go through, so I have to use another card, and all the while the representative on the phone is being incredibly friendly and energetic. A few hours later I receive a call from the delivery person saying they’re backed up because it’s so busy and ask if they can deliver my groceries at a different time. I have nothing else to do all day so I tell them to take their time.

When they show up, the delivery person is so sweet and friendly. I notice some flowers in one of the bags and they tell me that the flowers are complementary as an apology for being late. I was completely floored. They were so apologetic about the whole situation when it really wasn’t that big a deal for me at all. Be kind to your local food service workers!

Every once in a while, we ran across fairly large, black rat snakes on our property. We welcomed them as great free rodent-control. When I spotted one, I would catch it for brief science lessons for my kids, at the time 14 and 12.

Immediately taken by the three-plus-foot-long snake, the kids promptly named one “Fluffy.” This time, I thought I’d show them how a snake eats — letting them see it swallow a mouse whole — and made a quick trip to a nearby pet store for a feeder mouse. The kids, of course, the kids promptly named it “Lunch.”

After Fluffy enjoyed Lunch, the kids and I released Fluffy in the plantings near the house, for rodent-control. Plus, I got “cool Mom points” for my snake-handling ability.

(I have worked in retail since I was a teenager, but on this occasion I am out shopping with a friend. My friend keeps picking up clothing items to look at, and then just dumping them. Almost out of habit, I am following behind her, straightening them up.)

Friend: *noticing me cleaning up after her* “Um… What are you doing?”

Me: “Just folding this up again.”

Friend: *long pause* “Why?”

Me: “Well, part of me just can’t help it, and part of me is getting a little frustrated that you don’t even try to put something back where you found it.”

Friend: “Whatever. Isn’t that their job? I’m helping them, giving them something to actually do.”

Me: *stares* “Seriously?”

Friend: “What?”

(I have a not-yet-folded t-shirt in my hand, and I begin whacking her with it.)

Me: “Don’t. Ever. Say. That. To. Me. AGAIN! Seriously?! You think these guys don’t have enough to do during their shift? You have no IDEA! You’ve seen me after work, right? Remember when we met up after my shift last week?”

Friend: “Yeah?”

Me: “Remember how exhausted I was?”

Friend: “I guess?”

Me: “THAT’S BECAUSE I SPENT MY DAY PICKING UP AFTER OTHER PEOPLE, AS WELL AS DOING MY ACTUAL JOB. STOP BEING A SLOB JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PLACE!”

Friend: “Okay, okay, jeez! I’m sorry!”

Me: “OKAY! THANK YOU! All right. Now. This shirt is actually really cute, and you should try it on.”

Friend: “Um. Okay.”

(She takes the t-shirt she has just been beaten with and scurries to the changing room. A staff member has been watching this entire exchange, dumbfounded.)

Staff Member: “Dude.” *extends hand for high five*

Related:
Reasons Why Customer Service Should Be Mandatory: #2