Customer: “Do you have any books told from an animal’s point of view?”
Me: “I’m sure we do. Let me look it up.”
Customer: “Do you have any that were written by a cat or a horse or a dog or something?”
Me: “Erm, no, sorry. But I can recommend this series about a cat who solves mysteries…”
I work at a bookstore that provides gift packing for your order. Packing something costs about €2. We also have online orders to be picked up at our store. On our website, you can order gift packing and you have to pay at the cash desk. I’m always doing gift packing and then answering orders so customers can pick it up and already have it packed.
Customer: *Walks to my cash desk* “Good afternoon, I’m here to pick up my order.”
Me: “Sure, what’s your name?”
There are two of my coworkers at that time.
Customer: “My name is [Customer].”
I start looking for his order. When I find it and show him his order, he seems to be angry.
Customer: “I didn’t want it to be packed. I need to put something inside this book.”
Me: “Well, you ordered gift packing and we do it immediately. You could write it in the notes that you want it to be packed later.”
Customer: “Well, can you unpack it, so I can put it in?”
I do what he wished for. My coworker approaches me and whispers.
Coworker: “Put it twice in his price.”
I scan his order and put packing twice in his price.
Me: “It will be €14.”
Customer: “Why that much?”
Me: “You had it already packed, but you wanted me to do it again. It’s for the double work and material.”
Customer: “I don’t get it. Why do I have to pay this much?”
Me: *Trying to be calm* “I already said it’s for the work and material I had to use.”
Customer: “I’m not paying for that.”
I delete the packing, as I haven’t repacked it yet.
Me: “It will be €10.”
Customer: “Where’s the packing?”
Me: “You said you were not going to pay it, so I deleted it.”
Customer: “But I want packing.”
Me: “Then you have to pay €14.”
Customer: “That’s too much.”
My coworker comes up to help me.
Coworker: “You made her pack it twice, so you have to pay it twice. Do you get it?”
The customer then paid for two packings and left without saying goodbye.
Related:
The Gift-Wrap That Keeps On Giving
I’m the customer in this story. I’m Swedish and this happened when my boyfriend and I went on holiday to London. We’re just wandering around when we stumble over an absolutely AMAZING little bookstore. It’s very small, but filled to the brim with lovely editions of wonderful classic literature (Jules Verne, Virginia Woolf, Tolkien, Vonnegut, you name it). Since I love books so much, I start literally tearing up and press my hand to my chest.
Cashier: *nodding, with an all-knowing smile* Yes, I’ve seen that reaction before with some young ladies. I believe it is the combination of great literature and beauty that does it.
Me: *sniffling, with a tear running down my cheek* Would it be all right if I moved in here forever?
Cashier: Fine, as long as you take a couple of shifts at the checkout every now and then. Do you live nearby?
Me: No… I’m from Sweden.
Cashier: *shakes head* Too bad.
(I’m in the middle of putting books away on the shelves when a woman in her early thirties or so comes into the store and asks me to help her find a book.)
Customer: “Do you have any books by Emily Giffen?”
Me: (after checking the computer system) “It doesn’t look like we do, but let’s check in the section where her books are, sometimes the computer’s wrong.”
(I check the G section of Fiction and the New Releases wall and don’t see any of her books).
Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, it looks like we don’t have any of her books at this time.”
Customer: “Could you recommend any authors with books kind of like hers?”
Me: (I’ve never read any of her books but I try to get some information) “What does she tend to write about?”
Customer: “Oh, just women in their thirties, kind of like me.”
Me: (I rattle off a few other authors that sound kind of close) “Those may be along the lines you’re looking for, but I’ve never read any of Emily Giffen’s books so I’m not 100% sure.”
Customer: “Well, you work in a bookstore, don’t you? You should know what the books you’re selling are about!”
Me: (as politely as possible) “Yes, ma’am, but I’m not able to read every single book that comes into the store.”
(She left a little bit after that, but what I really wanted to say was “Sorry that our book tastes don’t mesh.”)
Customer: “I want to look at the diary in the window.”
Me: “Certainly, which one?”
Customer: “There’s only one there; let me see it.”
I spot a diary in the window display and reach it out for her.
Customer: “No, no, no! How can you get that wrong?! There’s only one diary in the window and you take out the wrong book!”
Me: “Ma’am, this is a diary!”
Customer: “No, it isn’t! There was only one diary and that’s not it!”
