To sum up my job, I answer inquiries from inbound calls. While we have a separate Technical Support line we provide to callers with certain issues, it is part of our duties to assist callers with locating information on the website, as well as helping them log into the online services. This call went slightly south and then proceeded to Chile.

Caller:
“Yes, I’m trying to log into [online service] and I’m having trouble. Can you help me?”

The caller is identifiably elderly.

Me:
“Certainly! Are you on your computer?”

Caller:
“Yes, I am.”

Me:
“Perfect. I want you to open an Internet browser. Let me know when it’s open.”

Caller:
“Oh, I already have it open, dear.”

Me:
“Okay. I want you to click on the address bar at the top where you type in website addresses, and type this: [website address]. Let me know when the page loads.”

Caller:
“Okay, I did that.”

I describe the website and a large picture on it that I intend to use as a point of reference.

Me:
“There’s a link to the right of the picture that says ‘Login.’ Do you see it?”

Caller:
“I don’t see any picture. I see something for telephone numbers, interest rates, news…”

I am on the website, and none of this is right out in front where she could see it. I’m totally confused.

Me:
“Okay, I want to make sure we’re on the same page. Did you go to [website address]?”

Caller:
“Yes, I typed that in, and I see links for news, telephone numbers, and a bunch of other things. Maybe I’ll try the next page…”

At this point, the lightbulb goes on for me.

Me:
“Ma’am, are you on Google?”

Caller:
*Sounding annoyed* “Yes, yes, I’m on Google. Why can’t I find what you’re talking about?”

Me:
“Okay, I want you to look at the top of the screen. You’ll see a little white bar that says something like [Google’s address] in it. Do you see it?”

Caller:
“Yes, I do.”

Me:
“Okay, click on it, and type [website address].”

Caller:
“Okay.”

I hear the signature “DOOdoo doo DOO” Windows 7 logoff sound over the phone. I am unable to keep the exasperated tone out of my voice.

Me:
“Ma’am… did you just turn your computer off?”

Caller:
“I’m calling back when I can get someone with more patience!”

I work at the front desk at a hotel. A guest is checking in but the debit terminal at the computer is out of order.

Manager:
“Hello, and welcome to the hotel. Do you have a reservation with us?”

Guest:
“Yes.”

Manager:
“Okay, we have you in for one night. The total will be $150; how do you wish to pay today?

Guest:
“Debit, please.”

Manager:
“Okay, sounds great. Unfortunately, my debit terminal is out of order so we will have to use this other one just next to us.”

The working debit machine is literally a three-step side shuffle away.

Guest:
“RACIST!”

They stormed out, and to this day we still don’t know what happened.

One lady is in line with a bag of dog food, bragging about how much money she spent on her kids this year. While checking out, she uses a coupon.

Customer:
“Since I am getting an emailed receipt, how will I get my coupon?”

Me:
“If there were any possible coupons, they will print, regardless of getting a paper or emailed receipt.”

She seems okay with this. Two hours later, she storms in the door. She slams her phone down on the counter with the email up and asks where her coupon is. I start to explain (again) and she cuts me off.

Customer:
“I only asked for an email receipt to make your life easy! Now I’m missing savings! I demand you reprint my receipt!”

Me:
“It’s been over two hours. The system won’t let me reprint anything other than the most recent previous transaction.”

Customer:
“Remove my email, then!”

Me:
“The system will only let us edit entered info, not remove it; you have to do that yourself online.”

She turns to leave and her last comment is:

Customer:
 “You need to relearn the system because you are doing everything wrong!”

I wanted to ask when she ever worked there since she apparently “knew the system” better than I did!

I work as a floor clerk in a public library. There is one public entrance at the front of the building and one smaller staff entrance in the back. Obviously, only staff can use the staff entrance, and you can only get in with a door fob from the outside. It’s clearly marked with a “STAFF ONLY” sign smack in the middle of the door, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to use it. There is a back parking lot for employees, but there’s no concrete rule that it’s for employees only, so patrons park back there and try to use the staff door.

This happens when I’m near the back entrance moving carts from floor to floor. It’s been raining all day, but not pouring hard, which means we’re fairly busy once school hours are over.

Apparently, the front parking lot is full, and some people are parking in the back, trying to use the staff entrance. I’m near the back door when a young woman, an older woman (maybe a grandmother) and a small child approach it, and she grabs the door handle, completely bypassing the sign. It doesn’t even jiggle since it’s locked electronically. She looks at me and knocks on the door, raising her other hand up in an “Uh, hellloooo?” fashion.

Groaning internally, I open the door a crack to tell her she can’t come in. She tries to step past me, but I block her from getting through.

Woman: “Uh, excuse me? Can we go in, please?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but this is a staff entrance. The public entrance is around the front.”

Woman: “But the parking lot is full! I had to park back here!”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that, but this entrance is for library employees only. If I let you in, everyone else will want me to let them in, as well. Only employees can unlock the door for that reason.”

Woman: “It’s pouring rain and I have a young child here! Please let us in?”

It’s not pouring by any means. I’ve worked here for five years at this point, and our “go above and beyond” policies are getting more and more ridiculous, to the point where entitled people just get whatever they ask for in almost any situation. Some staff have let patrons through the staff door if they are bullied enough, and since I’m considered to be senior staff among the clerks, I don’t give in to stupidity like this. So, I tell her, still politely, to please use the front entrance.

Woman: “But I parked back here!”

Me: “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but you’ll have to walk around to the front.”

I closed the door, which locked automatically. She didn’t move and just stared at me as I turned away. She knocked at the door again. I pointed toward the sign. She knocked on it again, harder when I turned around and walked away this time.

I knew she was going to go to the front counter to complain, so I walked over and talked to my supervisor just as she came in. My supervisor listened to her complain very loudly about me, and about how she and her kid were soaked now, but my supervisor just told her it was a staff entrance and we don’t let people use that door. She didn’t like that and stomped away further into the library with the grandmother and kid in tow, who hadn’t said a single word in this exchange to us. I was told I didn’t do anything wrong and was left at that.

Our coffee shop has a drive-thru. I can hear my coworker taking an order over the headset.

Customer:
“Hi, can I have your vegan bagel?”

We only have three bagel options; none of them are vegan safe.

Coworker:
“I’m sorry, which bagel?”

Customer:
*Irritated* “The vegan one.”

Me:
“Does she mean the plain bagel?”

Coworker:
“Sorry, none of our bagels are vegan safe; do you want our plain bagel?”

Customer:
*Angrily* “No, I want your vegan! Bagel!”

Coworker:
“Um… I’m sorry, we don’t have a vegan bagel. I can only offer you plain, grain, or everything?”

Customer:
*Still irritated* “Fine, I guess I’ll have the grain one, then.”

Coworker:
“Okay. And anything else?”

Customer:
“Yes. Cream cheese with that, please.”

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