(I am in my mid-twenties, working at a bookstore with another woman who is a few years older and has five kids. We become friends. She invites me and a few other coworkers to her son’s third birthday party. I don’t have any children of my own, but I have a lot of little cousins, and I love buying them presents, so I buy some fun toys and get extra batteries. I wrap everything up and go to the party and have a nice time. When it’s time for the gifts, all the kids help their little brother tear into them, and they’re all books, except for mine. The kids all go nuts, ripping apart the boxes, putting in the batteries and pushing all the buttons that make the toys move, beep, light up, etc. I’m really glad they’re having such a good time with the things I picked out, but when I go to leave, my coworker takes me aside, frowning a bit.)

Coworker: “I guess I forgot to tell you; we only wanted [Son] to get books this year for his birthday.”

Me: “Oh, no, you didn’t tell me that.”

Coworker: “Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate your gifts, but I really didn’t want them to have toys like that. They’ll fight over them.”

Me: *at a loss* “Oh, well, I’m sorry? I’m sure they’ll get tired of them in a few days; you know how kids are.”

Coworker: “Yes, but I wanted him to just get books.”

Me: *a little irritated now* “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say. You didn’t tell me not to buy toys, so I assumed that toys would be an acceptable gift for a three-year-old.”

Coworker: “You need to tell them they can’t have them and take them away.”

Me: “Excuse me? You want me to take away the toys I gave a three-year-old boy for his birthday?”

Coworker: “Yes.”

Me: “Forget it. No way.”

Coworker: “They’re going to fight over them!”

Me: “And if I take them away, they’re going to cry! I’m not making a bunch of little kids cry because you failed to tell me you didn’t want me to buy toys!”

Coworker: “You work at a bookstore! I just assumed you knew.”

Me: “Well, I didn’t. Since you also work in a bookstore, I figured your kids probably had plenty of books. If you’d told me, I would have bought books. If you don’t want them to have the toys, you can take them away.”

(I left, furious and feeling bad for those poor little kids. The next time she needed a ride home from work — she lived over forty minutes away from where I did, but I used to give her rides all the time to help her out, since I knew all about her financial difficulties — I told her I couldn’t, and we barely spoke again until I quit a few months later.)

(I work at a coffee shop that is inside a store. I’m also a full-time student, so I only work part time. This story takes place just after I have finished college for summer.)

Me: “Hi there. What can I get for you?”

Customer: “Two lattes, please.”

Me: “No problem. Coming right up.”

(I proceed to make her coffees and set them on a tray for her. While making the coffees, we have been talking away to each other, and she seems to be a nice customer.)

Customer: “What are these?”

Me: “Those are your coffees; two lattes, right?”

Customer: “Yes, but I wanted them to go.”

(This happens all the time — customers not saying they’re taking them out but expecting us to know.)

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry. I mustn’t have heard you. I’ll just pour them into takeaway cups.”

(While I’m pouring the first one into the takeaway cup…)

Customer: “They look smaller than usual; are you sure those are large?”

Me: “Large? Sorry, these are just regular. Again, I mustn’t have heard you say large.”

(I steam more milk to add to the lattes I already made to make them large.)

Customer: “I’m in quite often; I assumed you would remember.”

(I have been working at this coffee shop for over two years and do remember a good few regular customers and their orders, but I know that I’ve never served her before.)

Me: “I do apologize; my brain must be working slower than usual today.”

Customer: “That’s all right. You teenagers stay up way too late and are always tired the next day.”

Me: “That must be it.”

Customer: “Now, which one had the hazelnut syrup in it?”

Me: “…”

(It turned out she was an employee in the store that the coffee shop is a part of, and started about three months ago. She worked during the week, and since I was only working weekends at that point, I had never served her. Moral of the story: just because you’re a regular customer, you shouldn’t expect every employee to remember what your order is.)

(I work in a charity store, where Wednesdays are a nightmare because of senior day — older people get 30% off. Unfortunately, most of them are really entitled, so everyone kind of dreads this day. It’s 9:04; our store is closed, and I’m ringing out our last customers. A lady keeps dragging furniture up to the register where I’m ringing out her family.)

Customer: “How much for the little tykes car? The tag was missing.”

Me: “Oh, sorry, that means it’s probably been sold, and if not we’ll have to retag it in the morning.”

Customer: “But I want it.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’ll be repriced in the morning.”

Customer: *drags the car up to the front* “This car?”

Me: “Sorry, it looks like the bottom part of the tag is gone, so you’ll have to wait till morning.”

Customer: “Will I get my 30% off if I buy it tomorrow?”

(I’m getting a little fed up with this lady, and I can see her family is getting annoyed by her, too, so I look to my manager, hoping the lady will listen to her as she has more power.)

Manager: “Sorry, no. The discounts are automated on our computers.”

Customer: “But I want to buy it today!”

(She finally gave up and just set the car down. Her granddaughter had to tell her to put the dang thing away. But I bet you anything she’s going to come in the next morning saying we said she could get the discount.)

(I work at a company that has an unusual name, from the company founder’s last name. All the phone lines for all five of our locations ring to my desk. I have a man call and ask how to pronounce the company name, which I have just given him as I answered the phone, but whatever.)

Me: *pronounces name*

Caller: “Are you sure?”

Me: “Yep, pretty sure. I have worked here for many years.”

Caller: “I don’t think that’s right.” *hangs up*

(A few minutes later, the phone rings again. Same guy.)

Caller: “I am calling all your locations to see if they all pronounce the name the same way.”

(Now, keep in mind, all five locations are in the same state, in the USA.)

Me: “Oops, yes… I just talked to you, but I can send you to another location if you would like?”

Caller: “Oh, it probably wouldn’t do any good, huh?”

Me: “Probably not, but you have a good day!”

(He wasn’t even a customer, just curious. Lots of time on his hands, I guess.)

(I work for a company that leases ignition interlocks — car breathalyzers. For reporting and quality, the units are changed every 30 to 60 days, depending on the state. Customers get a countdown, but after it goes to zero, you have to tow your car, as it won’t start. We also have remote changes, where the mechanic just puts it on a machine and tests it. This customer called from a state where remote changes were just installed. His car is past zero by two days.)

Customer: “I don’t know why you didn’t tell me they were remote now! I always go by the tracking number on the package to know when my unit times out!”

Rep: “Well, that’s one way to do it, but your unit also gives you a five-day countdown, and a seven-day grace period, as well. You can also check your time update on our website, or you can call the automated line and it will give you your time-out date, as well.”

Customer: “You still should have sent me an email specifically saying that the unit wasn’t shipped so that I didn’t go by the tracking number. Can’t you turn it back on?”

Rep: “Sorry, your state regulations don’t allow us to do that. You will have to tow it in.”

Customer: “But you didn’t send me anything and tell me unit wouldn’t be shipped! I need something — a time extension, or a credit! I tried calling but didn’t want to wait on hold! I demand to talk to your supervisor!”

(I put him on hold for one minute, and he hung up almost instantly. I guess his car is SUPER important to him.)