(It is currently the beginning of April and this patient needs an appointment.)
Me: “Our next available is mid-June.”
Patient: “Okay, go ahead and schedule me for next Thursday.”
Me: “Our next available is mid-June.”
Patient: “I can’t schedule now; just schedule me for next Thursday.”
Me: “If you can’t schedule right now, that’s fine, but we are booking out until mid-June.”
Patient: “Okay, I’ll call back and schedule for next Thursday.”
(The date is Tuesday, February 28th.)
Customer: *writing out check* “It’s the 2nd, right?”
Me: “Nope, the 28th.”
Customer: “The 2nd?”
Me: “No, it’s the 28th.”
Customer: “But it’s the 2nd?”
Me: *now thinking he’s talking about the month and not the day and going to write the date as 2/28* “OH! Yes, it’s the second month.”
Customer: “Okay, thanks.” *writes 2nd March*
Me: “Oh, no, it’s February.”
Customer: “No, it’s not; it’s March.”
Me: “Nope, it’s February 28th. Almost March, but not quite.”
Customer: “No, today is March 2nd.”
Me: *pulls out calendar* “See? Today is Tuesday, February 28th.”
Customer: “OH, NO! I’ve been writing out all my checks today for March 2nd! Do you think the electric company will accept my payment?”
Me: “If you mailed it today, it might be March 2nd by the time it gets there.”
Customer: “Thank you!”
(I work in a hardware shop. Yesterday was a bank holiday. I was working that day, as were the part-timers. A customer sets down his order, but then his phone rings, and he answers it. A new coworker comes and asks me for help finding something. I go and show him. When I come back my customer hangs up.)
Customer: “Sorry about that. It’s Monday morning; what can I say?”
Me: “It’s Tuesday, sir.”
Customer: “Is it really?”
Me: “Yesterday was a bank holiday.”
Customer: “Did you enjoy it?”
Me: “I was here.”
Customer: “Oh. Sorry. The day has already been long.”
Me: “I feel you; it’s like that here today.”
(I process the transaction.)
Customer: “I know it’s Monday, but enjoy the rest of your shift.”
Me: *a little crestfallen* “It’s still Tuesday, but I’ll try.”
(Today is Thursday the 12th, and the company payday is tomorrow. In an attempt to make reference to the Jason Voorhees slasher films, I see one of my coworkers and go right up to him.)
Me: “Oh, hey, tomorrow is 9/11!”
Coworker: “Wait… What?”
(I stammered and explained that I was trying to say, “Tomorrow, we get paid on Friday the 13th.” How horrifying.)
(I work in a bakery that specializes in Jamaican products. For our wholesale customers, I provide a notice asking them to please call if they are unable to pick up their order. If we do not receive a call, their order will not be saved for them. We have one customer who NEVER comes for his order on the day he says he will, and so far he has received two notices, both of which I witnessed him read.)
Me: “I’m sorry, but we don’t have your order because it was supposed to be picked up last Saturday.”
Customer: “Oh, it wasn’t for pick up today?”
(Today is Tuesday.)
Me: “No, the invoice here says last Saturday. I can see if I have anything extra that I might be able to get you, but your order was used since you didn’t call.”
Customer: “Okay, okay, I won’t get mad.”
(I’m thinking to myself, “No, you can’t get mad, because I saw you read that notice and you never called, so you have no right to be mad.” I go check to see what I have available.)
Me: “Okay, here is what I was able to get you. I didn’t have any [bread]. Would you like to come for it tomorrow?”
Customer: “Okay, but not tomorrow.”
Me: “Okay, when?”
Customer: “The other day.”
Me: “Which other day?”
Customer: “You know, the other day.”
Me: “…”
Customer: *light-bulb goes off in his head* “Wednesday!”
Me: “Okay, sure, no problem. Have a nice day.”
