(This conversation happens at our till point.)
Customer: “I’ll just try these on; do you have the time?”
Volunteer: *glancing at digital display on till* “It’s ten forty-seven.”
Customer: *silent and expectant*
Volunteer: *thinking the customer hadn’t heard* “Ten forty-seven.”
Customer: “Oh, I heard; I just wanted it in English. Ten to eleven, then.” *trots off to try on garment, leaving my volunteer gaping*
(I work in a convenience store. A guy comes in and starts putting on a spare uniform.)
Me: “Sir, that’s for employees only.”
Guy: “I’m the manager here; who the h*** are you?”
Me: “Sir, I’m the manager here.”
Guy: “LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE S***! DON’T TRY TO BE SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT!”
Me: “Sir, calm down. Where do you work?”
Guy: *goes outside to check*
Me: *sighs* “Idiot…”
(A customer who has just purchased a lot of items comes back up to the counter to show me her receipt.)
Me: “Hello. Is everything okay?”
Customer: “There was a deal on the sellotape, and it hasn’t come off my total.”
Me: “Okay, could you tell me what the deal was?”
Customer: “Yes, it said they were two for £5.” *points to a display that says two for £5*
(I look at her receipt to see that the sellotape was individually priced at £2.49, meaning the total for 2 comes to £4.98.)
Me: “Oh, they were £2.49 each, which comes to under £5, so you were charged £4.98.”
Customer: *beginning to sound annoyed* “Why did it say 2 for £5?! That’s false advertising!”
Me: “I’m sorry, that might have been an old deal; the head office always changes prices and deals and doesn’t always tell us. Luckily, you weren’t overcharged.”
Customer: “I still want a refund. I don’t like giving my money to false advertisers.”
Me: “Sure… Okay.”
(I went ahead and processed a refund for £4.98.)
(I am a customer in this story, doing some work in the public library because it’s usually quiet at home. This library has special Microfilm computers which are free to use for people to look up family history, etc. I am sitting on a desk next to a free one when a middle-aged lady with a walking stick comes to the end of the aisle and starts complaining to a member of staff.)
Lady: “It’s not fair that all the machines are being used! Someone should move!”
(I’m a little confused, because I can see a number of free machines, but I take it that this lady wants a particular one and is hoping if she complains loud enough, someone will move and she’ll get it.)
Library Staff: “There more machines over there.” *points to the other end of the room* “Or, if you’d like, you can go over to the search desk and they’ll be able to look it up for you. Is there anything in particular you’d like to look for?”
Lady: “No, I’d like a machine to use. It’s not fair when other people use them or students come in and use them. These machines aren’t meant for them!”
Library Staff: “The machines are for public use, and if students are using them for their intended purpose, then they can use them. If you’re not willing to use the machines over there, there’s nothing I can do to help you.”
(An elderly man tries to help and point her in the right direction to a free machine, but she just gets angrier.)
Lady: “FINE! I guess I’ll just go and have a walk round, then, if that’s what you want! Honestly! The nerve of some people!”
(She starts to hobble towards me, sees the empty machine, and pounces. I think this is the end of the whole thing, but she turns and says.)
Lady: “See? Someone obviously heard me complaining and left because they were afraid they were in the wrong. It’s not about how or what you say, it’s about how threateningly you can say it! And if that doesn’t work, hit them with your cane!”
(She then proceeded to go about her work and left me alone, but I couldn’t help but think what an entitled a** she was. And they call my generation “snowflakes.”)
(My job has a couple of clients who are notorious for being difficult on the phone. This one client often makes demands we are unable to fulfill, and is rude and aggressive. On this day, he wants something done by the end of the day that takes two days minimum to be done.)
Me: “It is currently with one of our agents, sir. She needs to authorise it before I can—“
Client: “Right. Put her on the line, then.”
Me: “I can certainly put you through to her. May I put you on hold?”
Client: “No! I don’t want to be put on hold. I’m a very busy man! Just pass the phone to her.”
Me: “She’s actually in a separate office, but she has been waiting for your call. I have to put you on hold to be able to transfer the call to her.”
Client: “No, you don’t. You’re lying to me!”
Me: “I’m not lying, sir. I absolutely can put you through—“
Client: *at the top of his voice* “GO. AND. GET. HER. NOW!”
Me: “Sir, I can’t just leave the phone on my desk to do that. It’s against company procedure. In the time we’ve been talking, I could have put you through. If you would allow me to put you on hold–”
Client: “NO! I am a very busy man and I don’t have time. Get her to call me back in the next thirty minutes or I’ll sue your company!”
(The best bit? He called back fifteen minutes later saying no one had called and did the exact same thing to my colleague. He could have saved a lot of hassle.)
