(I witness this exchange between a mother and daughter shopping together. Note that the help desk is located between aisles 79 & 80 of the store. The mother is running up and down the store, looking down the aisles, but not walking in them. She finally stops and stands on the opposite side of the help desk from where I’m standing.)

Daughter: “Well? Did you find it?”

Mother: “No! That boy lied to us! He said it’s in aisle 79, but I’ve looked EVERYWHERE and there’s no aisle 79 in this whole store!”

Daughter: *looks to the left of the help desk* “Mom? It’s… it’s right behind you.”

Mother: “What are you talking about? This isn’t aisle 79!”

Daughter: “Yes, it is. See there? No, Mom, up there!” *points* “It says 79.”

(Mother glances at the aisle number, then glances down the aisle without walking in it.)

Mother: “Well, what we’re looking for isn’t down there! I’m sure of that!”

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Me: “Hello, can I help you with anything?”

Customer: “I need a garage door.”

Me: “Okay, our garage doors are back in the millwork department.”

Customer: “No! I don’t need a garage door.”

Me: “All right… what is it that you need?”

Customer: “I need a garage door!”

Me: “All of our garage door stuff is back in millwork.”

Customer: “But I don’t want a garage door!”

Me: “Is this a door inside your garage?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Well, all of our doors are going to be back in millwork as well.”

Customer: “BUT I DON’T NEED A GARAGE DOOR!”

Me: “Well, then what is it that you are looking for?”

Customer: “I need a garage door.”

(Hearing the commotion, a coworker shows up.)

Coworker: “Ma’am, what does this item do that you are looking for?”

Customer: “It does this…” *makes a slow opening motion with hand*

Me: “So is it on the door inside your garage?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Well, what does it do?”

Customer: “It does this…” *makes the same hand motion*

Coworker: “What exactly does this do?”

Customer: “It keeps the wind out.”

Me: “Okay… is it weather stripping?”

Customer: “No.”

Coworker: “Does it keep the door shut?”

Customer: “Yes. I think it’s a spring!”

(Mystery solved!)

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23 Customers Who Would Get Even Their Plastic Plants Killed

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(I’m a man. One of the regular customers at our hardware store is an elderly man named Ernie. Ernie usually came in just after the store opened and there weren’t many customers, so I’d grab a couple of lawn chairs off the shelf and sit out front with him, drinking coffee. Sometimes he’d make fun of my long hair by calling me ‘Missy’ or try to offer me a job as a secretary at his company as a joke, but I shrugged it off. One afternoon, Ernie’s wife comes into the store and encounters the owner.)

Wife: “I’m supposed to drop off these measurements to Jamie for the new kitchen floor they talked about this morning.”

Owner: “You mean Jimmy? He’s the one that talked to Ernie this morning.”

Wife: “I might have the name wrong. My husband said she’s a cute little brunette that wears glasses.”

Owner: “We haven’t had any women working today, ma’am.”

(I walk out of the backroom at this point. Ernie’s wife looks over in my direction, squints a little, and hands the piece of paper to me.)

Wife: “I guess my husband’s vision isn’t what it used to be, sonny.”

Me: “What do you mean, ma’am?”

Wife: “His hearing is gone, too! Don’t worry, sonny. He won’t be trying to play grab-a** with you anymore!”

(Ernie didn’t come in very often after that.)

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Customer: “I need some paint.”

Me: “No problem, let me show you our selection.”

(After taking her time picking out colors from all the swatches we have.)

Customer: “I want these two colors mixed. I’m going to be painting stripes.”

Me: “Sure, no problem. Let me mix it up for you. Would you like a gallon of each or a different size? Also, would you like some painter’s tape and a couple of brushes?”

Customer: “I only need one brush and I don’t need any painter’s tape, because you are going to mix the two colors.”

Me: “You want me to mix the two colors?”

Customer: “Yes, so I can just buy one gallon and paint stripes.”

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Customer: “I need something to make a nail go into a piece of wood… You know, to make it stay where I’m putting it.”

Me: “…a hammer, sir?”

Customer: “Oh, is that what you would recommend?”

Me: “Uh… yeah.”

Customer: “Great, show me where they are!”