I have recently had a baby. My mother-in-law asks if she can come by and visit after getting groceries and gas. When she arrives, my baby is hungry, so I go to make her a bottle. [Mother-In-Law] offers to help make a bottle since my hands are full. She walks over and starts opening the lid to the formula.

Me: “Can you please wash your hands first?”

Mother-In-Law: “Why?”

Me: “Because you’re preparing food?”

Mother-In-Law: “I’m not going to touch the formula!”

Me: “But you’re touching the scoop, which goes back in the container, and the nipple, which is going in her mouth. Please wash your hands.”

Mother-In-Law: “It’s fine.”

Me: “No, it’s not fine. You need to have clean hands before you prep a bottle.”

She throws her hands in the air.

Mother-In-Law: “Fine! If you’re going to be difficult about it, you can make it yourself.”

Me: “So, you’re okay if I don’t wash my hands before preparing you food after touching the gas pump and everything at the store? Because I wouldn’t be okay with that.”

Mother-In-Law: “You’re being unreasonable when I’m just trying to help. You’re so rude; you’re essentially calling me gross!”

I told her to leave, and she later complained to my husband about it. He told her she was lucky that I stopped her before touching anything, or he would have had her reimburse us for a new can of formula.

I am dropping off the check for a table that has finished their meal, and I see that the mother is changing her baby’s diaper at the table!

Me: “Ma’am! We have baby-changing facilities in the restrooms! Please don’t do that there!”

Customer: “That’s too inconvenient. This is much quicker.”

Me: “Ma’am, that is very unsanitary. People eat at this table.”

Customer: “But we’ve finished our food.”

Me: “Yes, but other diners will use that table after you.”

Customer: “Well… I wasn’t thinking about the other people.”

Me: “Obviously.”

She changed the diaper and asked me to dispose of the used one. I had to, simply to stop the smell from spreading. We sanitized the h*** out of that table… twice!

I have just graduated but don’t have a job lined up yet, so my dad encourages me to apply for benefits in the interim. It’s worth noting that I have partial hearing loss. I also have a very clearly Scottish surname although my voice is very English. I call up and the woman who answers has a Scottish accent from the same area as my family. She asks for my name.

Me: “Of course, it’s [My Name], and I should let you know I’m a little bit deaf, so I’m sorry if I make you repeat yourself a little.”

Benefits Agent: “This should take about ten minutes. First…” *Very fast question I don’t catch*

Me: “Sorry, could you repeat that?”

Benefits Agent: *Patronisingly slow* “When… did… your… last… employment… end?”

Me: “Oh, four years ago. I’ve just graduated from university.”

Benefits Agent: *Very fast and mumbling something*

Me: “I’m so sorry, I didn’t get that.”

Benefits Agent: *Louder and even slower* “What… date… and… year?”

This continues for the next five or so questions. I ask her to slow down slightly, but she always asks really quickly and mumbled first and then loudly and slowly the second time. After the sixth question…

Me: “I really am sorry. Could you please repeat that?”

Benefits Agent: “No.”

And the line cuts. I call back, get a man with a similar accent, and explain what just happened.

Benefits Agent #2: “Oh, dear. Let me have a look at your account… My colleague has left a note here saying that you were rude and mocking about her accent.”

Me: “What? Not at all. I explained to her that I was a wee bit deaf at the beginning, and she continued to speak very quietly and quickly. Then, she was quite rude whenever I asked her to repeat the question. My family is from [Scottish Town] and [Other Scottish Town], so the accent is definitely not the issue.”

Benefits Agent #2: “Hmm, I see. I’ll make a note of that and flag the call for review. We’ll pick up where you left off, though, and I do tend to talk fast. so please tell me to slow down if I’m too speedy.”

The following however many questions took as much time as the six with the previous call handler, and I didn’t have to ask him to repeat a single question. I don’t know if the woman was just having a bad day or what action was taken, but years later, I also worked in a call centre and used both sides of that experience to give the best customer service I could.

Related:
Questionable Behavior, Part 3
Questionable Behavior, Part 2
Questionable Behavior

Customer: “Could I get a Coke?”

Me: “Sure thing!”

Customer: “Diet Coke, please! I don’t want any chemicals or sugar.”

Me: “Well, it’s technically sugar-free, but they used chemicals to get it like that.”

Customer: “Oh. I thought chemicals were calories?”

Me: “Well, not really.”

Customer: “Does the Diet Coke have any calories?”

Me: “Again, technically, no.”

Customer: “Then we’re good! Chemicals are calories!”

I gave up and got them their Diet Coke.

I work in a daycare in the infant room. We have a baby that has recently started coming to the daycare. One day, he is acting pretty fussy, and as I am trying to comfort him, I notice he feels pretty warm, so I take his temperature. Sure enough, he has a fever, so I call the parents to have him picked for the day. Mom shows up and is slightly upset.

Mom: “I just don’t understand why he’s sick again. He just started a few weeks ago, and this is the third time he’s gotten sick here.”

Me: “I understand your frustrations. It’s not fun when they’re not feeling good. However, it is pretty normal for kids to get sick frequently the first time they start daycare. They’re building up that immune system. When I first started working here, I got bronchitis and sinusitis in the first few weeks.”

Mom: “He shouldn’t be getting sick, though! He’s breastfed.”

Me: *Very confused* “What do you mean?”

Mom: “I thought breastfed babies don’t get sick. Only formula-fed babies do!”

Me: “I don’t think that’s how that works.”