(I work in a state call center for tax and finance, mostly dealing with questions regarding tax return statuses. As this is a government office, we get many people complaining to us about government issues that they are unhappy about, as if we had any power to change them. I have answered all of this taxpayer’s relevant questions; however, she has decided to vent to me. I am attempting to end the call, without much luck, as she isn’t giving me a chance to talk. Unfortunately we are not allowed to hang up on callers.)

Caller: *after venting about the governor and the amount of taxes she has to pay* “You know, none of this would be that bad if it wasn’t for all these immigrants, taking our jobs and demanding benefits. Isn’t it just awful, all these people coming in from other countries? Why can’t they just stay in their own countries? It just makes it harder for hard-working Americans like you and me. Don’t you agree?”

Me: “Ma’am, with all due respect, I am an immigrant; my family moved from Germany when I was little. I am not an American citizen, so I guess I am one of those immigrants taking jobs from Americans.”

(We moved when I was very young, so I speak English with a General American Accent — no hint of a German accent.)

Customer: “Well, obviously I don’t mean you; you’re not really an immigrant.”

(Luckily, she was too embarrassed to keep ranting, and allowed me to properly end the call soon after.)

We have a system at our franchise where everyone who calls in or orders online gets a call-back before we make their pizzas. No exceptions. Even phone orders.

A timed order comes in to be picked up at four pm. No problem. Then, a few moments later, it is voided: “Did not answer, could not confirm. Do not make.”

The boss recognises the lady — she’s a regular — so on the off chance this was just a mistake, we make the pizzas but put them in the cooler, ready to go in.

Four pm rolls around, and she’s not there. Four fifteen, not there. We are about to use the pizzas for other orders when she comes in at about 4:25. When we explain we don’t have the pizzas in because of lack of confirmation, she gets upset — not at us, mind you, but at the situation. She has a birthday party! She’s in a hurry!

I explain that pizzas were made, and we can have her order ready in seven minutes. After a few moments of reassurance, she departs, to return in “exactly seven minutes.”

The pizzas come out — we bumped them ahead of a few others — we cut them, box them up, and put them on the heater as fast as we can. By now it is about 4:35.

And we wait… and wait… Finally, at around five, she strolls in, just as I am about to mark the pizzas for “immediate sale.”

So much for being in a hurry.

(I work at a craft store that accepts competitor coupons. After closing time the manager waits by the door to let out customers who stay late.)

Last Customer: “I have a coupon from [Competitor].”

Me: “All right!” *applies coupon* “You total is [total].”

(Finishes transaction.)

Last Customer: *irritably* “Can I have that coupon back?”

Me: “Excuse me?”

Last Customer: “So I can use it at [Competitor], too?”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am; I can’t return a coupon that’s already been used.”

Last Customer: *to my manager on her way out* “Your employee was very rude!” *leaves*

Manager: “What did you do to her?”

Me: “She wanted me to give back her used coupon.”

Manager: “Pshh!”

Related:
The Couponator 6: The Coupon Awakens
The Couponator 5: Online Decline
The Couponator 4: Deadly Discounts
Return Of The Returner: The Buyback
Return Of The Returner: Jeans Of Justice
Return Of The Returner: The Return

(I am allergic to both latex and nitrile, but they’re both relatively new allergies for me, so I don’t think to mention them at first. I need blood taken, so the nurse and I are chatting as she gets the vials ready. As she reaches for the gloves, I notice the box.)

Me: “Oh, sorry. I forgot to say, I’m allergic to both latex and nitrile. Do you have different gloves?”

(The nurse looks at the box, as well.)

Nurse: “These are latex free.”

Me: “I know, but they’re usually nitrile, and I’m allergic to that, too. Do you have vinyl?”

(She grabs a box of vinyl gloves for me.)

Nurse: “Do you know how often I need to wear these? Maybe once a year. They’re horrible! They’re too big, and they feel awful on your hands! I hate them so much!”

(She continued to complain about the gloves as she took my blood. I know vinyl gloves are horrible; I have to wear them for work, too. But I’d also rather not spend the next few hours itching because I got latex or nitrile on my skin!)

I was working overnight shift at a 24-hour call center. My typical commute was about 25 minutes. About an hour and a half before my usual departure time, we were hit with an unexpected, terrible ice storm, making the roads nearly impassable and disabling traffic signals. Knowing that if I was to arrive at work anywhere near on time, I was going to have to leave extra early, I set out. The main roads were practically standstill so I took back roads as much as possible, but even with such an early start I was late arriving. While I was driving, it was announced on the news that the city was in a state of emergency and, unless it was imperative that a person needed to drive, it was advised to stay off the roads. I was already halfway there, so it would have been just as bad to turn back. Although I’d called on the way to advise on the conditions and my slow progress, and only a few of us who were scheduled that night were able to make it in, all of us late, we were all written up the following day for being tardy, or for not showing up. We collectively filed a grievance.

About a week later we were informed that the write-ups were to be removed from our files. It seems the HR review determined that since it took the day shift workers hours to get home, they could not have expected us to be able to make the drive any faster to work, and they were wrong to require that we be there at all when the city was shut down, as we were not considered critical employees. Each of us who did show up that night actually ended up with a commendation and small bonus!