Our bookshop sells e-readers, and like a lot of electronic devices, they are relatively expensive.

Customer: “No, €179 is too much for it. Can’t you give me a discount?”

Me: “Sorry, I can’t give discounts on these.”

She thinks about it for a while and then her face lights up.

Customer: “I produced an audiobook.”

Me: “That’s lovely?”

Customer: “It’s a beautiful composition of texts and music, perfect for the Christmas season. It comes up to €90. What do you say, I exchange an audiobook for an e-reader?”

Me: *Pause* “We’re a company. We sell products, not exchange goods. Besides, the math doesn’t add up.”

Customer: “But it’s so expensive.”

Me: “I’ll let you think about it for a moment.”

She eventually left!

About six weeks ago, my sister broke her ankle. Due to other mobility issues she has, it is going to be a long recovery with physical therapy, so her doctor provides her with the form to get a six-month disabled parking permit with all the medical information filled out already. All she has to do is fill out the top part and return it.

Unfortunately, she misreads part of the form and misses filling out a box before mailing it in. Our main DMV is extremely slow, so it takes five weeks for them to return the form and her check, and they tell her to try again. As she needs to get out of the house more now for her physical therapy appointments, waiting a second five weeks is not an option.

I happen to be at her house helping out when the mail is returned, so I do some research and see that there is a contract facility — not DMV employees — nearby that can process the form on-site and is open at that very moment.

Me: “Go ahead and fix the form, and I’ll take it and your check and get it taken care of for you.”

Once it is my turn, I give the lady the form and the check and she begins processing the form. The only problem is that I am not the person who wrote the check. This is my fault; I didn’t think about it since I was just grabbing the stuff that had been mailed and didn’t think about them needing to check ID in person, since they couldn’t do that by mail anyway.

As they are trying to figure out what to do:

Me: “Actually, I have cash!”

They don’t take credit cards, and they have an ATM on-site for people to get cash to pay with, so I know they take cash. But no, they have now locked onto this check, so we go through three supervisors that are trying to figure out what to do.

Supervisor: “Here’s what we’ll do. Since you share a last name with [Sister], we’ll take your ID and hold you responsible if the check bounces.”

Every single person declined my offer to just pay the $10 in cash to move things along, even when I had it in my hand.  

It was crazy, but at least I walked out with the permits in hand. Lesson learned: just always take cash to this location.

I go to my car dealership to get an oil filter because I’m bringing my car to my usual mechanic for an oil change tomorrow.

I’m paying via debit and the guy hands me the machine. I’m used to paying with my iPhone, so I put it on the machine automatically only to see that there is a little sticker saying they don’t take Paypass. No problem.

Me: “Oh, sorry, you don’t take Paypass. I’ll use my card; just a sec.”

Worker: “Yes, sorry, you’re going to have to put your card in.”

Me: *Laughing.* “No worries. I’m just so used to paying with my phone that I don’t check anymore.” 

Worker: “At least you’re laughing. A lot of times, old men yell at me for that. Worst part is, most times their bills are over $100, so it wouldn’t work anyway…”

Me: “Wow, that sucks. It’s not as if there aren’t more valuable things to get angry about.”

People give me a headache. Getting angry because you have to take a card out of your wallet? Boy, have we become lazy.

I work at a well-known fast food chain. I am working at the drive-thru window.

Me: “Your total is $19.86, sir.”

He hands me over $20, a nickel, and a dime. The dime drops while it is in his hands still.

Me: “I apologize, sir, but your dime accidentally dropped. Would you like me to use just the twenty instead and hand you back the nickel?”

Customer: “No, I want you to use the twenty and the nickel, and then I want you to come out here and get my dime for me.”

Me: *Confused* “I’m sorry?”

He explains the entire thing to me again. I am stammering, unsure of what to say.

Me: “I can’t do that for you, sir. I apologize.”

Customer: “Well, you’re going to do it anyway.”

Annoyed, I look away and spot a dime on the counter from someone else’s change that was left there earlier. I grab it and hold it up to him.

Me: “I have one right here.”

Customer: “Well, good.”

I gave him his change and didn’t look at him for the rest of the exchange.

I’m working at a bank. I’m a woman in my twenties. A male customer, about my age, approaches the counter.

Customer #1: “I need $100 in new ones for Eid.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any new ones on hand at this time. I can sort through what we do have and get you some nice bills, though.”

Customer #1: “No, they must be new. Do you even know what Eid is?! It’s required that I have new money.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any.”

Customer #1: “Well, go make some more!”

Me: “Come again?”

Customer #1: “In the back. You make them in the back, right?”

Me: “Sir, we don’t print money here. We get it shipped to us.”

Customer #1: “And when will you have new bills shipped to you?”

Me: “We order it around Christmas.”

Customer #1: “Well, that doesn’t help me now. Fine. Where is there a currency exchange in this state?!”

Me: “It’s at [Large City three hours away].”

Customer #1: “You’re making me drive all the way over there?! You’re a bank! Forget it. I’ll try somewhere else where the tellers aren’t so useless!“

He storms out. I take a deep breath to compose myself and call the next customer, a well-dressed older woman.

Customer #2: “I guess I’m out of luck? I need new ones for Eid, as well.”

I mentally groan and wait for the next temper tantrum.

Customer #2: “But you said you can find some nice ones?”

Me: “Yes, ma’am. How many do you need?”

Customer #2: “Do you have $10?”

Me: “I do.”

I count it out to her. She nods.

Customer #2: “These will work. They look almost new. Thank you so much. I heard you mention getting new money around Christmas. Can people place orders for that?”

Me: “Yes. You can call in around Thanksgiving and we’ll take an order for you. It usually takes a week or so to come in.”

Customer #2: “Fantastic! I’ll make a note to do that. Also, I’d like to apologize for that other guy.”

Me: “That’s not necessary.”

Customer #2: “No, I insist. He shouldn’t have treated you like that. It wasn’t right. You don’t control what gets sent to you. Anyway, you’ve been such a help, dear. I hope you have a fantastic day.”

She smiled, waved, and exited. Be nice to your tellers, people.