(I man the front reception desk of a medium-sized local museum, take bookings, greet visitors, man the gift shop, and so on. I’m in my late 20s, but I look younger, and I’m a lipstick-wearing girly-girl at work. On one quiet day, an elderly man walks in.)
Me: “Hello! How can I help you today?”
Customer: “I want to come here with a large group next Wednesday. We’ll be twenty or thirty people, so we want the group discount. We want to see [Exhibition] and we want [Male Colleague #1] or [Male Colleague #2] to show us.”
Me: “We’ll be very happy to welcome you! However, I’m sorry, sir, we do not give group discounts. Also, I can not guarantee which guide you will be given, as I don’t know who will be here on that day. Most likely, I will be your guide.”
Customer: “What? But I got a group discount last time! I only want to pay half price!”
Me: “I am sorry, but as I said, we do not give group discounts. When was the last time you were here?”
Customer: “Fifteen years ago! And they said I could have a group discount then!”
Me: “Well, we have new owners now, and no group discount.”
Customer: “This is an outrage! I’ve never been so offended in my life! I want to talk to the person responsible for bookings!”
Me: “That would be me.”
Customer: “No, you don’t understand. I want to talk to the person who is responsible for bookings!”
Me: “Sir, that is me. I am responsible for the bookings.”
Customer: “I want to talk to your manager!”
Me: “Do you mean my director? She is not here today, but you can call her.”
Customer: “I’ll make sure you never get to work here again! And you will not be guiding us, I want [Male Colleague #1] or [Male Colleague #2]!”
Me: “Would you not rather prefer [Female Colleague], who actually designed the exhibition?”
Customer: “You are so rude! I want to talk to the person in charge of this!”
Me: “As I said, sir, that is me. I am in charge of this. I am in charge of bookings. I am in charge of entrance prices. If you ask my director, that is what she will say, too. If you wish to bring your party somewhere else, you are of course free to do so. We will be happy to receive you, but at the standard price and with the available guide.”
Customer: “Well… why didn’t you just say that?! And you can’t expect people to take you seriously, not when you’re wearing that lipstick!”
(In the end, he came back with a party of thirteen. They paid the full price, I showed them the exhibition, and they were all really happy with their day out. One of the ladies even complimented me on my lipstick!)