(I’m working a reception desk when a coworker hands me an iPhone 7, soaking wet, and informs me he found it by the front door. I quickly dry it off and begin trying to work out who it may belong to whilst another colleague wanders the five floors of our building to see if anyone’s lost a phone. After an hour, I’m starting to worry the owner may have travelled to a different site, when I hear a commotion on the stairs.)

Colleague: “…it was outside, [My Name]’s looking after it.”

Woman: “Oh, God.”

(Suddenly, a woman I don’t know comes charging through the doors to my reception, looking ready to cry.)

Woman: “You have my phone?”

Me: *holding up the phone* “Yep, all dried off and ready to go home.”

Woman: “Oh, my God! Thank you so much!”

(I point out a few scratches to the protective screen, but she’s obviously just relieved to have her “baby” back.)

Me: “I’ve been there. At least you’ve got it back, now.”

Woman: “I love you!”

Me: *unsure how to react to strangers declaring their love, and mouth going into autopilot* “Love you, too?”

(The woman left with a huge smile on her face, practically hugging her phone. I was having a bad morning, but her random declaration and joy certainly cheered me up!)

(My boss and I don’t get along very well since she refuses to use common sense, so situations like this one happen frequently.)

Boss: *loud and very upset* “What am I supposed to do if I need to use the stapler and it’s out of staples?”

Me: “Um… Refill the staples.”

Boss: “Wait… I can do that?”

(We are currently hiring for a large number of open positions, so we will take interviews from pretty much anyone. I am calling a job applicant.)

Applicant: “My roommate is looking for a job, as well; can I refer her to you?”

Me: “That would be great, actually! Can I have her phone number and name?”

Applicant: “Her name is [Roommate], and this is our landline; you can reach her at this number.”

Me: “All right. When would be a good time to reach her?”

Applicant: “She is standing here with me, right now. After we are done, just call back and she will pick up.”

Me: *pause* “Would it be possible for you to hand her the phone?”

(I’m looking for a new job and have an interview with a recruiting company. Please note I’m a trained secretary and know what I’m doing in an office setting. The current job situation in my city means I can pretty much choose from several job offers. This company has good reviews, but when I come in:)

Receptionist: *bored and barely looking at me* “All right, you must be [My First Name]. Please follow me.”

(I’m a bit taken aback, as it’s very uncommon here to call people by their first name without being invited to, but I hold my tongue and follow her to the interview room. It’s all right, if a bit minimalistic with the only “refreshments” being a bottle of water.)

Receptionist: “Take a seat where you like. Well, preferably that one. Help yourself to water if you want; the bottle is not even open yet. Oh, and the glasses are clean.”

(She left without a further word. I was completely taken aback because… why would you even mention that the glasses in your meeting room are clean? I really hoped they always were! To top it off, the “personal information questionnaire” I was asked to fill out included questions such as, “Are you in any debt?”, “Do you smoke?”, and “Are you planning on having children?” These are things no potential employer is allowed to ask. Needless to say, I didn’t stay very long.)

This story is part of the second Job Interview roundup!

Read the next Job Interview roundup story!

Read the second Job Interview roundup!

(I’m the scheduler and operator for a counseling office.)

Me: *finishing up scheduling their appointment* “Okay, you’re all set. And do you know where we’re located?”

Caller: “Oh, no. I don’t.”

Me: “All right. Our address is—”

Caller: “Wait, I’m driving and I can’t write this down. Could you text it to me or something?”

(I can’t help thinking, “Why are you calling to schedule appointments when you’re DRIVING?!”)

Me: “Certainly. Is the number you gave me a good number to text it to?”

Caller: “No, that was my home and work number. Hold on. I don’t remember my cell phone number.”