I am a customer service manager in a grocery store with an in-store pharmacy. I am working at the customer service center when the courier who delivers our prescription drugs drops the totes on my counter.

Courier: “Here you go.”

I point toward the pharmacy.

Me: “The pharmacy is just around the corner.”

Courier: “You need to take these.”

Me: “No, I don’t. You need to take them to the pharmacy.”

Courier: “YOU NEED TO TAKE THESE!”

Me: “No, I do not. It would be against the law for me to take them.”

Courier: “YOU NEED TO TAKE THESE NOW!”

Me: “I am not authorized to handle narcotics. You need to take them to the pharmacy. It’s just a few more feet that way.”

Again, I point towards the pharmacy.

Courier: “TAKE THEM!”

Me: “NO! Go around the corner!”

Finally, he picked up the totes and headed to the pharmacy. A few minutes later, he walked by my counter and gave me the stink eye. I went over to the pharmacy and told the pharmacist what had happened. Her eyes got very wide, and then she got on the phone immediately to the courier.

The next day, I was on my way in to work when I saw the same courier. I got the stink eye again.

I’m playing in my kids’ league soccer game in Omaha. Omaha is in tornado alley, and during the game, we can see the skies starting to change. My father, who has noticed and is listening to the radio, comes out during a break in the game to talk to the referee.

Father: “There’s been a tornado warning issued. Perhaps we should stop the game.”

Referee: “Nah. The weather is still good. We’ll keep playing.”

We continue playing, and a bit later, my father comes out again.

Father: “It’s been upgraded to a tornado watch.”

Referee: “Is it for this area?”

Father: “No, but it is nearby.”

Referee: “Then we’re going to keep playing.”

And we continue to play. Finally, my father comes out for a third time.

Father: “They say it’s coming this way.”

FINALLY, they stopped the game.

[I work in the children’s department of a large department store. We have few toys, but one of them which is fairly popular is a sound puzzle. It’s one of those block puzzles for kids, but when you match the pieces together it makes a sound. I get a call one day from a customer asking if we had any. After checking the floor and the stockroom, I can’t find any.]

Me: I’m sorry, ma’am, but it looks like we don’t have any in store. I can check my computer system to see if any other stores in the area have it.

Customer: That sounds good.

[I search for the item on the computer, and it shows absolutely none anywhere nearby. I even expanded the search to 100 miles, and still nothing.]

Me: Well, unfortunately, it looks like it isn’t available anywhere nearby, and the inventory is showing at 0 which means I can’t order it for you either. It was pretty popular over the holidays, so we must have sold out, but I imagine we’ll get more in.

Customer: So it’s not in store and you can’t order it for me?

Me: That’s correct, and I do apologize.

Customer: So what you’re saying is, there’s nothing else you can do?

Me: *puzzled by the question* At this point, we have none available at any of our stores company-wide, so no, I’m sorry.

Customer: All right, well, [Competitor store] told me they have plenty in the area, so I’m not sure if your computer system is right. But thanks anyway.

[I hung up the phone, confused as to why she thought we would have access to a competitor’s stock.]

(My boyfriend and I are customers at a convenience store. The cashier, who is a family friend of my boyfriend’s and is on friendly terms with us, has just finished ringing us up when she gets a phone call.)

Cashier: “Thank you for calling [Store]!”

(She listens for a moment and, as she does so, her face becomes increasingly more confused.)

Cashier: “Your… donuts had no holes in them?”

(She listens for another moment, a skeptical look on her face, before hanging up.)

Cashier: “I hope I don’t get in trouble for hanging up on them! It was a prank call. They said their donuts’ holes weren’t big enough!”

(Our store is having a sale where if you buy one item, you get 20% off that item. If you buy two items, you get 25% off both items. If you buy three items, you get 30% off all three items. There are certain exclusions, items on which there is no discount because they are clearance.)

Customer: “Can you tell me if I can get any kind of discount on this item?”

Me: *scans item* “This is clearance; it does not qualify for a discount, but it does qualify as an item that will give you a discount on those items.” *pointing to the other items she is holding*

Customer: “So, I’ll get a discount on all of these?” *referring to the first clearance item, as well*

Me: “No, the discount only applies to regular-price and sale-price items, but all items qualify to give you a larger percent off items that are regular or sale-priced.”

Customer: “So, I get a discount on all of these things?”

Me: “No, only on this and this—” *indicating the regular-priced items* “The rest of these give you enough items to qualify for the discount on the full-priced items.”

Customer: “So, all of this will be discounted?”

Me: “…”