Customer: “My son is locked out of the house and I need to send him the key!”

Me: “We can overnight the key and have it to him by 10:30 am tomorrow morning. Shall we send the key to the neighbor’s house?”

Customer: “No, he needs it right now! Why can’t I just fax it?”

Me: “Ma’am, you can’t fax a key.”

Customer: “Why not? He’s locked out and needs the key!”

Me: “Because a key is a three-dimensional object, not a document.”

(Customer stares at me.)

Me: “Ma’am, is your fax machine in your house?”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “How will your son get into the house to get the key from the fax machine if he is locked out?”

Customer: “D*** it! You’re right! Well, thanks for your time!”

Me: “I do what I can.”

(At our store, we sell mostly tool related items. At the time, I worked in the welding section and was letting a customer try out a few welding tools. He was trying a MIG welder, which requires you to be quite close to the work.)

Customer: “Why isn’t this working?” (Holds torch about three feet from work.)

Me: “Well, you have to hold it about an inch away from the work for it to work.”

Customer: “Why isn’t it working?” (He has it about a foot away now.)

Me: “Closer…”

Customer: (Six inches.)

Me: “Closer…”

Customer: (Three inches.)

Me: “Closer…”

Customer: “Why isn’t it working!” (He has just welded the torch to the work.)

Me: “Not that close!”

(This goes on for a good 20 minutes, even after I ran a beautiful bead for him at the right distance.)

(A man walks in and is very excited about getting a cheesesteak.)

Customer: “Let me get everything on that, but no tomatoes!”

Me: “Don’t worry, it doesn’t come with tomatoes.”

Customer: “Good! No tomatoes though, man. Absolutely no tomatoes! I’m allergic to tomatoes, man.”

Me: “Not a problem.”

Customer: “Good. Just make sure there are no tomatoes ’cause I’m really allergic to them and I could die. If you put tomatoes on there it will kill me!”

Me: “Okay…”

Customer: “Now let me get extra ketchup.”

Me: “…”

Editor’s note: Not Always Right is aware that it is possible to be allergic to raw tomatoes and not be allergic to ketchup. This story remains available due to the humor found in the ironic punchline. It is not intended to be used as the basis for allergen advice.

This story is part of our Allergic To Common Sense roundup!

Read the next Allergic To Common Sense roundup story!

Read the Allergic To Common Sense roundup!

(I was working in warranties for a large computer manufacturer, mostly with businesses but a few individuals came through on the line here and there.)

Me: “Thank you for calling [store]. How can I help you?”

Customer: “My computer don’t work.”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am. Can I get the serial number off of your CPU?”

Customer: “My what?”

Me: “The computer tower.”

Customer: “Huh?”

(I’ll spare you the agony but, I went on for about three more minutes trying to describe the CPU and getting nowhere.)

Me: “I’m sorry, I don’t seem to be expressing myself well today. Can you describe to me all the computer parts on your desk? I’ll tell you which one the number I need is on.”

Customer: “It’s just a keyboard and a screen, like any other computer.”

Me: “Oh, you have a laptop!”

Customer: “A what?”

Me: “A little computer you can take with you. The keyboard and screen fold together with a hinge in the middle, right?”

Customer: “No, I don’t! I don’t know what is wrong with you computer people today. First, the sales guy tries to sell me a bunch of sh*t I don’t need in this big box package and now you don’t even know what a computer is! Brand new today and it don’t even work.”

Me: “So… you just bought a keyboard and a monitor?”

Customer: “What’d I need all the rest uh’ that sh*t in the box for? This was way cheaper! I ain’t stupid!”

Me: “…”

This story is part of our Even More Ironic Customers roundup!

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Read the roundup!

(As with most customers, once you’ve told them to “right-click” on something one time, they can’t help but ask you about it every few seconds…this was a special instance.)

Me: “Alright, ma’am, I need you to click on the icon for me.”

Customer: “Right-click or left click?”

Me: “By default, always left-click, unless I say otherwise.”

Customer: “Alright.”

(5 minutes later…)

Me: “Okay, go ahead, and click on that button for me.”

Customer: “Right-click or left click?”

Me: “By default, always left-click, unless I say otherwise.”

(5 more minutes later…)

Me: “Can you click on that icon for me ma’am?”

Customer: “Right-click or left click?”

Me: “By default, always left-click, unless I say otherwise.”

Customer: “You already said that like three times!”