I work as a receptionist for a healthcare company that often helps people get started with disability, Medicaid, SSI, etc. We have locations across the entire country, with thousands of employees. The phone rings about fifteen minutes to close.

Caller: “Hi, I received this letter that says someone by the name C. [Somewhat Uncommon Last Name] is handling my application. I need to talk to them.”

Me: “No problem, one moment.”

I search by the last name in my directory and find four matches, three of whom have a first name that starts with C. I transfer the caller to the [Customer Service] representative on my list. The other two are in IT and Accounting, so they’re unlikely candidates. Two minutes later, the phone rings again.

Caller: “Yeah, I just talked to you. No one answered; I just got a voicemail. Can you get that person on the phone? It’s C.—” *Spells the last name*

Me: “Ma’am, I have three C. [Last Name]s in my directory, I sent you to the one I believed to be the most likely person. Do you have any other information, such as the department they are from? Is this regarding a Medicaid or Disability appli—”

Caller: “Three?! But it’s an uncommon last name!”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, it is, but we have multiple people working for the company with that last name. We have offices across the country, so there are bound to be some similar names.”

Caller: “But it’s such an uncommon last name! It’s [Last Name]!”

She spells it out again.

Caller: “I got this suspicious letter, and I need to find out what’s going on with my application!”

Me: “Let me send you to our general resolution line, and anyone there can at least pull up your information in their system and see what’s going on.”

Caller: “You can’t do it? Or get C. [Last Name] on the phone?”

Me: “I’m a receptionist and don’t have access to any client information. Let me get you over to someone who can help you.”

I transferred her before she could argue. As I hung up the phone, a delivery person arrived, so I left my desk to unlock the door and let them in. When I returned to my desk, I saw a missed call from the same lady. She left a very similar voicemail that I then forwarded to the rep. Sorry that some people within a nationwide company might share a last name?

I am a cashier at a local sandwich shop. I have recently gotten one of my friends hired, and I am training her on how to take orders, as well. A regular who can be somewhat rude comes in for the first time while my friend is on shift.

Customer: “I’ll have a turkey and swiss with mayo on both sides of the bread.”

The trainee looks at me, confused, as she has never heard this before.

Me: “Just hit extra mayo.”

Customer: “I don’t want extra mayo! I want mayo on both sides of the bread.”

Me: “Okay, ma’am.”

Once the customer left, I explained to my trainee that light mayo meant less than usual, mayo meant the regular amount, and extra mayo meant regular mayo on both sides of the bread. Listen to the person who works there! I guarantee they know more than you.

We once had a scammy waiter that tried to put another table’s stuff on our bill. We were a party of ten, and I always double-check and make sure there aren’t extra things on the bill when we have large parties because no one is going to want to pay the extra. I’ve gotten stuck before so I always double-check.

I wrote next to each item the person who ordered whatever and saw drinks, food, and desserts that were not ours on there that brought our bill up about $70. I called the waiter over and said the bill was wrong and pointed out the items that weren’t ours. He came back with an amended bill that only removed a few of the cheaper things.

When I pointed it out again, the manager, who happened to have been bussing a table nearby, came over and asked what was going on. I explained and he glared at the waiter but adjusted the bill correctly and also said dessert was on him.

The scammy waiter tried to put the dessert on our bill and not comp it. The manager had to fix that, too. 

The food and stuff that was on our bill? That belonged to the table the manager had been bussing. Apparently, they were friends of the scammy waiter and he figured we wouldn’t notice the extra charges since we were such a large group. Of course, his friends had already booked out, so I’m guessing the scammy waiter had to pay the bill. I didn’t see him the next time I was there, so he probably got sacked, too. It just makes me wonder how many times he pulled that stunt before I caught him and called him out.

I house/pet-sit for a family that has a small farm; they have five dogs, six cats, three peacocks, twelve chickens, twelve ducks, four goats, and a donkey. I usually go up for the weekend if they decide they want to go up to their cabin in the mountains.

I get up there and they haven’t left yet. They are just finishing up lunch and the mom offers me some dessert; they are having apples and cinnamon. I accept the apples but not the cinnamon because I’m not a fan of that combo.

Mom: “Oh, it’s really good. I’m sure you’ll like it!”

Me: “I’m good with the apples. I’m not a big fan of apples and cinnamon; I prefer apples and peanut butter.”

Mom: *Straight-faced* “We don’t eat peanut butter because the ingredients can be used to make dynamite.”

Me: *Blinks in surprise* “Um… Well, I really like it more than the cinnamon. But I’ll just have the apples, then, thanks.”

We all ate our dessert and they left for the mountains. I never got her reasoning for telling me that. Why not just say, “We don’t have any,” or, “We don’t eat peanut butter.”? Honestly, I quickly grew to dislike staying at the house, and circumstances finally came together where they stopped calling me, but that always sticks out as one of the weirder interactions I had with them.

My anniversary with my husband fell on a weekday this year, and we decided to celebrate it over the weekend rather than try to plan something on a work night. However, on the day of our anniversary, he wanted to surprise me with flowers, so he called the florist the morning of to place an order to be picked up on his way home from work. This is the conversation that occurred as he relayed to me.

Florist: “Hello, how can I help you?”

Husband: “Hello, I’d like to order a bouquet to be picked up today.”

Florist: “Sure. What kind of bouquet do you need?”

Husband: “One with roses and stargazer lilies, please.”

Florist: “No, I mean what level of bouquet? What kind of bouquet do you need?”

My husband is confused, unsure what she means.

Husband: “Um, a nice one? It’s for my wife.”

Florist: “Yes, but what is the bouquet for?”

Husband: “It’s for our anniversary?”

Florist: “Did you forget it?”

Suddenly, it clicks in his mind that the florist thinks he’s in trouble and the flowers are meant to be an apology, and he starts laughing.

Husband: “Oh, no, it’s today; I’m surprising her with flowers.”

Florist: “Oh! Okay, great! Usually, when someone places a rush order, it’s because they’re in trouble. So, you said roses and stargazer lilies?”

The bouquet was gorgeous, and I was very surprised when my husband came home with flowers, but I almost laughed myself to tears at the story that came along with it.