The Only Thing Blaring Is The Neighbor
(It is my first semester of freshman year. I live in a first-year dorm, but it is apartment-style, meaning the door from the hallway opens to a living room and kitchen and there is another door leading to my bedroom. During finals week, “24-hour quiet hours” are enforced, basically meaning that you’re not allowed to blast music or TV loud enough to be heard in the hallway or other rooms. I don’t have any finals, so I am laying in my bedroom with both doors shut watching TV when someone starts pounding on my door.)
Neighbor: “Open up!”
(I look through the peephole and recognize her as my neighbor from across the hall, so I open the door.)
Me: “What’s up?”
Neighbor: “I can’t focus with your music blaring like that!”
Me: “Um, I’m not playing music.”
Neighbor: “Don’t lie! I hear it right now!”
(Standing at the hallway door with my bedroom door open, I can just barely hear my TV playing.)
Me: “Oh, my TV? Sorry, I didn’t think it was that loud. I can turn it down some.”
Neighbor: “You’d better!”
(She stomps off and I think that is the end of it. Fifteen minutes later:)
Resident Authority: “Campus housing!”
(I open the door, and my neighbor has brought our RA to my apartment.)
Me: “Can I help you?”
Resident Authority: “Do you know about the 24-hour quiet hours going on right now?”
Me: “Yes, that’s why I’m watching TV with my bedroom door shut. Could you hear it from the hall?”
Resident Authority: “Was it playing?”
Me: “Um, yes. It’s still playing right now.”
(He pauses and listens.)
Resident Authority: “I can barely hear that.” *turns to neighbor* “Is this really what you bothered me about?”
Neighbor: “I’m trying to study for finals! I can’t focus with her TV blaring!”
Resident Authority: “I have finals, too! And I can’t focus with people knocking on my door making fake complaints! If it really bothers you that bad, campus housing gave you earplugs at the beginning of the year. Dig those out.”
Me: “So, am I good?”
Resident Authority: “Yep, have a good week, and watch TV all you want.”
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
