The Spirit Is Willing But The Mind Is Dumb

Customer: “I have an account at one of your other branches, but I’ve never rented here before.”

Me: “Okay, I just need to take a look at a valid photo ID and give them a call to get you set up.” (She holds out her ID card. When I go to take it from her hand, she tightens her grip and refuses to let go.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ll need to take a look at your ID to confirm that you are who you say you are.”

Customer: “You can see my picture. That’s enough.”

Me: “I’m afraid it isn’t. I need to enter the number on your ID and confirm that it matches the information the other store has in its system.”

Customer: “When I rented at your other store they didn’t ask to do that.”

Me: “If that is, in fact, the case, they didn’t follow procedure. I’m the manager of this store and if I found out someone on my staff was ignoring this procedure, I’d be quite upset. We need to confirm your identity in order to protect you.”

Customer: *yelling* “My privacy is very important! I know that you’re only saying these things because your computer won’t let you rent to me without something in that field! I don’t want my personal information compromised! Call my regular store and get my id number from them so I can take my movies and never have to come back here and deal with this sort of treatment!”

Me: “I understand that your privacy is important to you. If you would just let me see your ID I can put your information in the system and you can be on your way.”

Customer: “You saw my ID! Now call the other store and get my ID number from them! My privacy is very important to me!”

Me: “So in the interest of protecting your privacy, you would like me to call the other store, on a Friday night, at 7:00 pm, and have the clerk read your ID number over the phone, out loud, in the middle of the store.”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “Instead of just letting me enter the information from your ID.”

Customer: “Yes! Why is this so hard to understand?!”

Me: “Because that would seem to be a much greater risk to your privacy than–”

Customer: “Just do your job and respect my privacy! My privacy is very important to me!”

This story is part of our Identity Theft roundup!

Read the next Identity Theft roundup story!

Read the Identity Theft roundup!