They Did Not Accept The Grace Period With Grace

I work in a pet-grooming salon where we’ve been fully booked for appointments for two weeks at a time through the summer months. Since some customers aren’t used to this, they’ll show up for appointments that they’ve misunderstood the date of, or in some cases to intentionally try to bully us into taking their dog in despite not having time to groom them.

A customer walks in at 3:50 pm on a Saturday.

Customer: “I’m a little late for my 3:30 appointment.”

I check the appointment book.

Me: “I don’t see your appointment here, but since you’re more than fifteen minutes after when you say it was, we wouldn’t be able to take your dog in anyway. We’ll have to reschedule.”

Customer: “What? You don’t see me at all? I called to reschedule my appointment from Thursday and I was told to come in on Saturday!”

I do remember speaking with this client on the phone and scheduling both her original and rescheduled appointments. I look through the book for three weeks out but don’t see her. Then, it occurs to me that her appointment was last week.

Me: “I’m very sorry. I do remember seeing you in the book, but it isn’t for this week. If you want, I can squeeze you in before my other appointments on Tuesday; otherwise, you’ll have to reschedule for two weeks out.”

Customer: “This is ridiculous! It’s very difficult for me to get here! I have an appointment!”

Me: “Like I said, ma’am, even if your 3:30 appointment was written here, we couldn’t take you in because you were twenty minutes late and we have a grace period of only fifteen minutes or else we get very behind.”

The customer huffs and leaves, returning with an older woman.

Older Woman: “It’s very difficult for us to get here; you need to take in our dog! It’s not our fault you didn’t write down our appointment!”

Me: “Like I explained before, even if your appointment were here, it’s too late after for us to take you in anyway. The best I can do is offer you Tuesday morning.”

Customer: “Fine. Why didn’t anyone call me to tell me I didn’t have an appointment? You should have called me!”

The customers leave. I turn to my coworker.

Coworker: “Did that really just happen?”