This Is Why Charities Can’t Do Nice Things

(I work for a coffee chain, and we regularly donate a large coffee carafe to local schools for events if the event is non-profit, and reserved ahead of time. One particular customer comes into the store asking for the carafe donation, which we gladly agree to, on the provision that she call again a week before the event so we can ensure she gets the coffee. She is delighted and leaves, and we don’t hear from her again for a full month. Then, out of the blue, she calls my boss.)

Customer: “Hi! My event is tonight, and I’m going to need the coffee donations.”

Boss: “Okay, but with such short notice, it might not be ready until after six pm.”

Customer: “But the event starts at seven!”

(My boss talks her off the hysterical ledge she has quickly reached and finalizes the details.)

Customer: “Oh, thank you so much! This will be great! So, we’ll just need them every night this week for the whole week, and it’ll be good.”

(She had mentioned one night only, and now was insisting on a week. Keep in mind this is something FREE that we are doing. My boss freaked and insisted that we needed them back the next day, as we had a corporate event at the end of the week. After much cajoling, the customer promised, slightly upset, and hung up. The next evening she called back, and reported that she wouldn’t be returning them until the following Monday, as she was “too busy.” No one was pleased.)