Why Do Rude People Think Everyone Else Is?

(I live in the Republic of Ireland, and my husband and I have planned a holiday in Northern Ireland for my birthday and our wedding anniversary. A few family members give me Sterling cash for my birthday to use while we’re away. Unfortunately, we have to cancel the holiday at the last minute, so I go to the post office to change the Sterling to Euro, as that’s where I’ve always changed my currency before.)

Me: “Hi. I just want to change this Sterling to Euro, please.”

Staff: “No.”

Me: “Uh… no?”

Staff: *rolling her eyes* “That’s what I said. No.”

Me: “Okay. Is there a reason why you can’t?”

Staff: *muttering under her breath* “For God’s sake.” *louder* “We don’t exchange Sterling to Euro anymore. We only change Euro to Sterling.”

Me: “Oh, right. Sorry, I didn’t know. Do you know of anywhere else that exchanges Sterling?”

Staff: *rolling her eyes and cursing under her breath* “No!”

(I see red and snap at this point. She’s being needlessly rude.)

Me: “Wow. Thank you so much for the excellent customer service. You really bent over backward to help me. Thank you for being so accommodating.”

Staff: “There’s no need to be rude. It’s not my fault we don’t exchange Sterling anymore. If you didn’t want it you shouldn’t have bought it in the first place.”

Me: “You’ve had an attitude since the minute I walked in here. Not that’s it any of your business, but I was given this Sterling to use on a holiday I was taking for my birthday and wedding anniversary. I’ve had to cancel at the last minute because my dad died. You are an ignorant f****** b****, and I don’t know why you work in customer service.”