Won’t Step Foot In Without Square Footing, Part 2
I work in a store where you can purchase installation and cleaning services. An elderly woman comes into my office to ask about carpet cleaning.
Me: “All right, ma’am, how many rooms do you need cleaned?”
Customer: “Two.”
Me: “Do you know the square footage?”
Larger rooms count as two rooms for pricing; very large rooms may count as three.
Customer: “I don’t know that.”
I try to help her out.
Me: “If you can pace out for me on the floor how long your walls are, I can work that out for you.”
Customer: “This is outrageous. Your feet are bigger than mine, so that won’t work.”
Me: “Um, okay. Would you say the walls are more than twice as long as you are tall?”
Customer: “I’ve never had to know this before. This is ridiculous. Just give me a price.”
Me: “Ma’am, I need to know the size of the area. A banquet hall takes more work than a broom closet. Would you be willing to guess for me, if the walls are more than twice as long as your height?”
Customer: “I can’t work that out. Just tell me how much it will cost!”
Trying one last time:
Me: “Okay… if you reach out and touch one wall, and reach into the middle of the room, would you say you make it more than halfway across?”
She told me the square footage of the entire house, but not the specific rooms she needed cleaned, and then began berating me on how much more complicated things are “these days.”
Her husband, who had been waiting just outside the door, apparently took pity and stepped into the office and gave me the square footage for the rooms in question. I hurried through the relevant transaction and went back to the rest of my work.
Question of the Week
Tell us about a customer who got caught in a lie!
