I’m browsing at a local electronics shop when I overhear this conversation at the returns counter:

Customer: *To the clerk, as he puts down a box.* “Good day, sir, there is this appliance that I bought here that refuses to perform the function it should. If I could bother you to potentially process a replacement?”

Clerk: “Sir, I’m very sorry to inform you, but this is not the proper way to communicate your problem to a store clerk.”

Customer: *Nodding.* “My apologies, my good man.” *Clears throat, continues louder.* “Okay, listen, that f****** thing you f****** sold me is total and utter garbage, it’s dead, it’s so TOTALLY not my fault at all, and I DEMAND a refund!”

Clerk: “Very good, sir. Unfortunately, without a receipt, I can only offer you store credit.”

Customer: *Nodding again.* “That’s okay, what I actually want is just to do a warranty exchange of that one for a working one.”

Clerk: “Sir? Must I remind you…?”

Customer: “Oh, right.” *Louder.* “NO! You WILL refund my money! You never gave me a receipt!”

Clerk: “I most certainly did.”

Customer: *Takes out crumpled receipt from his jacket.* “Fine. Here. You’re lucky I found it! Now give me MY money back, right THIS instant!”

Clerk: “But certainly.”

He processes the return.

Customer: “And just so you know, I’ll now head back in and buy with that money the EXACT same item, and this could have been a lot less of a hassle for both of us if I just accepted the warranty exchange offered in the first place! And you just know I’ll raise Hell if it costs a cent more than what I paid back then!”

He huffs and leaves.

I watch the clerk. And I guess my face spoke volumes because he said:

Clerk: “That’s the guy who trained me. He doesn’t work here anymore, but he sure still remembers what it’s like.”

And I still wonder whether I just watched insanity or an attempt to hold on to the remnants of sanity they have left…

I go through a fast-food drive-through, place my order at the speaker, and pull up to the window to pay. I ask for a receipt – something I always do – but this time, the employee says the printer is out of paper and they haven’t had a chance to swap it yet. I tell them that I’m OK waiting, but by the time my food is ready, the paper still hasn’t been swapped out.

I look in my bag as I’m rolling away from the window, and immediately notice that I’m missing an item. I drive around the restaurant and find a regular parking space, and go inside to ask for my item.

Cashier: “Welcome to [Restaurant], what can I get for you today?”

Me: “I just went through the drive-through, and I’m missing [Item].”

Cashier: “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have a receipt?”

Me: “I asked for one, but I was told that the printer was out of paper.”

Cashier: “Unfortunately, without a receipt, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Me: “Is there a manager I can speak with, please?”

It took a few minutes of arguing, as politely as I could, with the manager to convince them that I had in fact ordered the item. No matter what I said, the only thing the manager would tell me was that “without a receipt, I can’t prove that I ordered [item], so he can’t just take my word for it”.

I finally threatened to call corporate and report the restaurant since it was their own fault I hadn’t received a receipt, even though I had asked for one. The manager finally grabbed (item) off the serving window, which had clearly been sitting there the entire time, and handed it to me with a less-than-sincere “There. Are you happy now?”

I still sent in a complaint to Corporate when I got home, but I doubt anything will happen. The only explanation I can think of is that the manager, and probably other employees, were running a scam to get themselves free food by stealing items from people’s orders and then not giving a receipt so they either had to leave without their item or pay for a new one.

I have never left a drive-through without a receipt since this incident, just to make sure I don’t run into this kind of situation again.

Both my partner and I work as salaried specialists, with no overtime pay. We love our jobs, and we often help out even if it goes over our weekly contractual hours. Since we had our daughter four years ago, our world has become smaller, with her being our first priority, then our jobs, and whatever is left goes to our relationship. And it is not much, as our families live in another country and can’t help.

The last six months, my boyfriend has been working on a huge project, with a demanding client that is located several time zones away, resulting in late online meetings and calls almost every day. I also sometimes work a couple of hours in the evenings after our daughter has gone to bed, but not nearly as much.

I shared this with my manager as we have a very nice and personal relationship. She came up with an idea to pick a slower day, possibly a Friday, and just block an hour or two for a nice, long lunch with my boyfriend, while our girl is in daycare. She said I was welcome to do that once a month or so, as she had full trust in me managing my time and not falling behind on my tasks. I shared this idea with my boyfriend, and he was on board. So, we picked a Friday a couple of weeks ahead, blocked an hour in our calendars, planned to both work from home that day, and reserved a table in a nice little cafe just around the corner of our house.

The day comes, and we are both home, working. I can hear him pick up a call with his manager. I can only hear his side of the conversation:

My Boyfriend: “Correct, I am not available between 12 and 13, I have blocked that hour a long time ago and made sure no calls are scheduled there.”

Pause.

My Boyfriend: “None of what you are mentioning is urgent, I can take a look at the report later today. The client specified that they only need the comments next week.”

Pause.

My Boyfriend: “No, I will not move my personal commitment, and trust me, you are very interested that I don’t do that.”

Pause.

My Boyfriend: “Because now I am working a bunch of unpaid overtime hours every week, and if my relationship fails and I will have to be a single dad every other week, my availability will be severely limited.”

Pause.

My Boyfriend: “Happy to hear that it can wait until next week. You know what? I am taking the rest of the day off.”

I quickly shot my boss a message that I will probably be offline for more than an hour, and she replied that she does not expect to hear from me before Monday. We had a lovely long lunch and started planning a vacation together for next year. My boyfriend still works in the evenings, but he is a lot more protective of his personal time now, seeing how much he was being taken for granted.

About fifteen years ago in Canada, I was at the supermarket with my son, who was a toddler and sitting in the cart. Our family wasn’t flush with cash, but we were able to pay the bills.

I got to the checkout and put all the items on the conveyor. The total came to about $125, not an insignificant sum to us. I used my debit card in the machine in front of the cashier, and it flashed up “declined” on the display. Even so, the cashier’s receipt printer spat out the whole itemized receipt. 

She handed it to me and said:

Cashier: “Thanks and goodbye.”

And she turned to the next customer.

I looked at the bottom of the receipt, and it said: “payment declined”.

Me: “Are you sure that payment went through?”

Cashier: *Getting rather irritated.* “Yes!”

Me: “Are you sure?”

Cashier: *Getting mad at me.* “Yes!”

So, I left the supermarket with nearly a whole cart of groceries that I hadn’t paid for…

About a week into the first lockdown in the UK, my phone decides that it is time to give up on life. Perfect timing!

I’m almost due for an upgrade anyway, so look online for a new phone. I see the phone I want on my provider’s website, a nearly-new refurbished model is half price, and a new contract that is only £5 more a month than my existing one.

But their website is suffering under the weight of everybody being at home trying to do upgrades or buy new phones – it was a thing everybody did during lockdown for some reason?

The order gets nowhere, and I have no choice but to ring them on my landline. After being on hold for 45 minutes, I finally get an answer and go through the process for upgrading and getting my refurbished phone. And then… nothing happens.

Assistant: “Oh, I know our systems are slow, what with, you know, everything, but this is really, really slow. Sorry about that.”

Me: “We’re in lockdown, I’ve literally got nothing better to do than wait for this, so, well, we’ll just wait.”

Assistant: “I’m going to try calling my manager from my landline to see if she can do anything.”

Me: “Landline? Oh, of course, you’re working from home too! That’s good, I was worried you were crammed in a call centre.”

Assistant: “Third day, but the first where the phone they gave me has worked. Don’t tell anyone I said that! Let me try my manager. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Me: “Take your time, I really have nothing better to do!”

Assistant’s Cat: “Meow.”

Me: “…?”

Assistant’s Cat: “Meow?”

Me: “Hello there, sir or madam. Are you enjoying having your minion home all day?

Assistant’s Cat: “Meow! Merrrvrow! Meow.”

Me: “I thought so. My dogs are loving having me home all day, too. Are you getting extra treats?”

Assistant’s Cat: “Merrrvrow meow.”

Me: “That’s awful. You should tell her to behave better.”

Assistant: “Are… are you talking to my cat?”

Me: “Yes. And your cat needs more treats, so get on that. Immediately, it sounded urgent.”

Assistant: “Noted. Anyway, my manager sorted the problem, so we can finish the order if you’re ready?”

Me: “Brilliant! Go for it.”

Assistant: “So, that’s a brand-new [phone], upgrade fee waived, and a £5 a month loyalty discount applied to your renewed contract at the existing price.”

Me: “Sorry, say that again?”

Assistant: “You’re the first person who hasn’t shouted at me today. That got you the brand-new phone. My manager waived the upgrade fee because you were so patient. The loyalty discount is from Georgio because you agreed he needed more treats.”

Me: “Uh, but, I, uh…”

Assistant: “The new phone should arrive tomorrow by courier, but with, you know, everything, give it three days or so. If it doesn’t appear, ring us back with the reference in the email I’ve sent you.”

Me: “But… I… uh…”

Assistant: “Is there anything else Georgio can help you with today?”

Me: “No, he’s been brilliant! And so have you! I’m amazed!”

Assistant: “There’s going to be a survey when I disconnect, so, you know, rate Georgio as you see fit. Stay well!”

Me: “You too! Thank you!”

Yes, she – and specifically Georgio – got five out of five on everything.