From Peach:
So
I've been reading over some of the stories on here, and finally decided
I needed to contribute. So here is a tragic story of the stupidity,
pretentiousness, and impolite behavior we all face on daily basis, all
rolled into one.
I was having a pleasant day
at the bookstore I slave away in for 20-30 hours every week. I was at
the registers, doing my thing, when a woman comes up to my reg empty
handed. I smiled and asked what I could do for her, and looking back,
I'm wishing I had just walked away. There was no way for me to know
this would be the longest transaction in the history of all
transactions.
She just stood there, staring at me expectantly, so, confused, I asked her again what I could do for her.
She says: You put
a stack of books on hold for me a week ago.
I
blink. Not only is it silly to expect me to remember your face from a
week ago, there is another problem; we have a fairly strict policy that
allows us to only hold books for twenty four hours.
Me:
I can definitely check under your name to see if they're up here, but
our policy says we can only hold books for twenty four hours.
Crazy Pretentious Bitch: You told me you could hold them till I came back into town this week.
Me: That's not our policy, however I understand that there may have been a misunderstanding. I'll check.
CPB: *snort*
So
I check to see if this lady's books are behind the counter even though
I know they won't be. Alas, sometimes I hate when I'm right. So I oh so
apologetically inform her that they are not here, but that I will
gladly find someone to help her track down the books again. This is
where it starts to get ridiculous. She glares at me and scoffs.
CPB: Well, what books were they?
I
am speechless. I figure I must not be understanding the question. She
can't possibly expect me to remember what books SHE put on hold a week
ago. That can't possibly be it. I stare blankly at her for a moment
while I try to grasp what other possible meanings that question could
have.
CPB: You can't expect me to remember what books I put
on hold. I don't remember, that's why I put them on hold! So I could
just come back and pick them up! Are you telling me you don't know what
books I put on hold??
Me: ... ma'am, I don't
keep track of the books put on hold. However, I am always sure to
remind our guests that we only hold books for twenty four hours. I'm
sorry that there seems to have been a misunderstanding. If you can
think of any of the books you put on hold, as I said, I will gladly
have someone help find them for you.
CPB:
I just wanted to stop by quickly to pick up the books YOU told me would
be held. YOU were the one that did the transaction and I watched YOU
put them on hold. Don't you remember?
I lie
and tell her that I do in fact remember, but that this does not change
the fact that our policy is that we only hold books for twenty four
hours and that I have never told any customer anything different.
At
this point, she is enraged. Why she can't remember a single book from
the pile she had me put on hold is beyond me. Why she expects me to
remember them if she can't is another story. I've held it together
fairly well and, while I've lost my sugary smile, I am still calmly and
politely dealing with her douchebaggery.
She grudgingly decides she
will go look for the books, and with a sigh, I am content that the
ordeal is over. Oh how I was wrong.
Approximately
half an hour later, she is at my register once again with a pile of
books. I smile and begin her transaction, falsely assuming that there
will be no more hitches, and this lady will be out of my hair in a
matter of moments.
CPB: I also have the Corporate Card for my 20 percent discount.
Me: ok, great! Can I see your card so I can scan it please?
CBP:
I don't have the card anymore, remember? Last time you had to have
someone find the number for it. So just put in the number.
Me:
Well, I don't have the number on me, and our other associates are
rather busy. If you'd like to start the process to start a new card, we
can do that for you so that your future transactions will go much more
smoothly.
CPB: You just did this a week ago, just put the number in that you looked up then.
Me:
*staring blankly* ...ma'am I can't remember a sixteen digit number that we looked up a week ago.
CPB:
This is getting ridiculous. After we're finished here, I'd really like
to speak with a manager, this whole experience has been incredibly
inconvenient.
Me: The process for looking up card numbers is
very time consuming, and technically, we're not even suppose to do it.
It's against our policy. We did it for you last time because we
understood that you recently lost your card, however, it's not
something we can do on a regular basis, and considering I can't
remember sixteen digits from a week ago, I'm afraid I can't give you
the discount.
Of course she wailed about
wanting to speak to a manager, and my spineless GM ended up forcing
another associate to help me look up this ladies card number so that we
could give her the discount. The other associate went into the back
room, and spoke to me via radio to get the information we needed to
find it.
Me: She needs to know where you work.
CPB: -blah blah clinic of blah blah city-
After
spending ten minutes sifting through possible matches to this company,
she reads off the name of the company on the card, and the name of the
holder.
I ask the woman if this is her name, and she glowers at me
impatiently.
CPB: That's not the company I have the card with, my OTHER job is the company I have the card with.
It
is now that I begin to lose absolutely all patience with this woman.
WHY IN GOD'S NAME WOULDN'T YOU GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT
CORRELATES WITH THE CARD WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK UP?? Really?? Did you
think I was asking because I think we get along great?? I just wanted
to have a fantastic conversation with you while you starred at me like
I was some sort of incompetent insect?? Or are you really THAT stupid?
Of course, because I value my job
(actually, all that I really value is my pay check), I said none of
this, and instead asked her what company she intended to tell me. She
gives me the name of the other company, and we spend another ten
minutes looking that up. After finally finding it, I write down the
number, type it into the computer for her god forsaken discount and
hand it to her.
Me: You'll need to contact
customer service to receive a new card, as we will not be doing this
for you again. Give them this number so that they can find the account
and issue a new card to your company.
I finish ringing up her transaction and hand her the receipt which she scours for (I'm assuming) her precious discount.
CPB: Why didn't I get a discount on *some fucking item*?
I no longer cared. Pretending not to hear her, I walked away to hide in
the sanctuary of the back room for a while.
Nobody can understand the stupidity of mankind until they have worked retail.
Yours truly,
Peach