I had two elderly* women in today. One of them ordered a toasted sandwhich ($6.95) and coffee ($3.50) the other a toasted Turkish bread ($8.95.) I tallied it all up ($19.40) when they told me they wanted to pay seperately and I had to void the tally. I remember very clearly what they paid because the archaic til refused to void and I ended up having to cash it off to start again, so the till would be down $19.40. Not their fault, but I remembered them clearly because of it.

Lady #1 pays for her $6.95 sandwhich. All well and good. Lady #2 pays for her $8.95 Turkish bread and $3.50 coffee = $12.45. No problem.

The problem started when the boss/owner asked me to sort out their complaint, they claimed to have been overcharged and weren't making much sense. Lady #2 complained that she had been charged $12.50 for an $8.95 Turkish bread. I realised I had gotten confused and had charged Lady #2 for Lady #1's coffee. (The way they had been talking to me, I honestly thought Lady #2 had ordered the coffee.) I apologised for the mix-up and explained that it was merely a matter of Lady #1 giving Lady #2 the $3.50. Lady #1 said she had been charged for her coffee.

This is when I understood what my boss had meant about them not making any sense. Lady #1 KNEW she had been charged $6.95 but insisted that was for the sandwhich and coffee. I even brought over a menu to show her that the sandwhich all on its own was $6.95 and that her friend had been charged for her coffee, nope, she had still paid for both sandwhich and coffee. I went back to my boss and told him that they were either thoroughly confused or scamming us but I had definitely charged them right, and he told me not to give them their money. He's good like that; he'll always refund if there's any doubt, but if he's absolutely sure that we are in the right, he doesn't give a crap about the 'customer is always right' rubbish.

In the end, they stood in front of our till and refused to leave until they got their money. This is at lunchtime so we had to give them the $3.50 in order to serve other customers. I have to admit, having a boss who has no tolerance for people trying to scam us with the 'customer is always right' crap (he's a sole operator, so if he wants to tell a customer where they can stick ther entitlement, he can, and the buck stops with him) I have very little exposure to having to cave when you KNOW you are right, and I know this is very minor in compared to the transgressions of other customers who are quite clearly in the wrong, but.... grrr.

*I mention them being elderly because it's possible they just got confused. I work with the elderly, they do that. I doubt it, but they could have.

Still irks me after two whole days off, so I'm gonna just get it out.

Backstory: Photo lab. Me. I ended up staying one hour past quitting time of 10pm (although my store is open 24/7) because of frustrating problems with my photo printer -- AFTER a tech was already there to fix it.

Guy 1: You came in shortly before 10pm. I am very obviously trying to resolve machine issues, not 10 feet from where you sat at the self-ordering photo kiosk. I already helped place your order. Why do you insist on (politely) asking me every 30-90 seconds if your CD and 10 prints are done?! Shut up and let me concentrate so I can try to go home on time.

Guy 2: I answer the phone, and it's now past 11pm. I am still punched in on the timeclock, so I try to multi-task by helping you while I tidy up before finally going home. You ask about...romance DVDs. I'm not Blockbuster or Netflix, but whatev. I knew BestBuy and other retailers around were closed for the night. We have a *tiny* assortment of DVDs left. Your choices were G-Force, Cloudy w/ Meatballs, or My Best Friend's Wedding. That's it, no joke, unless you find Elmo stimulating.

But then you launch into some book title or other and start a running monologue about romance and relationships. And if that wasn't enough, you try to get acquainted with a female store employee by asking my age and marital status?? I humored you by answering your request to tell you about myself: "I'm tired, I'm AN HOUR late leaving work, I'm having machine problems. What else do you want to know about me?" You just don't know when to give up, do you? "Anything STORE RELATED I can help you with?" You sounded surprised that I would even dare to hang up on you, although I probably should've after the first minute. I thought about asking for your name and phone number so I could report it to my store manager. The overnight manager was at my photo counter next to me during the entire exchange. I swear, if you ever call me like that again.....

I work in a family-owned corner store. We sell you beer and overpriced groceries, and we make you pizzas and sandwiches. Typically there is a cashier (me) and a deli person working. No manager.

As part of the family-store dynamic, now and then our bosses' daughter will drop off her sons (ages 7 and 9) with us while she's running errands. The sons have been raised in and around the store, so when they're dropped off they'll sometimes sit out back and play on their PSP, but most times they'll prepare pizzas or sandwiches for themselves and have the deli person cook them, or if they're really bored they'll help me bag customer's items and answer the phones and take orders. People love seeing them and the boys get a really big kick out of helping.

It's never a problem, and part of the job description is pretty much keeping an eye on them and helping them with anything that involves our oven. These kids know how everything runs and are never underfoot or annoying, and are sometimes even really helpful when we get busy. When their mom picks them up she grabs whatever they helped make, plus maybe a few other items from the shelves, and leaves without paying because hey, her dad owns the place.

Last week, a woman ran into our store, shoved her six year old daughter at the register, and ran out without another word. I was throughly confused, ran outside, couldn't see the woman anywhere, and so I came in and asked the little girl what was up.

She informed me "Momma says if I work here for a little while we'll get free food."

What?!

My coworker and I debated over what to do for a bit, and decided to call the cops if the mom didn't return in 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes were up, we did call the cops and told them that a woman had left her very young child at our store, and they sent out a cruiser to check on the situation. It took a little while, and we tried to keep the little girl happy and calm while we waited, while also dealing with customers and phone orders. At around the same time the cops showed up, the mother returned, and explained to us and the police that she'd "seen kids working behind the counter before," and had "seen their mom pick them up," and that she'd gotten "free food as a result." She apparently thought this meant that if she left her daughter in our care for 20 minutes to work for us, she would be able to get free food as "payment."

We left it to the cops to figure out, and she left soon after with her daughter in hand, so I'm not sure what happened there. After telling our boss about it he forbade his grandkids to help out anymore, so now if they get dropped off they have to sit out back and can't help with anything. Which they hate.

Just...really? If she had even talked to us instead of PUSHING HER KID IN WITH NO EXPLANATION it might have been...at least...SORT of reasonable and we could have explained to her how wrong her assumption was. But she didn't. And her poor daughter was freaked out the entire time. I'm just not sure what kind of mentality you'd have to have to assume that any store in the world would have a "drop off your 6-year old child for slave labor and you get free stuff!" promotion, but...geesh.

I work at a game store.

Today, I was helping a chatty, cheerful woman and her husband and two kids pick out some games for the Wii. Quite suddenly, with no warning, the boy, who is about 8-10 years old, grabs himself and yells that he has to pee. We have no restrooms available, so I direct them to the Starbuck's across the parking lot. The kid yells that he can't wait, in a very pained voice, and then suddenly he begins to pee himself. The urine stain spreads down the leg of his pants, and the father and I cringe. Poor kid. Noticing this, the cheerful woman directs her husband to take her son outside.

Once they are out there and she and her hyperactive five year old daughter are left, she turns to me with a big smile on her face and says, "Well, that's what he gets for not going before we left! Now, can you recommend any racing games?"

She shopped for about fifteen more minutes. Shopped. Slowly. While her young son stood outside, in the dark and cold, with his father, standing in his urine-soaked pants. Sometimes she would ask me about what games her daughter might like, and I would try to answer her as quickly as possible, hoping that she would make her choice and take her child home so he could change into some dry clothes. At one point, the father, who didn't look too happy, came in the store and asked her if the kid could sit on her coat. She said, "Oh sure, we can just wash it later. I'm almost finished."

At the end of the transaction, once she had carefully debated the merits of such games as My Sims Racing and We Cheer, she told me her son has a weak bladder because of a birth defect and that he hasn't had this problem since he was a baby, all while her five year old daughter is hanging on the door and screaming like a banshee, perhaps in order to attract the attention of her father. I have no idea. Once she finished, she called her son to the door (still in his wet pants) and showed him the game she picked out for him. The kid looked miserable.

I am still appalled.

The first TV interview about Dermatillomania can now be seen on YouTube:



Angela Hartlin's memoir, FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary has finally been released! Please join her Facebook Fan page to spread word about this skin picking disorder along with her experiences with it.



People with this disorder have traits of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and usually suffer from depression. It is an Impulse Control Disorder that is fueled by high levels of anxiety. The correct DSM diagnosis for Dermatillomania is "Trichotillomania". The first few pages can be previewed at the Lulu.com site, which includes a better definition of Dermatillomania.

Please e-mail forever.markedATyahoo.ca if you want to purchase from Angela directly; she offers a lower shipping price than Lulu.com does. Include the country that you live in and she can send you a quote. She ships the day she gets a payment (or the day after), then sends an e-mail to confirm that it was sent.

Thank you. <3

So guys let me give you a scenario.

1. A man.

2. Another man behind him.
a. Who isn't major but is very annoying.

3. A larger bottle of ranch dressing.
a. This bottle IS half off.

4. A smaller bottle of ranch dressing.
a. This bottle IS NOT half off.

( More on exhibit 1 )

Dear sir,

If you've been playing this instrument for years, how do you:

A) Not know you need a mouth piece in order to play this?
B) Not know that you're missing a piece in addition to the mouth piece?
C) Not know that a mouth piece is under a foot long?
or
D) Not know that what you own, are holding and played for years is a clarinet?

I understand that if you don't play something for a while, you can fall out of practice, but how do you not know its name? Also, the fact you're carrying around an "as assembled as it can get" clarinet with no case makes this a million times more sketchy to me. I don't know what just happened here.

Confused,
Summer

PG: "You're asking if [shipping company] employees get discounts at [competition]?"

...

PG: "No, they don't."

Dear customers:

It takes me about a minute to find your shoes in the back room. Maybe a few seconds over, but not very many. You can go that long without making out with your S.O. Really. I promise you. You can.

Yours,

Patiently Waiting For You Two to Separate So I Can Hand the Shoes Over

I work for a cafeteria that serves students that go to the college, where a demon is the mascot. I expected college students to be mature, and for the most part they are.

But you, Mr. Exception, are not. I guess you think it's so funny to break out the bottom of the salt shakers, then place them back down, so when someone lifts it, it spills out all over the table. And also so very hilarious for you to put ICE IN THE NAPKIN DISPENSERS. But, oh. That's because you don't have to clean it up.

Also: I guess a lot of you students think since there are people wiping tables after you leave, they should also pick up all your dishes, napkins, and food crumbs, which you somehow get spread -all- over the table. Thanks oh so much for the added work. Your mother would be ashamed!

So since I haven't pulled (at least hardly)my hair since October....I was thinking I would love to go to a "high quality" hair stylist to get conditioned/massaged/and "cut"...but who of us - (that don't have a lot of hair) want to pay those prices.....sooooooo

I was thinking of creating a charity organization for those with "hair" disorders and get hair stylists to donate their time for free or at a discount and match people up with them for their services......

1)I was thinking of calling the organization...."hair today" but it is kind of corny if anyone has suggestions....

2)I need help creating a website

3)I need people from all states to find hair stylists to donate there time

4)Suggestions from people who have started charity orgs.....

What do you guys think?

I'm a ski instructor at a family operated mountain. Since it is owned by a family, we are very family orientated and we get a LOT of children's lessons. If the parent doesn't pay for a private lesson, they'll get grouped into one giant pile of children, with about one instructor per four kids. The ages that I get range from 2-7, and my biggest lesson ever was 20 kids. It's hard work keeping track of each kid's parents, so they get a number on their lift ticket and the parent gets a matching one.

When you are given the tickets you are told: "DO NOT LOSE THIS TICKET. WE CAN'T RETURN YOUR CHILD WITHOUT IT."
WHY OH WHY do parents lose those tickets?! It is set up exactly like a normal lift ticket, you could just ATTACH IT TO YOURSELF. In fact, our lovely desk workers ENCOURAGE YOU TO. And then, when you lose the ticket, and can't prove that you are the owner of the child, you throw a hissy fit and demand to speak to the owner/supervisor/manager.

I am preventing your child from being STOLEN. PLEASE STOP YELLING AT ME!
YOU tell your child that YOU lost the ticket, don't pin me as being the bad person that won't give them up!

The worst part is the "good" kids' parents always have their tickets.
It's always the screamers, whiners, criers, crawlers and climbers that get stuck with me for half an hour into my 45 minute lunch break.

Ihateyouall.

(edited for some grammar mistakes and a clarification for non-skiers/ riders)
( a picture of the ticket they are given )

This goes from kind of a suck, to a wtf, to an lol, then back to a suck again.

K - Me
AL - Angry Lady

Ring Ring
K - Thanks for calling suchandsuch how can I help?
AL - *huffpuff* I NEED YOUR CORPORATE NUMBER!
K - Sure, but can I ask what's wrong? I may be able to help.
AL - *yelling* I ordered something from you guys online and it was on back order and then they just canceled it!
K - Well sometimes if it takes too long to ship the order, the order gets canceled.
AL - *moar yelling* Well I called someone and they told me to never order from you guys again and that they won't ship it if I do! I WANT CORPORATES NUMBAARRR!
K - (uh whut?) Just one moment and I'll get it for you. *finds it and gives* It's only a Customer Service number but it should be what you need.
AL - *huffpuff* thanks *click*

~5 minutes later~

Ring Ring
K - Thanks for calling suchandsuch how can I help?
AL - *even moar yelling* You gave me the wrong number! I WANT CORPORATES NUMMBBERRR NOOOOWWW!
K - Well there is another number you can call but it's in Texas.
AL - I DON'T HAVE LONG DISTANCE *roooaarrr*
K - Ok well I'm sorry, but all I can tell you is to call the number back and try to talk to someone.
AL - I HATE YOU AND I HATE YOUR STORE! I AM NEVER SHOPPING HERE AGAIN... oh wait, *suddenly as nice as can be* Do you guys have any used DSi's?
K - *facepalm* No ma'am all we have are used DS Lites.
AL - *huffpuff* I HATE YOU AND I HATE YOUR STORE! GOOD DAY *click*

I just stared at the phone for a good minute or two and when we had a break from customers I told my manager what happened and we had a good laugh about it. It's still an inside joke.

More of an annoyance than a suck I suppose. Still. Why oh why do you wait until 1:30 a.m. to call for: information on an item in electronics, a price on cleaning detergent, hunting licenses ect.?

Further still, customers, why must you inside on ruining perfectly would-be edible frozen food by throwing it among the apparel tables? You can't walk your lazy ass back to the department you got that pizza from so that someone else may buy and eat it? It aggravates me more than the people that steal from the Deli. At least that food didn't get wasted.

So, woman calls into my store, screaming angry at me that she'd just received an email saying her order was canceled. Happens all the time our, website is crap. Totally understand. What I don't understand is why, after you think your order was placed, you keep making purchases, and don't write down what you spend.

Apparently, she was hundreds of dollars in the hole, and wanted proof that we'd stolen her money (hadn't given it back after her order got canceled). Except, we weren't able to authorize her credit card, which is why the order was canceled. We don't have the money. The bank wouldn't give it to us. I don't know why your card was declined. Our system won't tell me anything. You need to speak with the bank...except she's already done that, and she wants proof that we stole her money...except we didn't...

The only thing I can think of is that she placed her order, it got canceled, she didn't check her email for a couple days (our website does say if you don't get an email confirmation within 24 hours to call us to make sure the order goes through), but continued to spend money like it was 1999.

Proper money management is a skill, I get, and it takes time and patience, and not everyone does it, but trust me, when someone screws up, and EVERYONE does, isn't it nice to have a record that shows you're right and someone else is wrong? Although, in this case, I firmly believe that she overspent and wants to place blame on someone else.

Recap: Self-checkout attendant/cashier at Midwest grocery store chain.

A few weeks ago I was working on the weekend on self checkout when two younger teens, a guy and a girl, came up to purchase some beer. Obviously I was going to card them. This is how it happens:

Me: Hello!
YG: Young Girl

Me: Can I see your ID?

The guy begins to pull out his wallet when I ask the girl for her ID as well.

YG: Why do I need to show you my ID?
Me: ...because you look young and I need to check your ID (duh).
YG: I don't have my ID, I'm only 16.
Me: (shocked) Well then I'm not allowed to sell you guys this beer.
YG: Why not? I'm not going to drink it (yeah right).
Me: Well I'm sorry I still can't sell it to you.

YG gets all huffy and puffy and hands me the beer and leaves.

What makes people think you can buy alcohol with a kid who is older than you when you yourself are obviously younger? Legally at my job I'm allowed to refuse anyone I want to selling alcohol and cigarettes. So far, this is only my second time refusing someone alcohol.

Also, you'd think she would have stayed in the car when he tried to buy the beer.