Public Service Announcement

    

"I want what I want and I want it now!"

    As some of you know, I work part-time at an Ace Hardware near my home (which goes without saying-it would be kinda silly to work a part-time job at an Ace Hardware in another state).

    NOTE:  Those of you on Blogger probably don’t know this.  I’m talking to you lot on Facebook, who may or not even read this.  Most do not.

    Anyway….

    We are also a U-Haul contract station.  Meaning, we rent trucks to the general public.  We don’t offer trailers because that would pretty much be a pain in the neck.  Our inventory is relatively limited and is not nearly as extensive as you’d find at an actual U-Haul location.  We’re just a hardware store, after all.

    Last Saturday, a gentleman came in expecting to rent a ten-foot truck.  Even though it didn’t have a ramp, he still wanted it because it is cheaper to rent than bigger vehicles (makes sense).  Well, since the two 10-footers we had were already spoken for, a reservation was made in his name for a fifteen-foot one the day prior.

    The understanding (according to him) was that, if one of the people with the smaller vehicles cancelled, he would be bumped down accordingly.  He just wanted to make sure he had a vehicle (it being Saturday, the trucks go like hotcakes.  If hotcakes had four wheels and ran on gas).

    The 15-footer accomplished that.

    Well, don’t you know, he was very aggravated when I told him no ten-foot truck was open for rental.  He proceeded to bitch, moan, and whine about how he was promised a vehicle (never mind he had one in his name already.  A slightly bigger one, mind you, but a vehicle all the same).

    Incidentally, no, he was NOT promised.  I informed him that we do not do Indian deals like that.

"Well, that's offensive."

    Whoa, whoa, whoa!  What makes you think I meant American Indian?

"Well, that's racist, too!"

    While I looked to see what I could do to help him, he refused to shut the eff up.  He went on and on about how poor his experience was and how we would register his complaint with “Big U-Haul.”  Every time I told him there was nothing available, he told me he was promised the smaller truck if it was available (according to my screen, it was not).

    We went round and round on this.

    Exasperated, I finally told him, “How many times do you need me to tell you the same thing, sir?”

    Once again, he whined how dissatisfied he was and how, when he was in management, this would never have happened.

    When I gently told him this was customer service, he yapped that he was in customer service.

    I began to answer him with, “Well, then…” but I stopped because I would have told him, “you would know we hate people like you.”

    I’m glad I didn’t give in, because that wouldn’t have helped the situation.

    Bottom line, after what seemed like endless grousing, he took his key and stormed out to the parking lot.

    Another customer I didn’t give a shit about.

    Okay, where does the “public service announcement” come in, you may be asking?

    Well, if the guy wasn’t being such an entitled douche, I would have given him the larger, fifteen-foot vehicle for the price of the ten-foot one.

    I’m all for expressing your displeasure when things aren’t going your way.  But, for God’s sake, do it once, shut up, and let me see if I can help you.  Quite often, I can.

    Don't take it out on the poor schmuck behind the counter.

    However, if you cause me angina, I will look at you and say, “There’s nothing I can do.”

    Remember this the next time you don’t get an expected result.

    Who knows?  You may be offered a good deal.

    Or get a fifteen-foot truck for the price of a ten.