InModiasWeTrust

Abuse @ McD’s…

Why is the world so fucking stupid…? Just saw a big asshole slap his kid three times on the top of her head @ McD’s, just for playing with the gumball machine. Tried to get a photo, but I was too slow…

-Modias

Intentionally Awkward - Customer Service in the AM:

You guys are so awesome!  I know I can count on you to listen, and possibly relate, to my bitching.  I am not a morning person.  Actually, scratch that…  I despise mornings with the burning passion of a thousand suns, and if I’m awake before 10AM, it’s either not by choice or I’m still awake from the night before.  That said, here I sit at my desk at 9:00AM.  I have been behind this desk since 6:55AM, having drawn the scheduling short straw for Sunday morning. 

Don’t get me wrong…  I love my job, and I like the vast majority of the folks I work with.  Everything has gone great this morning, in spite of the early hours, with one exception…  I had a customer a few minutes ago who can best (and perhaps only) be described as “intentionally awkward”.  For contextual purposes, please note that I manage a popular kennel and doggie daycare.

This lady walks in with a tragic expression on her face, the site of which pushed my empathy button and forced out “Are you okay, ma’am?” before I could check myself.  She said she was fine and that she had come to pick up her dog (face unchanged, deer-in-the-headlights eyes, wrinkled forehead and pale skin). 

Intending to elicit a response, I said “Okay ma’am, your dog **** stayed for one night and did a full day of daycare?”  This sort of question normally produces “Yes, that’s right.  How much do I owe you?” -OR- “No, **** was here for (more/fewer days/nights).”  Not this time, however.  This time, it caused the lady’s face to screw itself up in such a way as to register the shock of “Oh-my-fucking-god-I-have-to-interact-with-another-human-being-what-do-I-do-what-do-I-do!?!?!?”

So I waited a few seconds, trying to avoid staring at the small “o” the poor woman’s mouth had turned into.  After what seemed like hours, but was likely about ten seconds, I said “Ma’am?  Was your dog…”

I was then cut off by “Just the night!  **** wasn’t here for daycare!”  The “o” had disappeared, leaving quite the perturbed expression in its wake. 

“No problem,” I replied, slightly relieved at having been responded to at all.  “What time did you drop your dog off yesterday?”  I have to know the answer to this question in order to charge appropriately.  “Time?  I don’t know what time!  The sun was down, it was late and I am NOT paying for any daycare!”

“No problem,” I said again.  “If your dog was dropped off after 4PM, there’s no charge for the daytime portion,” I continued, just to reassure her.  As I smiled up at her to give her the final charge, she came back with “I JUST told you I brought her LATE yesterday!”

At that point, I gave up.  No more trying to be kind and reassuring to an obviously socially awkward middle-aged nimrod, but no showing of irritation either.  Just business, straight forward. “Your total is $**.  Would you like a receipt?”

“No.”

“Right, then.  I’ll be back with your dog momentarily.”  I run off to get the dog, only to hear the lady yell “HEY!” Sweet fucking christ I thought, returning to the front.  As soon as I made eye contact, all she had for me was “Don’t forget ****’s food container.”

…

I return with the dog and her food container, and immediately things changed.  As soon as the lady had her dog’s leash, she morphed into a completely different person.  She made full eye contact and said “Thank you for taking such great care of my ****!  I know I can always count on you.”  I just stood there, dumbfounded. 

I was still glued to the same spot when she turned to wave, opening the door to her car.

It’s the strangest thing…  Every customer before her and every customer after her (thus far) has been great!  Nothing out of the ordinary at all.  And that’s the way it usually is: friendly yet unremarkable exchanges with normal folks and their dogs.  But why did that particular transaction go like that?  Who knows.  Was she just messing with me?  Perhaps, but I don’t think so.  I usually have a pretty good sense for that kind of silliness.  I don’t usually write about work, because work usually falls either into the “good” or “neutral” pile of “today’s happenings” within any given 24-hour period.  But that lady…

What in the actual fuck…?

-Modias