I hope you're reading this, you arse
For many years I worked in an bookshop and have dealt with many a rude customer in my time. An example from my early days...

One busy Saturday lunchtime a man (who we'll call Mr Johnson) comes up to the counter and says "I'm here to collect my book - I had a call this morning to say it was in".

Me: OK, sir, and what is your name?

Man: Johnson

Me (turning to reservation shelf): And the name of the book?

Man: Birds of South Africa

Me (searching shelf): That's odd, it's not here. I'll just -

Man (loudly): But you said it was in!

Me: I'll just check to see if it's still inthe stock room. (reaches for phone and calls stock room).

Man: Hmph! (a mildy annoyed queue begins to form)

Me: (puts phone down) There's nothing waiting to come out. Can I just check your order on our system? Mr Johnson, was it, or Johnstone?

Man: J-o-h-n-s-o-n, Dick Johnson. (then loudly): Well, it should be here! You called me this morning!

Me: (still polite) That's odd, I can't find a Dick or Richard Johnson on our database.Are you sure you ordered it from here? I'll try searching by the title - "Birds of South Africa" was it? (typing rapidly)

Man: (speaking very loudly to make sure as many customers can hear as possible) What do you mean? Of course I ordered it from here! I've been waiting three weeks for ths book, and now you've lost it! What kind of bookshop is this?

Me: (polite, but starting to crack) ...in fact I can't find any indication that we've received a copy of that book recently. You're sure about the title? (to ever-increasing, grumbling queue) Sorry about this!

Man (almost shouting, with a certain gleeful rage found only in those who are so small minded they get a kick out of making a fuss in front of a crowd): Oh for goodness' sake! How ridiculous! You've lost my details, you've lost my book! (Turns to the customers behind him with gleeful scorn) I'm not getting my books in here again! How badly run is this place?

Me (flustered and deeply insulted): Look, I'm sure there's an explanation-

Man: Ha!

Manager (who has been rapildy serving customers on the next till while making a phone call): I've found your book sir.

Man: Finally! I must say I don't think much of the way you train your staff! This one here couldn't-

Manager (smiling thinly and waving the phone): I've just spoken to Waterstone's. THEY called you this morning. Your book is ready for collection. Please leave now, and don't ever come in here again.

Man: (his face transforming from gleeful scorn to pale shock at the enormity of his stupidity, he cannot speak and leaves rapidly, avoiding eye contact with the queue that now hates him)


The really crap part is this sort of thing happened a lot - there are a lot of arseoles out there. Of course, once you know that some people are too stupid to remember where they ordered a book from it becomes almost routine to check with the competition - and they called us for the same reason more than once.
(Plyck, Mon 8 Sep 2008, 23:26, 2 replies)

That customer showed you
The really worrying thing is your manager realised that somebody could be so thick to make such a fuss in the wrong shop!
(muzzvsworld, Tue 9 Sep 2008, 8:38, closed)

I've done this
more than once

- but mostly because the person who calls forgets to say WHICH bookshop they are in. I don't make a fuss about it like a twunt though
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Tue 9 Sep 2008, 9:11, closed)