My View

Oh, hell. Why does this woman keep coming in here to talk to me about this scanner problem? I know I work at the Shack and am supposed to help customers and actually care about customers' problems, but does that mean everybody's problems? I don't believe so. Especially when it wasn't my customer and the fact that this is getting pretty annoying. Five calls one night, a store visit twice last week...LEAVE ME ALONE!

"Heyyyy, how's it going tonight?" I asked her. Good? Great! Get out.

"I was wondering if you ordered that scanner for me yet?" she asked. "I mean, remember, I couldn't get all the channels in and I programmed them and my son is on the police and i can't hear him on the scanner and I want to hear him. Did you order it?"

Aren't we closed?

"You ordered a scanner?" I didn't know I was supposed to order anything. It usually helps when someone asks me to order something for them, but anyway. "Let me check, here...it doesn't look like it has come in yet. When did you order it?"

"It hasn't come in yet!?" she piped out in her tinny, fire-whistle way. "I can't believe it's not here yet! I'm gonna hafta return this scanner-"

The one you don't have with you?

"-and get my money back, cause I can't hear the police channels and my son is on the police and..." she trailed off over the horizon and into the sunset.

"Well, sometimes the other stores don't send things out right away, that's probably what happened." Except for the whole NOT ordered thing. "I could call again, if you want, try to get it for you again."

"Yeah, that sounds good," she says as she starts to leave the store. "Just call me when it comes in, and I'll come in and get it. Thanks, see you."

I don't have your phone number.

Their View

I can't wait to get that new scanner. Then I can hear my son, who is on the police, on the scanner. I wonder why I couldn't hear him on the other scanner, you're supposed to hear the police channels, but I couldn't hear him on the scanner. Just because I don't know how to program the scanner doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to hear all the channels, right? "Is my scanner here?"

"I just got off the phone with the store we are getting it from, and they will ship it out tomorrow. I'm terribly sorry for the delay and any inconvenience this may have caused you. All of us here care about our customers' needs and seek to fulfill in any way possible. That being said, it has been really a pleasure helping you out through this sordid fiasco, and I do hope your shopping experience with us has been a good one and you will continue to shop here. But I digress; when the new scanner comes in I will give a call. And don't worry, I have all your contact information at the ready here. Have a good evening, madam."

What a nice young man.

Balcony View

A woman walks into an electronics store and heads straight to the counter where the young man who is on the clock sits idly. She begins to complain about something or other. He doesn't know what she is talking about. She goes on. He gives her the run-around. She leaves. He breathes a sigh of relief. All in under 90 seconds.