Why do I smile at people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?

Some of you will know that since I graduated I’ve been looking for a full time job so that I can start saving for my trip to Asia and Australia. At the moment I work for a video store, one of a nationwide chain owned by a very large multinational company which, for legal reasons I will call “Video Drama”. Before I went to college I spent a year working there as an assistant manager and then I moved to a part time position which I’ve had since. My plan has been to work two jobs so that I can save the amount required for my trip.Today I got offered my old job as assistant manager again and even though I was tempted to take it, I realised that it just wouldn’t work out financially. I need to work two jobs to meet my goal and nowhere is going to be more suitable and convenient for a supplementary income than Video Drama. Coming home this evening and doing out my budget for the week is making turning down this offer seem even more foolish but I know I’ve got to keep focused on those long term goals. I got a reply from a bookie company that I applied to so hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m more financially stable.One of precizzion’s latest entries about moronic shoppers made me think of all of the amusing stories I have about customers that I’ve dealt with for the last three years so I’ve decided to post a few stories. I’m gonna start today with one of my personal favourites:About a year ago Video Drama had a rather stupid system in place for Playstation game rentals. Out on the floor were covers of the games and behind them were yellow boxes with barcodes. People would bring a yellow box to us and we would swap it for an identical box with the same barcode that contained the game. I’d really love to find the genius in head office who came up with that idea and give them a swift kick in the crotch because, as you can imagine, there were often mix ups where people were given empty boxes or boxes with games inside were left out on the floor. I live in a small town and with a job like mine you get to know just about everyone. One day a family, let’s call them the Plebs, who I could best describe as having a “reputation” (and no, not a good one) rented out a copy of some game for their dullard daughter. About an hour after they left I noticed that there was a spare disk lying around, the same kind as they had rented. Being a considerate person I decided to ring them to check if they had been given an empty box and to offer them a replacement if they had.Big mistake. Here’s how our conversation went:Me: Hi, this is Catriona from Video Drama. You rented a Playstation game from us about an hour ago and I was just ringing to check if you were given the correct game.Mrs. Pleb: I paid for that game for two nights!Me: Oh yes I know, we just want to make sure that we gave you the correct game.Mrs. Pleb: We already paid for it when we rented it! For two nights!Me: Yes, it is fully paid for and it is a two night rental. Has your daughter played it yet? We think we may have given you the wrong box.Mrs. Pleb: I want to speak to your manager. I have paid for that game and I don’t have to bring it back for two nights. Me: I’m afraid the manager isn’t here right now but I can get her to call you this evening if you’d like. There really is no problem with your rental though. It’s fully paid for and you can keep it for two nights.Mrs. Pleb: Right *hangs up*To keep my sanity intact I tried to move swiftly along from this conversation and had forgotten it until a week later when Mrs. Pleb’s dense daughter was renting again and I informed her of a late fee for the game in question. It had been returned four nights late, which I found amusing seeing as Mrs. Pleb seemed to have been very clear on the amount of time she had rented it for. The daughter gave me a slack jawed look of incomprehension when I told her how much was owed (a whopping £2.00) and left the store only to return with the entire Pleb brood (Mama, papa and brother) in tow. This was where the real fun began.Mr. Pleb: *slamming fist onto counter* YOU HAVE LIED TO MY DAUGHTER! WE DO NOT OWE ANY BILLS HERE!Me: Mr. Pleb is it? I’m afraid the game you rented from us was returned four nights late to the store. It was returned to Edel at the counter on Thursday at 6.00pmby your son.Pleb son: *incredulous look and head shaking*Mr. Pleb: *more banging* WE DO NOT OWE ANYTHING HERE! THIS IS THE THIRD TIME YOU’VE TRIED TO GET MONEY OUT OF ME!Mrs. Pleb: This is a disgrace. We’re a well-known and respected family in this town and you’re spreading rumours that we run up bills with you.Me: I haven’t told anyone else and it’s not a bill, it’s an overdue charge of $2.00.Mr. Pleb: First you harass my wife about not paying for the game she rented, then you lie about us owing you a bill.Pleb son: My little sister is in tears over this. She was in tears the other night over your phone call.Me: *looking around for candid camera crew*The same conversation took place for another 20 minutes despite the fact that I offered to erase their debt and write it off as a misunderstanding. No, that was not good enough for the Plebs. They called me a liar, a thief and accused me of harassing them over the phone. At this stage other customers had gathered around and were watching in disbelief and giving me sympathetic looks.Eventually they left but, of course, that was not the end of it. The next morning I got a call from my district manager. Mr. Pleb had contacted him to inform him that I was stealing from the company by inventing late fees and pocketing them. I explained the situation and fortunately a customer who had witnessed the whole thing backed up my version of events.The Plebs were compensated for their terrible trauma (don’t you just hate big company customer policies?) but I was not asked to apologise.I was extremely happy to find out that Mr. Pleb and his family were barred from our store a few months ago after he threw a video case at another employee who was no doubt cheating his poor family again. As my grandmother used to say “it’s a long road that hasn’t a turning”.