But enough of the boring stuff. Let me tell you a story. Disclaimer- I am not making fun of customers! I am simply retelling a tale. If you find it hilarious, so be it!
At times, customers can be frustrating. I understand, though. Anyone walking around a large department store for more than 5 minutes can turn into a little bit of a zombie. I dread shopping at times. Well, "needs" shopping. I love to "want" shop. But that's a whole different blog post.
So anyway, a typical scenario at the deli counter is like this:
Worker (W): Hi! How are you today?
Customer (C): Fine, thanks. I am looking for some turkey.
W: Oven roasted?
C: Yes.
W: Which brand? I have X, Y, and Z.
C: Oh! Um, I'll try X.
W: Alright (gets out X), how much would you like? (unwraps X)
C: Oh, about a pound. Give or take.
W: OK! (puts meat chub on slicer, sets a common thickness, shows slice to customer) How does this slice look, do you need it thinner or thicker than that at all?
C: That looks perfect, thanks.
W: Great! Would you like a sample? (holds slice out) (customer shakes head) Ok! (slices up a pound, puts it on scale. Scale reads 1.0543lbs)
C: Close enough!
W: I hope so! (smiles) Anything else today?
C: Nope this will do it!
W: Okay! Have a great day!!
Now, there are many variations of this scenario. The customer could have not been sure which brand they wanted, and requests to taste a few... customer may change their mind and ask for a just a half pound of turkey and a half pound of ham... customer may have wanted me to explain the specials... etc.
But occasionally in Sequim, things get a little bit different. Many of my customers are elderly. This is just a fact. Sequim is a retirement city. So occasionally, I will get a customer who is hard of hearing.
Now, when I told my dad this story, he interrupted me. He said, "You have to understand, those who have a hard time hearing are just as frustrated as you are!! They may even be more frustrated."
To which I replied, "But no, no. You don't understand. I play it off well. Usually, they think they just had a perfect interaction, even if the conversation made no sense."
And so the tale begins:
W: Hi! How are you doing today?
C: I'll have three quarter pound of the ham.
W: Which ham?
C: Yes. Thank you.
W: .... (picks out a cheap ham and holds it up)
C: ... (nods, smiling)
W: OK and how thick do you like your slices?
C: three quarter pound. A little over is OK.
W: ...(puts chub on slicer, cuts common thickness) Does this thickness look OK?
C: (Reaches out as if to feel how thick slice is) THANKS!!! (snatches it, and eats it)
W: ....(slices 3/4lb and weighs it)
C: Perfect!
W: Do you need anything else today?
C: Yes. Thank you. (Walks away).
Now, my dad happened to find this absolutely hilarious. I at the time found it frustrating, but after looking at it from the side, it is pretty funny! After all, the customer got what he/she wanted, and as far as they know I had no problems giving it to them. But it takes a lot of patience and guesswork in the moment!
Anyway, Dad told me this would be a great skit. I told him I'd write it down. Where else?? Of course I'll share it with my blog readers!
Hope everyone is well. <3
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