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It's been a while since I've thought of the phrase, 'Lack of Preparation..."

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  • It's been a while since I've thought of the phrase, 'Lack of Preparation..."

    "... on your part, does not constitute an emergency on mine." Favorite phrase of this forum.

    Had a lady call in an order for two boxes of hot chocolate. Requested 24 cups. We said we can provide you the extra 4 cups, but there will only be enough in the boxes for 20 cups of hot chocolate. Customer insisted we were wrong and that she wanted 24 cups. Sure, whatever.

    Customer comes in half an hour late for her order, and we start measuring out the cups. She asks me if I could hurry up because she's in a hurry. I didn't tell you to pick up your order half an hour late. No tip, naturally.

    Wouldn't you know it, within half an hour she's back for more hot chocolate because "There wasn't enough in the boxes!"


    Later on had a girl call the store asking if we could stay open for her and that she was on her way. 12 minutes to close. She didn't make it. I couldn't help but think that if you can't make it here within 12 minutes, then you're probably going to the wrong location (there are like 5 other coffee shops of our brand around, and they stay open an hour later than we do.)
    Last edited by Chazzie; 10-02-2015, 04:52 PM.

  • #2
    At least she called ahead, as opposed to demanding that on the spot
    I'm trying to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my keister!

    Who is John Galt?
    -Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

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    • #3
      There is that. We tend to get those as well. So she gets some points for that. :P

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      • #4
        Quoth Chazzie View Post
        We said we can provide you the extra 4 cups, but there will only be enough in the boxes for 20 cups of hot chocolate. Customer insisted we were wrong and that she wanted 24 cups. Sure, whatever.
        At the roofing company we kept written records of everything discussed with the customer, with dates, and before we started the job we'd go over it and have them sign. Because wouldn't you know, they'd call 10 years later swearing up and down that they TOLD US they wanted something and we hadn't done it.

        Arg, when someone asks me to hurry, I very specifically keep going at exactly the same pace. Screw you, SC, if I could go any faster I would! If I try to go faster I will start making mistakes, and how happy will you be if instead of 2.5 I miss the decimal and hit 25?
        Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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        • #5
          I had this phrase in mind yesterday when an almost glacial woman came in and started a long drawn out inquiry on how to get from here to Sheffield, at 7:45am. This is important.

          I quoted her the price for travelling right then, and for catching the next service about 20 minutes later - this pushed it back to a cheaper period, as her only reaction to the first quote was "no, that's too much." She still didn't like the price, so I looked at an even later train & got closer to her expectations in regards to cost... And then she came out with a second requirement: she had to be there by 10am to address a conference!

          Now, even if she paid the highest price and caught the very next train (originally 10 minutes away, now just 2 as she takes SO LONG to think about everything I'm saying) she wouldn't arrive at the destination station until 11am, and would still need to get from there to the venue. This information is greeted with the closest thing she could approximate to a sense of urgency... She blinked.

          Now she starts wondering if a coach might get her there cheaper; we don't have any contact with coaches so I don't know fares, but I do know that Victoria coach station (her best hope) was going to be smothered by commuter traffic in the surrounding roads for at least a couple of hours so she'd be lucky to even reach the outskirts of London by 10am, let alone arrive by then - the train was still her best option to arrive not-too-late. She wandered off to make calls regardless... And I assumed that was that.

          She re-appeared 20 minutes later, and bought the best ticket available at that time which was now the mid-prices option, with an expected arrival 2 hours after she was due to present...

          If you're booked to GIVE a conference, wouldn't you try to lock in your travel plans nice & early to get the best price?
          This was one of those times where my mouth says "have a nice day" but my brain says "go step on a Lego". - RegisterAce
          I can't make something magically appear to fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Believe me, if I could I'd be the first person I'd help. - Trixie

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          • #6
            Quoth RealUnimportant View Post
            If you're booked to GIVE a conference, wouldn't you try to lock in your travel plans nice & early to get the best price?
            Or actually plan your trip to arrive BEFORE your conference?

            The stupid is strong in this one...


            "This information is greeted with the closest thing she could approximate to a sense of urgency... She blinked."

            You owe me a new keyboard BTW...

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            • #7
              Quoth RealUnimportant View Post
              If you're booked to GIVE a conference, wouldn't you try to lock in your travel plans nice & early to get the best price?
              Or better yet, book a hotel room (most conferences tend to be held in hotels) and travel the night before, so that a problem with the trains wouldn't make you late. Considering the consequences of being late (she'd get a VERY bad reputation in the field), it's only logical to spend a bit of extra money to ensure being on time. Of course, considering what site this is, the "L" word is considered profanity.
              Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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              • #8
                Had another person yesterday get two boxes of hot chocolate and ask me for 30 cups this time. Same spiel. Math, people!

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                • #9
                  Quoth Chazzie View Post
                  Later on had a girl call the store asking if we could stay open for her and that she was on her way. 12 minutes to close. She didn't make it.
                  I've had someone do that before; the customer asked, in all seriousness, if we could wait and stay open on Christmas Eve cuz she was on her way here. At the time, it was five minutes to close, so there was no chance. When I told her this, she screamed at me and hung up.
                  People who don't like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
                  My DeviantArt.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Lace Neil Singer View Post
                    I've had someone do that before; the customer asked, in all seriousness, if we could wait and stay open on Christmas Eve cuz she was on her way here. At the time, it was five minutes to close, so there was no chance. When I told her this, she screamed at me and hung up.
                    Did she tell you that you "ruined Christmas"? I'm so jealous, I've always wanted to join the elite club of Christmas Ruiners!
                    I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
                    My LiveJournal
                    A page we can all agree with!

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                    • #11
                      Quoth XCashier View Post
                      Did she tell you that you "ruined Christmas"? I'm so jealous, I've always wanted to join the elite club of Christmas Ruiners!
                      I've ruined so many Christmases for SCs, I've lost count.
                      People who don't like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
                      My DeviantArt.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth RealUnimportant View Post

                        Now, even if she paid the highest price and caught the very next train (originally 10 minutes away, now just 2 as she takes SO LONG to think about everything I'm saying) she wouldn't arrive at the destination station until 11am, and would still need to get from there to the venue. This information is greeted with the closest thing she could approximate to a sense of urgency... She blinked.
                        I know a guy who kind of does the same thing - he actually seems to think the world stops and waits for him to make a decision. He'll still be picking out a place for dinner long after half the restaurants have closed. He'll also fret about whether to buy, say, concert tickets until long after the concert is sold out. I think it's cost him a couple of job interviews because the position was filled by the time he called.

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