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Last week I started working part time at the local bowling alley.. erm, CENTER.
On Sunday, I had me my first SC.
They have leauges like every day. It was 4:40, my shift ended at 5, people had to be done bowling and gone by 5:30 so they could oil or whatever the lanes.
This guy walks in with his two kids. We explain to him that the lanes close at 5:30, and they could only play one game. He starts going off on that. We assure him that if they bowl a game quicker than 20 minutes, they can see if they have time for a second game.
That placates him enough to let me ring him up. Then he starts on the prices (I guess he was too busy complaining to read the big board on the wall in front of his face).
"Well, the bowling alley a few towns over is NO where that high."
"That bowling alley," the girl I was working with said, "is rather old." This one has been open less than a year.
I finally finagle the money out of his hands, and then he springs the next one on us.
"I want bumpers for my kids." The kids were about 13 and 10. We have automatic plastic rail type bumpers. At least three sets show battle scars from going up against bowlers too big for them. He was also standing right next to the giant Mr. Bowling Pin Man who proclaims to the world that you have to be no more than this tall to use bumpers. They're just for little kids.
Well, that was one idea he just COULDN'T stomach. He bitched, moaned and groused, until the other person working said the youngest might be able to use bumpers. She'd watch him throw once, and see. That settled him down enough for me to get him his lane, and make him go away.... for all of 5 minutes.
He storms back up, slams his shoes back on the counter, and declares they're leaving. His kids aren't good bowlers, and there's no point of them paying "all that money" for a game of gutterballs.
The other girl, with a look of too much glee, then said she was sorry, but there was a no refund policy.
HE EXPLODED.
To be honest, I would have too. While he was hemming and hawwing, she should have mentioned the no refund policy then. She stayed calm, but she made it clear that she wasn't giving in.
She's not management.
I went and got management.
Management is my mom's cousin. (That's the reason why I applied.)
Once he got past the office door, he could hear what was going on. He moved her out of the way, listen to the guy rant for a minute, then gave him a refund.
Then, we spent the rest of the shift calming her down and explaining why we did it. I used the immortal words of my dept head "You're not paid enough to listen to people yell."
On Sunday, I had me my first SC.
They have leauges like every day. It was 4:40, my shift ended at 5, people had to be done bowling and gone by 5:30 so they could oil or whatever the lanes.
This guy walks in with his two kids. We explain to him that the lanes close at 5:30, and they could only play one game. He starts going off on that. We assure him that if they bowl a game quicker than 20 minutes, they can see if they have time for a second game.
That placates him enough to let me ring him up. Then he starts on the prices (I guess he was too busy complaining to read the big board on the wall in front of his face).
"Well, the bowling alley a few towns over is NO where that high."
"That bowling alley," the girl I was working with said, "is rather old." This one has been open less than a year.
I finally finagle the money out of his hands, and then he springs the next one on us.
"I want bumpers for my kids." The kids were about 13 and 10. We have automatic plastic rail type bumpers. At least three sets show battle scars from going up against bowlers too big for them. He was also standing right next to the giant Mr. Bowling Pin Man who proclaims to the world that you have to be no more than this tall to use bumpers. They're just for little kids.
Well, that was one idea he just COULDN'T stomach. He bitched, moaned and groused, until the other person working said the youngest might be able to use bumpers. She'd watch him throw once, and see. That settled him down enough for me to get him his lane, and make him go away.... for all of 5 minutes.
He storms back up, slams his shoes back on the counter, and declares they're leaving. His kids aren't good bowlers, and there's no point of them paying "all that money" for a game of gutterballs.
The other girl, with a look of too much glee, then said she was sorry, but there was a no refund policy.
HE EXPLODED.
To be honest, I would have too. While he was hemming and hawwing, she should have mentioned the no refund policy then. She stayed calm, but she made it clear that she wasn't giving in.
She's not management.
I went and got management.
Management is my mom's cousin. (That's the reason why I applied.)
Once he got past the office door, he could hear what was going on. He moved her out of the way, listen to the guy rant for a minute, then gave him a refund.
Then, we spent the rest of the shift calming her down and explaining why we did it. I used the immortal words of my dept head "You're not paid enough to listen to people yell."
Her official bowling nickname is 'Mrs. Dash'. We always have a good time when we go out bowling, and she enjoys it, even if she's the gutterball queen. 
Still, practice makes perfect. I can't get anywhere near that since I graduated, because I don't bowl enough. 
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