Tweet
Not my customer but a coworker's, so I'm not sure if this belongs here or Sightings. Ah well, here I go and if it moves I guess I learn something 
It's the first week of the Summer Hols and we all know what that means - EDUCATION BOOKS! It's not uncommon to find mums desperate to get their kids ready for the Very Important School Deciding Exam buying up literal armfuls of these education books at this time of year. This is because this Very Important School Deciding Exam is perculiar only to certain parts of the UK and is only available in very specific formats, depending on which schools you want your kidlet to get in to. In other words, it's a very particular exam with very specific books and said books are worth their collective weight in gold to some parents.
Today my coworker had to try to figure out how to politely answer a mum who wanted to know why we wouldn't let her pay for her truckload of Very Important School Deciding UK-specific Exam Books in..... dollars.
...
...
...
Erm...
1) these books won't be listed anywhere in dollars because they are so specific to the UK so where you planning on getting a price from?
2) And no, sorry, £ does not equal $
3) Books aren't taxed in the UK but are in the US so even if by some miracle you bought it in the US it would be more expensive anyway
4) what the Hell?!
In case the funny accents, the inevitability of drizzle and entire supermarket aisles dedicated to tea weren't a big enough clue, this is the UK not the USA! Chuck us a couple of bob and you're dandy but a fistful of dollars isn't really going to get you terribly far I'm afraid beyond a raised eyebrow and withering expression
The shop's not even in a touristy bit of the UK! How my coworker kept a straight face I don't know!
It's the first week of the Summer Hols and we all know what that means - EDUCATION BOOKS! It's not uncommon to find mums desperate to get their kids ready for the Very Important School Deciding Exam buying up literal armfuls of these education books at this time of year. This is because this Very Important School Deciding Exam is perculiar only to certain parts of the UK and is only available in very specific formats, depending on which schools you want your kidlet to get in to. In other words, it's a very particular exam with very specific books and said books are worth their collective weight in gold to some parents.
Today my coworker had to try to figure out how to politely answer a mum who wanted to know why we wouldn't let her pay for her truckload of Very Important School Deciding UK-specific Exam Books in..... dollars.
...
...
...
Erm...
1) these books won't be listed anywhere in dollars because they are so specific to the UK so where you planning on getting a price from?
2) And no, sorry, £ does not equal $
3) Books aren't taxed in the UK but are in the US so even if by some miracle you bought it in the US it would be more expensive anyway
4) what the Hell?!
In case the funny accents, the inevitability of drizzle and entire supermarket aisles dedicated to tea weren't a big enough clue, this is the UK not the USA! Chuck us a couple of bob and you're dandy but a fistful of dollars isn't really going to get you terribly far I'm afraid beyond a raised eyebrow and withering expression
The shop's not even in a touristy bit of the UK! How my coworker kept a straight face I don't know!
. What can I say, some folks didn't pay attention in elementary school...
Comment