You got what you wanted, so calm down!

[BrenDAnn]

I really don't like night shift. Let's just be clear on that. Tonight's SC, we'll call him Lottery Asshole or LA for short, is a prime example why. LA came in, oh probably an hour into my shift. He wanted eight sets of numbers on the Powerball, for eight drawings. In his words, "You'll have to do 5 on one ticket and 3 on another or something like that."

I turned to the lottery machine, typed in that I wanted five sets of numbers for eight draws... and the lottery machine wanted some sort of code for verification because the dollar amount was so high. In all the eleven years I've worked this job, I've never come across that. So, I tried four plays, eight draws. Again, it wants the code. Because I think on my feet, I decided to try three sets of numbers, eight draws. Lo and behold, it worked. Okay, so I decide to print another ticket with three on it, then a third with two. Just as I got the second set of three printed, LA said "STOP!"

I turned to him, tickets in hand, and awaited what he had to say. He was glaring at me. He spoke in a tone of voice which seemed calm, but had a thick underlying anger to it. Thick enough that it rattled me, and had me shaking.

"I wanted a ticket of 5 and a ticket of 3, or 4 and 4. You should have asked, and then told me you can't do what I wanted, and I would've gone somewhere else! Now! Can you print four more plays, and then one?"

I quickly realized he thought I'd only printed one ticket with three sets of numbers on it, and showed him what I'd printed so far. I apologized, and explained I just needed to make one more ticket, with two sets of numbers, to make the eight he wanted. He agreed, I apologized, and printed the rest of his numbers and sold them to him. Seriously though... I gave him what he wanted, just not exactly how he wanted it. He got his eight sets of numbers for eight drawings. Just because it wasn't five on one ticket and three on another, or four and four, doesn't mean I didn't do my job!

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

The sad thing is that I've found that if one were to stop what you're doing and explain that something else has to happen to give the customer what they want...they'll STILL complain.

Case in point.

Customer brings in a computer for an upgrade. Part that he wants is available at our primary supplier and can be delivered to our store the next day (our supplier was in the same state) and would come in with that shipment. We would install the part and have it ready for him around lunchtime.

Customer says that it's fine but he works too far away to come in at lunch to pick it up and would have to get it on his way home after work and would be in around 6pm. This is fine since we don't close until 7pm.

We call the supplier and whoops their computer system is wrong and they're out of stock of said item. I call our secondary supplier and ask if they have it. Since I also needed to order computer cases and needed them overnighted as well they just added the part to the order and didn't charge us any extra shipping. The catch is that it wouldn't be in until 1pm meaning that I wouldn't have it by lunch.

This should not have been a problem since the customer wasn't going to be in until 6pm giving us plenty of time to install one scrummy Video/TV Tuner card.

I call the customer to let them know. You all know how customers can be. It would be just my damn luck that the guy decides to play hooky and comes in at lunch time and then kvetches about how we screwed him over.

This does not go over well with him. No he was not planning on missing work to get his computer back early but for some reason having the part in by 1pm and installed by 2pm for pickup at 6pm was somehow less acceptable than getting the part in at 10am, installed by 11am for a 6pm pickup.

To quote Ben Jabituya from Short Circuit "Again I am shrugging."

Customer came in and picked up his computer and left swearing that we were lying assholes and how he was never going to shop there ever again. After he walked out and was out of earshot I did mumble under my breath "Can we get that in writing?"

[Draco]

With the guy in the OP, I think I'd end up looking at him like he was possessed before pointing out to the damned cards to fill out. You want complicated? Figure it out yourself or take what I give you for randoms.

[MoonCat]

My guess is that the lottery guy had a "system" that he thinks gives him better luck at a possible win. You didn't do what he expected, so you inadvertently messed with his "luck."

The guy in Mongo's story was just nuts.

[BrenDAnn]

Ah... kind of like the ones that will only buy scratch tickets if they are on a certain number. That would make sense. It sill wouldn't excuse him for being an asshole, however. Great theory, though.

[emax4]

My guess is that the lottery guy had a "system" that he thinks gives him better luck at a possible win. You didn't do what he expected, so you inadvertently messed with his "luck."

That could easily be deflated with, "yeah, how many millions has that system won for ya???"

[Gaki]

A lot of times if you get faced with that code it will say Security Code 8 or 4 or whatever number of Code is necessary to proceed with the sale. Type in whatever number it gave you, just the single digits.

Example:

Security Code 8: 8

It always works on our lotto machines. I only let the responsible lottery cashiers know about that because if the dumb ones get a hold on that information we'd have a shit-ton more mistakes we can't sell.

[BrenDAnn]

Thanks, Gaki. That's what the lottery rep told me when I asked her yesterday. Now that I know that, if LA ever comes back, I'll be able to give him his tickets exactly how he wants them... if I don't shove them where the sun doesn't shine in the process.