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Because I like to create clever thread titles. I apologize if it's a long thread. I can't help writing a lot when life happens.
I don't post much these days, mostly because I'm trying to stay as positive as possible; Life-changing events and all. But I know people like their entertainment and whatnot, so one every now and then couldn't hurt. Come to think of it, this was the only actual SC I've had in I think a year, maybe. Lucky me.
It's around noon on Sunday. I'm manning the Hardware counter; the Lone Gunman. Alone, in other words. (So yes I work in a mid-sized Hardware Store.) A woman, probably in her late 30s or 40s walks up to me. I'm sorry that I can't reproduce the actual conversation.
Basically, SC was in the night before in an attempt to hang a one or two pound picture frame on her wall. It was the kind with a chrome border, with that folding stand on the back to prop it up, and the entire back except for a half-inch border on the left, right, and top sides was covered in felt. This is oddly important to the story.
She was in to complain to me that the person who helped her last night didn't help her that much and obviously didn't know what he was talking about. She stressed this a lot. The person who helped her used to work in a hardware store for decades. Decades. ... and he didn't know what he was talking about, apparently. Insert appropriate emoticon here.
So she wants to hang that picture frame on the wall. Yes, the one with the collapsible felt prop stand on the back of it. The hardware guy from the night before had sold her this kit with picture hanging wire and all the nails and parts and all. She told me that wouldn't work for her. She couldn't figure it out at home, so obviously he sold her the wrong thing. We went over to the picture hanging area of the store to figure something else out.
"I want something easy. Do you understand me? Are you able to help me? The person from last night didn't know what he was talking about."
Can you sense that sourness? I feel entirely justified in linking to This. Do please comment if you agree with the definition, and do absolutely nothing if you disagree.
The image is just to break up an otherwise monotonous and uninteresting thread.
Also it's a pigeon with bread around it.
Oh she was certainly capable of optimism at a scarce few points in the lengthy conversation where hope gleamed brightly, if not necessarily truly. I told her that we would definitely have to take off the back support flap thingy, which was okay by her. Also told her about fun tak to hold back to the wall, which I have actually used to great success in my own house. It would work if applied to the chrome backframe of the back of the .. uh .. frame.
I'm making it sound short, but we spent fifty five minutes together thinking of solutions, trying out some things to the frame that didn't work, and me trying to convince her to get another frame that will work a lot better for her. She really wanted to use that frame. The first twenty minutes were spent trying to get that picture wire kit she bought the night before to work for her.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
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Today, she was back. She didn't even speak to me. I was helping another customer with something that happened to have been in the same aisle as the picture hangers, right next to them, no less. She didn't even notice me, speaking with another person who works there. From what little I heard, she still wanted to use her frame, but wouldn't adapt to anything anyone was suggesting to her.
Also fun fact: The person she asked for help is the person who chastised me the most for spending so much time with her and not other customers. She spent half an hour with him because she wouldn't let him tell her no.
... because she wouldn't let him tell her no.
I will repeat myself in a different font and size if I must.
It's exactly what it looks like.
Now here's the thing. I don't like to say no to customers. I really don't. There are plenty of ways around things. I could have easily said "No, no, you can't use that on that. It won't work. Get a new frame." But instead, I try to make it easier on her so she wouldn't have to keep buying things, trying them, and spending too much money.
But there's a reason people say no to some things. When I say no to your project, I don't mean "I'm too lazy to telepathically view your home settings and arrange everything perfectly for you so you can just push a button and everything will work out okay and your mortgage will pay itself off and an oil gusher will sprout on your front lawn and your dog will become a horse and you can ride off into the sunset forever."
I actually mean, "No, it's not possible to eat that giraffe with chopsticks." (See, there was a giraffe a few paragraphs up. It was its own paragraph if you were paying attention.) There are just some things that aren't designed to work together. Sure you can craft something, like we were trying to do, but it's NOT going to be easy! You're going to have to WORK FOR IT if you absolutely insist on using what you already have.
I mean I have the giraffe and the chopsticks at home but I'm not stupid. I know which of my neighbors has a spork.
I don't post much these days, mostly because I'm trying to stay as positive as possible; Life-changing events and all. But I know people like their entertainment and whatnot, so one every now and then couldn't hurt. Come to think of it, this was the only actual SC I've had in I think a year, maybe. Lucky me.
It's around noon on Sunday. I'm manning the Hardware counter; the Lone Gunman. Alone, in other words. (So yes I work in a mid-sized Hardware Store.) A woman, probably in her late 30s or 40s walks up to me. I'm sorry that I can't reproduce the actual conversation.
Basically, SC was in the night before in an attempt to hang a one or two pound picture frame on her wall. It was the kind with a chrome border, with that folding stand on the back to prop it up, and the entire back except for a half-inch border on the left, right, and top sides was covered in felt. This is oddly important to the story.
She was in to complain to me that the person who helped her last night didn't help her that much and obviously didn't know what he was talking about. She stressed this a lot. The person who helped her used to work in a hardware store for decades. Decades. ... and he didn't know what he was talking about, apparently. Insert appropriate emoticon here.
So she wants to hang that picture frame on the wall. Yes, the one with the collapsible felt prop stand on the back of it. The hardware guy from the night before had sold her this kit with picture hanging wire and all the nails and parts and all. She told me that wouldn't work for her. She couldn't figure it out at home, so obviously he sold her the wrong thing. We went over to the picture hanging area of the store to figure something else out.
"I want something easy. Do you understand me? Are you able to help me? The person from last night didn't know what he was talking about."
Can you sense that sourness? I feel entirely justified in linking to This. Do please comment if you agree with the definition, and do absolutely nothing if you disagree.
The image is just to break up an otherwise monotonous and uninteresting thread.
Also it's a pigeon with bread around it.
Oh she was certainly capable of optimism at a scarce few points in the lengthy conversation where hope gleamed brightly, if not necessarily truly. I told her that we would definitely have to take off the back support flap thingy, which was okay by her. Also told her about fun tak to hold back to the wall, which I have actually used to great success in my own house. It would work if applied to the chrome backframe of the back of the .. uh .. frame.
I'm making it sound short, but we spent fifty five minutes together thinking of solutions, trying out some things to the frame that didn't work, and me trying to convince her to get another frame that will work a lot better for her. She really wanted to use that frame. The first twenty minutes were spent trying to get that picture wire kit she bought the night before to work for her.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Today, she was back. She didn't even speak to me. I was helping another customer with something that happened to have been in the same aisle as the picture hangers, right next to them, no less. She didn't even notice me, speaking with another person who works there. From what little I heard, she still wanted to use her frame, but wouldn't adapt to anything anyone was suggesting to her.
Also fun fact: The person she asked for help is the person who chastised me the most for spending so much time with her and not other customers. She spent half an hour with him because she wouldn't let him tell her no.
... because she wouldn't let him tell her no.
I will repeat myself in a different font and size if I must.
It's exactly what it looks like.
Now here's the thing. I don't like to say no to customers. I really don't. There are plenty of ways around things. I could have easily said "No, no, you can't use that on that. It won't work. Get a new frame." But instead, I try to make it easier on her so she wouldn't have to keep buying things, trying them, and spending too much money.
But there's a reason people say no to some things. When I say no to your project, I don't mean "I'm too lazy to telepathically view your home settings and arrange everything perfectly for you so you can just push a button and everything will work out okay and your mortgage will pay itself off and an oil gusher will sprout on your front lawn and your dog will become a horse and you can ride off into the sunset forever."
I actually mean, "No, it's not possible to eat that giraffe with chopsticks." (See, there was a giraffe a few paragraphs up. It was its own paragraph if you were paying attention.) There are just some things that aren't designed to work together. Sure you can craft something, like we were trying to do, but it's NOT going to be easy! You're going to have to WORK FOR IT if you absolutely insist on using what you already have.
I mean I have the giraffe and the chopsticks at home but I'm not stupid. I know which of my neighbors has a spork.
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