Swimming in the middle of Winter

[DoneWithPeople]

I work at a Waterpark in Northern California. It is cold this time of year (relative to California) in the winter. High temps range from 40 to 65 and lows from 30 to 40. Certainly FAR from swimming weather. Our park is open from mid-May to mid-Sept. That has always been the operating schedule from our inception in 1995.

I answered the main phone line on January 7. JANUARY 7.

Me = me
DOW = dumb old woman

Me: thank you for calling XXX. How may I direct your call?
DOW: I just want to confirm that you are open this weekend and your hours.
Me: Excuse me? Our hours this weekend?
DOW: Yes. Your automated information says that you are open weekends only through September and that means you are open this weekend.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am, but we are not open during the winter. The park will re-open in mid-May.
DOW: But your information says weekends through Sept. You have to be open. It implies that you are open.
Me: Again I'm sorry that you misunderstood that, but we are closed for the winter until mid-May. I can't imagine anyone wanting to swim outside in the cold in the middle of winter.
DOW: But I promised my granddaughter that she could go this weekend since your automated information says that you are open. Now she will be heart-broken because you lied in your voice mail.
Me: I apologize again that you misunderstood the pre-recorded message, but we are not open.
DOW: What am I supposed to do now?

This continued back and forth several times. Ultimately she informed me that our advertising is VERY misleading and difficult to understand. It is not fair that we give people the impression of being open when we are not. WTF????? It is the middle of winter! Nobody even uses their pools at home in the winter as the weather is not appropriate. How did she think it was OK for her granddaughter to swim in a wave pool and go down waterslides in the middle of winter?!?!

It is amazing how dumb people have become.

[Sheldonrs]

In her defense, I imagine she comes from a long line of people used to frigidity.

[Chazzie]

Sometimes when reading posts on this site, I forget that they're from actual experiences.

This is one of those times.

[spookysonata]

DOW: But your information says weekends through Sept. You have to be open. It implies that you are open.

How did she arrive at that conclusion? THROUGH September, yes...but it's JANUARY, lady.

God, people are idiots sometimes.

[Bloodsoul]

You've never been to Canada/Northern U.S., have you?

Still, how does "through September" = "open in January"?

[Amina516]

Assuming she is from No Common Sense land, She might've thought that the VM meant NOW through September....??

Does the message mention the month of May at all? Because if it does, shes just a jackass. But swimming in January also makes her a jackass...so.....

[cloudy.thoughts]

I guess she could be form the Serpentine Swimming Club. The Serpentine Lake in Hyde park London. They all seem rather enthusiastic and excited about the ice. We've had -11C temperatures here in the last few days.

Still, that does not explain her logic over the date. Perhaps the cold get to you eventually.

[Stormraven]

Well, I know I'm a bit of a polar bear, but I would have no trouble swimming in 55-60 degree weather. Of course, I also know that a water park couldn't hope to make a profit off people like me.

[Chanlin]

Indoor pools, that is all I have to say

[DoneWithPeople]

The really amazing part...

She had left a voice mail message PRIOR to me speaking with her. In the message she stated her belief that the automated info implied we were currently open weekends and that she went to the website and saw that the park opens May 9, 2009. She even said "I see that May 9, 2009 is the first day of the season."

She got enough information to answer her question on her own then right?

Sad thing, she is no where near the dumbest person that we encounter on a regular DAILY basis...

[PepperElf]

Simple logic.

Open To september means you close at the end of August.
Open Through september means you close at the end of september.

the fact that she failed logic falls on her own head not yours.

DOW: What am I supposed to do now?

go ice skating?
or "don't know don't really care"

[marcpork]

I used to live in southern California, but then moved up north. When I told my old friends about the town, they thought I was in Oregon.

Redding is the last city before Oregon to most southern Cali.
Humboldt is a name most people who smoke (not cigarettes or cigars) would recognize as in northern Cali.

Places like Klamath, Crescent City are thought to be in Oregon.

It really ticks you off sometimes as to why people can look at a map and see that there's some 500 miles between Sacramento and Oregon.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Reminds me of when I was in the Boy Scouts. At the summer camp, the scoutmasters would get us all up for "Polar Bear Swim." In short, we get in our swimsuits at the crack of dawn, hike down to the pool, jump in and swim or whatever for five minutes, then hop out, dry off, and hike back to the site.

[Kheldarson]

I was a lifeguard for one of those swims while working at a camp...I don't do well with cold and I knew several of the scouts who were there that week...not a happy camper later that morning...>.<

[Mr Hero]

Sad thing, she is no where near the dumbest person that we encounter on a regular DAILY basis...

Now you got me wanting to hear of some of these people.