Dur... What's a CD?

[Amalthea]

People drive me mad when they just can't be bothered to call something by its correct name. Or they just don't know it. I can't tell you how many times someone will ask for a "Book on DVD", or they want to see if a book comes as a "Book on Tape" but they want it on CD. Okay, "Books on Tape" don't come on CD.

But this lady today...a real gem.

SL: Stupid Lady
Me: Me

SL: Okay, I'm wanting to see if you have something on DVD or cassette? It's called "The Secret."
Me: It's a book you're looking for? (Just to make sure she doesn't really mean a movie. Most of our stores sell movies, but my location doesn't)
SL: Yes...Well, actually, I think it's a program or something.
Me: Do you know the author?
SL: Nope.
Me: (First try pulls up over 125 titles. "The" doesn't count, so anything that starts with the word "Secret" pulls up. And chances are good it's not just "The Secret" it's "The Secret: Some random subtitle that the customer will never remember", which would come on page 4 between "Secret Seeds of Doom" and "The Secret You Told to Me". I made those up. But you get the idea) Do you know what the book is about?
SL: It's some business thing.
Me: (Tries to narrow the search, finds a likely book, reads off title)
SL: Yes, that's it.
Me: Okay, it looks like I should have it in on CD. Let me go check for you.
SL: Wait, what is it?
Me: I'm sorry?
SL: Is it on Cassette or DVD?
Me: It's on CD.
SL: What's that?
Me: It's a Compact Disc.
SL: What does that mean?
Me: It's an audio book, but not on cassette. DVDs are for movies. It's a CD. You listen to it.
SL: So, it's not a cassette?
Me: No, it's not.
SL: It's some sort of disc?
Me: Yes.
SL: Okay, let me have you hold it for me.

I guess this lady has been living under a rather strange rock. She doesn't know what a CD is, but she's heard of DVDs?

[jb17kx]

Well, they do look the same. Sort of like the time I saw somebody thread 8mm tape (ie, from a DV8 video cassette) into an 8mm film projector. Or the person who wanted to use 1" quadruplex tape in a VHS VTR.

[Department stores *sigh*]

think thats bad? i had a lady call and ask for something that can record whats on TV to her machine that records both audio AND video.......


.....a VHS tape maybe?

[CreepyCarrie]

think thats bad? i had a lady call and ask for something that can record whats on TV to her machine that records both audio AND video.......


.....a VHS tape maybe?

Just.... VHS has been around FOR YEARS....what the...I don't have any brain cells left after reading that.

[Coconut]

A lady brought an Elvis calendar up to me and said, "This is a record, right?"

[DGoddessChardonnay]

A lady brought an Elvis calendar up to me and said, "This is a record, right?"

Oh. My. GOD. Such blatant stupidity runs amuk in the world.

Of course, on the flip side of the coin, you could have answered "It's a record of the upcoming 12 month year."

[Jester]

A lady brought an Elvis calendar up to me and said, "This is a record, right?"

"Yes. It's a record for the stupidest question anyone has asked me today. Here's your sign. NEXT!"

[Department stores *sigh*]

haha actually another amusing one is the lady who came in and complained that her dvd didnt work on her cd player >.<

thats more justified then the VHS tape lady who by the way made me put 3 on hold for her since she was scared they would fly off the shelf

[jb17kx]

since she was scared they would fly off the shelf

Like the film my local Woolworths has marked "Process before March 2001"...

[Tufty]

There used to be a woman at the end of my road who i sometimes helped with groceries and posting letters, because she couldnt walk very well.

Once I went round with some bread and milk for her, and she picked up a video cassette labelled "Adopt a Donkey" and asked what it was. She had got it in the post.

I said something along the lines of "it looks like junk mail to me, there trying to get you to send them money"

She got confused about this.

Turned out she wasnt asking what was on the tape, she was asking what the tape was. Its surprisingly difficult to explain the concept of a video cassette to a woman that old.

Then she made me take it home, watch it, and tell her what was on it.

She didnt get the concept of junk mail either. when she heard about CDs she starting giving me every free CD she got in the post. I am up to my ears in AOL coasters.

[thegiraffe]

A lady brought an Elvis calendar up to me and said, "This is a record, right?"

"Nope, it's a frisbee. Catch!"

[dispatch]

She didnt get the concept of junk mail either. when she heard about CDs she starting giving me every free CD she got in the post. I am up to my ears in AOL coasters.

tufty, ya just need to go trap shooting with all of those

[HawaiianShirts]

I am up to my ears in AOL coasters.

So are we, thanks to my wife's grandparents. Now she (my wife) has taken to sticking them to the front door (on the inside) shiny side out. It makes an amusing mirror effect, particularly when one of them is a purple-ish DVD my computer fouled up.

More on the topic, Verbatim makes what they call "Digital Vinyl." It's a writable CD on the bottom, but the top looks like a vinyl record. We sell spindles of those. I point them out to many of my customers, and those who are looking for writable CDs will get a good laugh out of those. Well, Somebody bought a spindle for their parents to use with their new compy. Not a good idea. Somebody's dad called me asking if he could return them because they wouldn't play on his turntable. Took me several minutes to explain that they were CDs, not records, and that they didn't come with any pre-recorded media. At least when this guy finally grasped the concept he found them to be "an ingenious little idea. Confusing, but ingenious."

[Luna]

I once had a woman return a cassette tape smashed b/c she was trying to shove it in her car CD player.

I had a customer throw a fit b/c we couldn't order cassette tapes anymore.

I had a customer mad b/c we couldn't order vinyl or 8 tracks. Yes, he asked me for 8 tracks.

I had threats to get me fired when the company reduced the VHS by 1/2 to make room for all the new DVDs coming in. Then one of the regular VHS buying customers said he'd never shop in my store again since we aren't carrying VHS for him anymore and he'd shop elsewhere. Since NO ONE carries more than maybe a couple children's VHS anymore - I said "good luck." He was back scowling the next week.

People would come in and ask for an artist/title. I'd naturally hand them the CD and they'd look at me and say "What's this?"

I'd have people come in asking for the "type that's in my car". I don't drive your car idiot - so I don't know what kind of player you have. I'd have to ask them if the hole is a small rectangular one or a larger thin one. They still wouldn't know and some have even gone back OUT to their cars to check.

[Sofar]

I think these people would be confused by technology no matter what year it was. It could be 1948 and they'd be trying to play one of them new-fangled L.P.s on a crank-up Victrola.

I don't know why people complain about not being able to get V.H.S. anymore, I'm not an early adopter, but that was a horrible medium. The things would wear out after a few dozen playings and then snap and screw up your V.C.R., and have you ever tried to take one apart to splice the tape back together? They're horrendously complicated. You'd take off the case and a dozen little springs and levers would fly off into the corner of the room. We should have gone with Laserdiscs when we had the chance.