Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest?

[NightAngel]

If so- why can't they GIVE it a rest on Sunday?

I worked alone for several hours this afternoon- no big deal. It wasn't too busy or anything but I had one of those moments where everything happened at once.
-Guy needed a disc sanded and polished- this takes about 4-5 minuted to do properly.
-Line appeared out of no where. Only about 6-7 people but still...
- Phone rings.

Okay, everything was fine until I answered the phone. The woman on the phone wanted to know if we had Blood Diamond and Rocky Balboa. I asked her to hold for a moment while I checked on Blood Diamond but I knew I had plenty of Rocky Balboa.

So, she goes on hold. I finish wiping down the guy's game disc- he's done and quite thankful. I apologoze to the line and grab the phone and, "No, I'm sorry I'm all out of Blood Diamond."
Her: "But you have the Rocky movie?"
Me: "Yes, plenty."
Her: "I want you to go check your outside dropbox for Blood Diamond AND I need you to look up my account and..."
Me: "Ma'am, I'll be happy to do these things for you but I have a line of people at the counter right now so I'm going to have to ask you to hold."
Her: "Excuse me?"
Line- up to about 10 people.
Me: "I'll do what you're asking but first I have to provide service to the people waiting in line. Would you like to hold?"
Her: "FINE! Just hold a copy of the Rocky movie for me and I'll be there soon."
Me thinking: *Oh... joy...*
Me: "I'm sorry ma'am I cannot hold movies."
Her: "What?!"
Me: "I cannot hold movies but really- there's plenty."
Line- up to about 15 people.
Her: "FINE! I'm on my way in."

Now, not to brag, but I am an insanely fast cashier. Once I was finally off the phone I knocked out the entire line in mere moments. Thankfully, no one was upset about the wait.

Fast Forward about 10 minutes:

I am blissfully all alone in the store. *sigh... savor the moment because it's about to end with a powerful THUD*
(I have also had a copy of Blood Diamond returned by a Movie Pass customer.)

Suddenly, Asshat Driver From Hell comes tearing through the parking lot, tires screeching, going REALLY fast- BACKWARD! He peels into an open area and does a crazy maneuver to get his truck straightened out and then peels out forward nearly wrecking into my car in the process. (We are located right next to a place called The Gunslinger Saloon- I kid you not...)

I was standing at the doors (inside) watching all this- teeth clinched and wincing as the near miss to my car.

I didn't even notice the man and woman coming up until they opened the door and I had to move to let them come inside.

Guess who just entered the store... of course, I didn't know it at first...
*Insert Snotty Ass tone of voice for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. she says*

Her: "Well! I guess you really pissed him off!"
Me: "No, that guy wasn't in here."
Her: "Oh. Where's the line?"
Me:
Her: "I JUST called and YOU said there was a line!"
Me: "Oh. There was a line. As you can see I have helped them all and sent them on their merry ways."
Her: *snort- rolleyes*
Me: *Determined to be the bigger person even though I already wanted to slap her face off*
Her: "Well? Where's that Rocky movie? You SAID you have it."
Me: "Yes, I do- tons of them." I grab one off the end of the counter.
Me: "Oh, I have a Blood Diamond now do you want it also? I know you asked for it."
Her: *snorts- rollseyes* "I only want ONE movie. I'm not going to rent TWO."
Me thinking: Then why the HELL did you tie me up on the phone and get mad when I couldn't go to the outside drop RIGHT THEN?!?!?!
Her: "I only want the Rocky movie."
Me: on the outside:
Me: on the inside:

Ahhh... and then comes the Sweet, Sweet Irony...
Phone: *rings*
Me: "Excuse me I need to get that."
Me: *grabs phone and gives pre-ordained cheesy corporate greeting* "Having a wonderful day at Hollywood Video this is NightAngel how may I help you?"
Guy: "NightAngel, are you REALLY having a wonderful day?"
Me: *glances at now angrier woman at counter* "Yes, I really am."
Guy: "Honestly, you're not just saying that?"
Me: "No, I'm honestly having a wonderful day."
(Phone woman is looking notably more and more irate at having to wait while I'm helping Mr. FlirtTastic on the phone- who has no idea how amazingly soothing the melody of his voice really was.)
Guy: "That's good- I'm glad."
Me: "Thank- you."
Guy: "Do you happen to have any Eragon?"
Me: "I have three copies."
Guy: "Is there ANY way I could get you to pleeease hold one for me for about 10 minutes?"
(Phone woman is tapping on the counter looking even MORE cheesed off... I'm loving it.)
Me: "No, I'm sorry I'm not allowed to hold movies."
Guy: "Is there no way I can convince you?"
Me: "No, I'm simply not allowed."
Guy: "If you hold the movie I'll wash your feet."
Me: "Uhm... thank-you but I still can't do it."
Guy: "Okay, well, thank- you anyway. I hope you continue to have a wonderful day."
Me: "No, thank- you. Good-bye."

Her: "That person wanted you to hold a movie too, huh?"
Me: "Yes, and he even offered to wash my feet if I did."

~Now, if I could describe the look on her face when I said that I'd be the writer of the century.~

Her: *composes herself* "I don't have my card- you'll just have to look up my phone number."
Me: "I can use your ID to look up your account."
Her: "I don't HAVE that either." She looks at the guy with her and says, "Are you on my account?"

-Personal Pause- This question always tickles me. How and why do you, the owner and person financially liable for the account, NOT know who is on it?
DUH!
/Personal Pause

Him: "I dunno..."
Me to him: "Do you have your ID? If so I can check and see if you are on the account."
He gives me the ID and he's not on it- of course.
Me: "I'm sorry- he's not an authorized user."
Her: "You had to have the account UP to see that didn't you?"
Me *knowing where this is headed* "Yes."
Her: "Well, Jeeeezus Christ! You can bring up the account so you don't NEED anything!"
Me: "No, I have to verify the ID of an authorized user on the account before the account can be used."
Her: "You're KIDDING me right?"
Me: "No. I don't kid about these things."
Her: *mumbles what I believe was bad things about me* "I'm never coming here again!"

Me: "Have a nice evening."

And, believe it or not, she is just one of about three SC's I had to deal with today. I'm really sick of people right now.

[BusyBee]

Why is it the sucky customers always ring right when there's a line forming?

Me: "I can use your ID to look up your account."
Her: "I don't HAVE that either." She looks at the guy with her and says, "Are you on my account?"

Haha yeah, I always get that when I resort to asking for people's passwords if they don't have their member card or ID with them... about 60% of the time, if they're there with anyone, they'll turn to the other person and say, "Hey Ed what's my password?"

As for holding movies... Our policy is we can hold it for one hour, and we usually allow 2 hours to elapse before putting the movie back on the shelf unless it's asked for by someone else who's physically in the store after the first hour is up. But we still get people coming in asking if we can hold a movie, or several, for them for NEXT WEEK. Uh, yeah... sure. I'll just prevent our store from getting any revenue on this movie for an entire week so that, IF you remember where you booked it and when you booked it for, you can maybe come in to pick it up for your precious's birthday party. We get enough people not showing up for movies we hold for an hour, I'd hate to see what kind of ratio we get for people not picking up movies on hold for several days

[mariamousie1]

Aw, poor NightAngel. Sounds like you need a hug and a cookie.
Wow, what a mean lady.

[po'drph]

Sorry about your bad Sunday. Whatever happened to EVERYTHING being closed on Sundays?

[Ackee]

Well done

Why is it the sucky customers always ring right when there's a line forming?

True...


Nightangel, You poor bunny

Here is a hug.

[bigjimaz]

NightAngel, if you don't want your cookie from mariamousie1, can I have it?

I sympathize with you. There have been times I seriously though about smacking people thinking that jail would be better than dealing with these people.

Now about that cookie...

[Imogene]

I'd hate to see what kind of ratio we get for people not picking up movies on hold for several days

As the hold time gets longer, the likelihood of customer returning to pick it up dwindles farther and farther. I swear, I used to be the only one to clean out the Holds regularly (once a week or so) at Chesterfield, I distinctly remember one movie we had on hold from, I think, before Christmas. It was the only copy in the store. I picked it up, looked at it, and nearly wanted to kill whomever put it in the hold box. "I've had a hundred people asking me for this one copy of the movie!"

Just like all the movies we'd have sitting in the overstock movies section in the backroom, because the sections they were supposed to go in were so damn stuffed with movies, there was just no way to put more movies out.

[Rapscallion]

So, about that foot washing...

Rapscallion

[NightAngel]

Thanks for the cookies, hugs... and feet washing.

There are several reasons why we do not hold movies. Juwl's example is quite accurate. 9 times out of 10 you hold a movie and no one ever shows up for it anyway. Plus, it's first come, first served. People always want you to hold the newest, hottest movies and if we held for everyone who asked we'd be losing rental revenue like crazy. Not to mention upsetting people with money in hand- in the store- because we can't give them what they want. I'm sorry but, no- to quote a movie, "Show me the money!"

We just got the store cleaned up from it's former employee's/management's stupidity. We still have, literally, BOXES of movies and we are trying to take care of and get back out on the shelf. One of the things that they'd do was hold a movies for customers and never put them back out. The counters were unusable due to all the clutter. Eventually, many of those items dropped from inventory as "Lost". We have enough to deal with without adding to it.

Now, if a person comes in and picks out their movies and realizes they forgot their wallet or whatever and askes me to hold their stuff so they can go get it. Sure, I tell them I'll keep it for 2 hours or a time they specify. But if they aren't back by then- too bad. Honestly, that's even bit me in the butt occasionally. I've had people tell me they'd be right back, I tell them 2 hours, they show up the next day and scream at me because I put their stuff back out.

The other time I'll hold something is when someone calls and they've rented an item that doesn't work. I'll hold a same title exchange for indefinate amounts of time- especially if they have in any way indicated that they really want to get a totally different movie. Yes, I am evil and I hate scammers.

Now about that cookie...

*breaks cookie in half* Here ya go. I don't mind sharing.

[Hobgoblin]

The other time I'll hold something is when someone calls and they've rented an item that doesn't work. I'll hold a same title exchange for indefinate amounts of time- especially if they have in any way indicated that they really want to get a totally different movie. Yes, I am evil and I hate scammers.

The game store I work in is inside a video rental company. We are owned by the same company, so we get employee discounts at each other's stores. Since we work next to each other, we hang out and are all friends with each other.

I was hanging out behind the counter of the video store (my store was extremely slow and I was bored). A lady came in and had a problem. Now, I know the store's policy, so I went ahead and fielded her problem. She had a scratched dvd and wanted to know what we would do about it. I told her we would happily get another copy for her at no charge, since it was our fault after all (this is after verifying that the dvd was all scratched and nasty looking and might not have worked).

Her: Well, we were at the end anyways, so can we just get another movie?
Me: I'm sorry? You were able to finish the movie?
Her: No ... but we were done with it I guess.
Me: So you were finished watching it?
Her: No.
Me: So you need another copy of the same movie to finish it?
Her: Well ...
Me: I'll be glad to get you another copy.
Her: ...
Me: ...
Real Employee: After reviewing your account, we can't do any replacements. It looks like we've done so many replacements for you over the past few months that either you or your dvd player is scratching or otherwise making our dvds unplayable.
Me: <snicker>
Her: I haven't exchanged any movies here in months!
RE: Ma'am, I exchanged <movie title> for you on a couple weeks ago and it looks like <title> was exchanged about a week ago.
Her: Well, I didn't do that.
RE: Yes, you did. The manager noted that you may not exchange any more titles for any reason. The account has been noted.
Her: <to me> Well, will YOU exchange this for me then?
Me: No ma'am. I wasn't aware of the additional notes on your account, and besides, if you were done with it for any reason other than it being broken, than I can't do anything at all for you. Have a great day though.
Her: <splutter>

I don't understand. Come up with a better scam. If that's the best you can do, I'm certainly smarted than you and you won't be able to convince me to do anything. If you are smarter than I am, I'll never know that I got scammed and we will both be happy.

[Becks]

Her: "That person wanted you to hold a movie too, huh?"
Me: "Yes, and he even offered to wash my feet if I did."

~Now, if I could describe the look on her face when I said that I'd be the writer of the century.~

I wonder if the washing would with with a loofa/sponge/washcloth or his tongue. (Hey, foot fetishests are EVERYWHERE!!!)

I think I can imagine the look on her face, but words can't come close to describing it.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Sorry, my feet are too ticklish...I'd need a really good neck rub. I'm a sucker for a guy who can do a good back massage

[BusyBee]

I'll hold a same title exchange for indefinate amounts of time- especially if they have in any way indicated that they really want to get a totally different movie.

Oh man, I had such fun thwarting a repeat exchanger... The look on his face *dreamy sigh*
But it's not exactly OT so I'll stay quiet for now

I wonder, would saying her brain left the premises due to shock be appropriate to describe her expression?

[XCashier]

Sorry about your bad Sunday. Whatever happened to EVERYTHING being closed on Sundays?

Corporations got greedy and couldn't bear the thought that there was one day a week that they weren't making money. Profit Über Alles.

Sorry you were stuck dealing with that harridan, NA. And she forgot her ID, how convenient. Go home until you learn some manners and remember your ID, Sucky Customer!

[SuperB]

At the video store I worked at years ago, all that was required was the phone number. Then, if they had problems with the account (so much for trust) they could set the account to require ID.

So this guy comes in, brings his movies up and I scan them in and ask for ID.
He was not happy. I explain that it looked like there were some problems with late fees and people possibly renting on the account who shouldn't be and that his wife put the request on the account that anyone who rents has to show ID and only the names on the account are allowed.
He's still not happy, bitches and moans about it, apparently I should know who he is and as he's leaving (without his movies because he doesn't have his ID) says, "Don't know your job very well do you".
Me: "Sir, I do believe I just did my job. Goodnight".

I then made a note on his account about what an ass he was and his wife told me she talked to him. Ironically, my husband was into league bowling at the time and bowled against him on occasion. Those nights weren't fun for the guy. He never did rent from me again.