Most stupid requests you've ever had at work?

rawn

thelad95 wrote: »

Generally, I avoid chemists for passport photos to be honest, a lot of them don't seem to have their staff trained properly. Last time I had to get it done, my eyes were shadowed out but the girl said they were fine and tried to make me pay €6. Eventually she agreed to retake.

Machines can actually be more reliable as they generally tell you where to stare and give you an option to aaccept/reject.

Same now that I think of it. My passport pic had a big shine off my necklace covering part of my face a bit with the glare but she said it was fine, luckily my passport got stolen before I had to try and use it :P

eternal

somesoldiers wrote: »

Pound of liver & pint glass, an oldie

I feel sick.

SuperS54

bucketybuck wrote: »

Walk into a Tesco and there will be a big machine that lets you plonk in a bucket of assorted loose coins and will then sort the coins by size and within seconds give you a value.

I wouldn't be surprised at all that customers think banks have the same equipment because really, why wouldn't they?

I generally throw all my change into a drawer and when it gets too much take it to the bank. After I moved to Taiwan I collected a good stash after 2 months due to generally handing over notes for anything as I didn't understand Chinese and it was just easier. With experience of Irish banks, took a trip to the local bank to ask for coin bags, couldn't get the idea of what I wanted across so picked up some small freezer bags in the supermarket on the way home and diligently separated coins and wrote the totals on the bags. Went back to the bank with my nicely sorted and bagged coins the next day. Girl looked at me as if I were some kind of nutter and emptied all the bags onto a tray then placed the lot on top of her coin sorting machine which separated all the coins, totaled up the amount and printed it out for her, along with a thank you note for bringing in coins. That was almost 15 years ago, last time I was back in Ireland my friend who owns his own business was complaining how the cost for businesses to deposit coins had been increased...

SusieBlue

While working in a bar.

Me: What can I get you?
Customer: JD and a shot of coke, please.
Me: Sorry, we don't sell shots of coke, you'll have to buy one of the regular bottles.
Customer: I was in here last week and I got a shot of coke no problem. I don't want a whole bottle, I only want a shot.
Me: I'm sorry but that isn't possible.
Customer: This is a disgrace, I want to see a manager.

Manager tries arguing with her for nearly 10 minutes that there was no way she was sold a shot of coke, customer insists that she was and that she has no use for a whole bottle as she only requires a splash of coke and the rest would be wasted. Customer in question is also particularly hammered.

Manager: I'm sick of arguing with this idiot, open a bottle, give her a shot, and charge her (the standard shot price) of €5.10 for it.
Me: Okay.

Customer (really smug now): I knew I was right, is it that hard to take an order?
*customer happily pays extortionate, more expensive price than what she would have paid if she bought the damn bottle*

Me:

El_Duderino 09

WhiteRoses wrote: »

Customer (really smug now): I knew I was right, is it that hard to take an order?
*customer happily pays extortionate, more expensive price than what she would have paid if she bought the damn bottle*

Me:

People be strange. Worked in pizza shop and people would ask for a particular offer like 2 for 1 on pizzas.

Sometimes we had 50% off the whole order so If they ordered sides, deserts or drinks I would offer them 50% off the whole order. Some people insisted they wanted the 2 for 1 on pizza instead and they wanted no more of my salesman tricks.

The power of advertising is so strong that sometimes people want the deal they saw advertised rather than the best deal

Mallagio

Being told to smash and bin 20 x Oak kitchen tables up after requests from staff to buy them cheap, their packaging was p*ssed on when a warehouse roof leaked - nothing wrong with the tables at all.

Always remember seeing the boss's sleazy smile standing over us watching me and another lad do it.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

bucketybuck

Toots wrote: »

:rolleyes: Did you get your buckets sorted in the end? Those machines in tesco sort the coins, and count them while sorting. If there's foreign coins/buttons/trolley tokens etc mixed in with what you empty in, those machines spit them back out.

The machine behind me was literally a weighing scales, almost like what you'd see in your kitchen. So if you're aware of one of those that you can just set a bucket of assorted coins and various other bits on top of it, and that machine will tell you exactly how much is in the bucket, then I shall happily eat my words.

You have spectacularly missed the point haven't you?

ronjo

bucketybuck wrote: »

You have spectacularly missed the point haven't you?

Or thrown a little hissy fit :pac:

Toots

bucketybuck wrote: »

You have spectacularly missed the point haven't you?

Not really? The guy came in with a bucket like what you'd use for mopping the floor, it was about twice the size of the scales. I don't see how you think it's 'clever' to explain to a customer that there's nowhere you can take a bucket of coins that size, set it on, and it magically tells you what's in there.

ronjo wrote: »

Or thrown a little hissy fit :pac:

Believe me I see enough hissy fits in work on a daily basis, that fills up my quota for the day so I don't need to add to it myself

kylith

Toots wrote: »

Not really? The guy came in with a bucket like what you'd use for mopping the floor, it was about twice the size of the scales. I don't see how you think it's 'clever' to explain to a customer that there's nowhere you can take a bucket of coins that size, set it on, and it magically tells you what's in there.

You've definitely missed the point - my local Spar has a machine where you can take a bucket of mixed coins, pour it in, wait a couple of minutes and it'll tell you exactly how much is in there, including a breakdown by denomination. Why would it be outside the realm of possibility for a bank to have the same piece of equipment?

bucketybuck

kylith wrote: »

You've definitely missed the point - my local Spar has a machine where you can take a bucket of mixed coins, pour it in, wait a couple of minutes and it'll tell you exactly how much is in there, including a breakdown by denomination. Why would it be outside the realm of possibility for a bank to have the same piece of equipment?

No, no, clearly the customer she was disparaging asked for the whole bucket to be weighed, rather than simply wanting to lodge the money and expecting a modern bank to have technology that has been available for years now. :pac:

Toots

kylith wrote: »

You've definitely missed the point - my local Spar has a machine where you can take a bucket of mixed coins, pour it in, wait a couple of minutes and it'll tell you exactly how much is in there, including a breakdown by denomination. Why would it be outside the realm of possibility for a bank to have the same piece of equipment?

You'd assume they would, but this is Ireland, the banks here are about 10 years behind the rest of the world, if not more. Sure we only got machines that sort notes about 2 years ago! I should point out that this was 2005/6 and those coin machines weren't common then at all. When I worked in a shop about 15 years ago, we had one of those coin sorter things - not for the customers, but it was in the cash office in the back, you'd just empty your till in at the end of the day and it would tell you what you had.

kylith

Toots wrote: »

You'd assume they would, but this is Ireland, the banks here are about 10 years behind the rest of the world, if not more. Sure we only got machines that sort notes about 2 years ago! I should point out that this was 2005/6 and those coin machines weren't common then at all. When I worked in a shop about 15 years ago, we had one of those coin sorter things - not for the customers, but it was in the cash office in the back, you'd just empty your till in at the end of the day and it would tell you what you had.

Exactly! 5 years before your story takes place a shop you worked in had the machinery to count money. In 2000 I brought a sack of coins to the Central Bank and they counted it there no hassle.

The technology was invented in the 50s, ffs, and I still can't bring my money box contents to the bank without having to count them first.

I mean, Jesus, there's a massive shortage of 1c coins being able to lodge your change jar directly into your account would get a lot of coppers back into the banks for recirculation.

Yeah_Right

Enough with this debate about a sodding coin sorting machine!!

Can we go back to stories about stupid requests at work?

demanufactured

No more apples in the vending machine please.

dan1895

demanufactured wrote: »

No more apples in the vending machine please.

Well....that's almost a sentence.

Toots

It all comes down to making money (at least that's what I reckon) because they charge a good whack to businesses who come in to lodge coins. Most banks won't take partial bags anymore, so if you've got €6 in 20c then it's tough luck. That cuts down on the amount of time coin lodgements take to process, but the charges stay the same.

Those machines would cost a bomb to roll out across a whole branch network, plus there's the cost of day-to-day maintenance, training the staff to use them, bagging up the coins that are counted inside it, etc. Anyway, they'd probably be out of service half the time because people seem to be incapable of following basic directions, and would probably try and jam rolled up notes in through the slots. When those ATMs came out that could take notes and cheques to be lodged, I caught a customer trying to force a load of €2 coins into the tray where you put the notes. The one that's got a massive sticker on it saying "NOTES ONLY". They figured since it was €2s and not coppers, it would be ok.

Every few months there's word that they're going to start bringing the machines to all the branches, but I'd say it won't happen.

Toots

Back to stupid work stories; when I was doing the mandatory working holiday year in Australia, I worked for a life insurance company. One day a guy rang up and asked did he have to be dead before he could claim on his Accidental Death insurance policy.

loalae

I'm a child protection social worker and some of the parents have a very strange idea about what I can do for them.

"can you get the council to pay my speeding tickets?"

"Can you get the council to pay the phone bill that the child racked up? yes I was supposed to be supervising him the whole time But I didn't realise he was on the phone for 6 hours. He's known to the local authority so you should pay it."

miezekatze

Toots wrote:

Those machines would cost a bomb to roll out across a whole branch network, plus there's the cost of day-to-day maintenance, training the staff to use them, bagging up the coins that are counted inside it, etc. Anyway, they'd probably be out of service half the time because people seem to be incapable of following basic directions, and would probably try and jam rolled up notes in through the slots. When those ATMs came out that could take notes and cheques to be lodged, I caught a customer trying to force a load of €2 coins into the tray where you put the notes. The one that's got a massive sticker on it saying "NOTES ONLY". They figured since it was €2s and not coppers, it would be ok.

I can't imagine they'd be that expensive tbh. I'm from Germany and every bank there has one, even the branch in the small village I'm from that only opens twice a week. it's generally operated by the staff though. Couldn't believe it when I found out I have to count my change myself here.

efb

I prefer using my card. Avoid places that don't accept it. Like the Queen (of UKofGB&NI) I don't like to carry cash

Captain Chaos

Back when I was 16 I worked part time at a garage forecourt. One day two women in their late 20s came over to me and asked me for help. I could see they had the bonnet of their car open for a while and where staring into it for about 15 mins with the manual in their hands.

I said no problem and walked over to the car with them and asked what was the issue. Then they came out with this gem. We're trying to find the chassis of the car, (not the chassis number now, the whole fecken thing). Then she carried on, "a friend said they is something wrong with the chassis but it doesn't seem to be in here".

I told her I get one of the mechanic over to them and walked away quickly before I started to laugh. I hadn't the composure to stop her and explain what the chassis of a car is.

Tiger Mcilroy

Toots wrote: »

It all comes down to making money (at least that's what I reckon) because they charge a good whack to businesses who come in to lodge coins. Most banks won't take partial bags anymore, so if you've got €6 in 20c then it's tough luck. That cuts down on the amount of time coin lodgements take to process, but the charges stay the same.

Those machines would cost a bomb to roll out across a whole branch network, plus there's the cost of day-to-day maintenance, training the staff to use them, bagging up the coins that are counted inside it, etc. Anyway, they'd probably be out of service half the time because people seem to be incapable of following basic directions, and would probably try and jam rolled up notes in through the slots. When those ATMs came out that could take notes and cheques to be lodged, I caught a customer trying to force a load of €2 coins into the tray where you put the notes. The one that's got a massive sticker on it saying "NOTES ONLY". They figured since it was €2s and not coppers, it would be ok.

Every few months there's word that they're going to start bringing the machines to all the branches, but I'd say it won't happen.

Imo it all comes down to the fact that banks simply dont want customers in the banks doing anything except lodging cheques...opening hours are so badly suited to anybody working and the service consists of a lad going down the queue trying to force aul ones to use the self service when they dont have a breeze.

Neyite

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Back when I was 16 I worked part time at a garage forecourt. One day two women in their late 20s came over to me and asked me for help. I could see they had the bonnet of their car open for a while and where staring into it for about 15 mins with the manual in their hands.

I said no problem and walked over to the car with them and asked what was the issue. Then they came out with this gem. We're trying to find the chassis of the car, (not the chassis number now, the whole fecken thing). Then she carried on, "a friend said they is something wrong with the chassis but it doesn't seem to be in here".

I told her I get one of the mechanic over to them and walked away quickly before I started to laugh. I hadn't the composure to stop her and explain what the chassis of a car is.

That sounds like a flux capacitor to me, not a chassis.

somesoldiers

Working in a pub/ restaurant in my teens
Customer comes in: "Do you have a la carte or is it just what's on the menu"

Wossack

Neyite wrote: »

That sounds like a flux capacitor to me, not a chassis.

headlight fluid overfilled

common fault on them

ColeTrain

WhiteRoses wrote: »

While working in a bar.

Me: What can I get you?
Customer: JD and a shot of coke, please.
Me: Sorry, we don't sell shots of coke, you'll have to buy one of the regular bottles.
Customer: I was in here last week and I got a shot of coke no problem. I don't want a whole bottle, I only want a shot.
Me: I'm sorry but that isn't possible.
Customer: This is a disgrace, I want to see a manager.

Manager tries arguing with her for nearly 10 minutes that there was no way she was sold a shot of coke, customer insists that she was and that she has no use for a whole bottle as she only requires a splash of coke and the rest would be wasted. Customer in question is also particularly hammered.

Manager: I'm sick of arguing with this idiot, open a bottle, give her a shot, and charge her (the standard shot price) of €5.10 for it.
Me: Okay.

Customer (really smug now): I knew I was right, is it that hard to take an order?
*customer happily pays extortionate, more expensive price than what she would have paid if she bought the damn bottle*

Me:

In fairness a lot of pubs leave a few 1.5 litre bottles of coke/7up on the counter and let the customers have a dash. That's what she was probably on about.

Get Real

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

People be strange. Worked in pizza shop and people would ask for a particular offer like 2 for 1 on pizzas.

Sometimes we had 50% off the whole order so If they ordered sides, deserts or drinks I would offer them 50% off the whole order. Some people insisted they wanted the 2 for 1 on pizza instead and they wanted no more of my salesman tricks.

The power of advertising is so strong that sometimes people want the deal they saw advertised rather than the best deal

This is so true. I used to find this when I worked in retail.

Firstly, I offer a cheaper deal because if I was a customer I'd like to know, secondly it increases the chance of repeat business because people think "oh I never new of that deal, sound for telling me, I'll make use of that again"

The amount of people that think you're trying to "do them" is unreal. Someone might order x and y. I'd say, now today we have x,y,z and together they're cheaper, plus you get more. "no,no,no I'm not forking out more, I just want those" me being polite and honest-

"but its a deal, so you'll pay three or four euro less....(thinking-honestly, I'm paid hourly here, nothing in it for myself, I genuinely wanna help you save money)" "oh no, I won't have a fast one pulled on me here, I'll just pay for what I asked for"....okay

sadie06

I worked in the music industry and once had to babysit a diva for a day. This person had been famous from a very young age and could do nothing for herself. She was about 24ish when this all happened.

She asked for room temperature water. I gave her a bottle. She checked the temp against the back of her hand, then handed it back to me to open, as she claimed she couldn't open bottles.

She next became agitated and asked for everyone to leave the room but me (the only female). She became tearful saying she couldn't concentrate as something was wrong with her cardigan. After much confusion I learned that it was itchy at the back of her neck. I cut the label off, and she acted like I had solved a major world problem.

That was a strange day….