Thursday, April 19, 2007

Hocus Pocus in Focus

For a few months now we have a brand-new Focus (D.I.Y.-Supermarket) in our town and as I needed some sort of chain to hold our patio doors open with I decided to pay a visit!
After all . . . how difficult can it be?!!! Right??
I soon located the section with different type of chains. You know the one where you measure how many metres you want, use the conveniently positioned cutter and take it to the cash desk.
Well, that's what I did!
Here then is the conversation as I approach the woman at the till:

"Here you are - 3 metres of chain!"
"Right . . tying someone up today, are we?? (Snort, snort)"
"Yeah . . (smiling sweetly - face as if constipated)"
"I have no code for that! No wait!!! I can look it up in our picture catalogue!! (thumbs through pages with the speed of a stunned slug).
This looks a bit like it!" she says grabbing her scan gun and running it over the bar code next to the picture.
'Blip' goes the till showing a price of £3.59
"That's not right! This chain is only £2.99 per metre!"
(Looks again through the catalogue, thumbs past 'chains')"Naah, them are ropes now! See?!! (points at a picture of a rope)"
"Can't you just type in the price??"
"Naaahh, I need a code, see?!!"
"Well, don't look at me!! I don't have a code!"
(Picks up the microphone) "Jason to till 2 please - till 2 - Jason!!"
A minute later a tall, skinny, spotty young dude with a bad haircut arrives.
"Ah, Jason, we need a code for that chain" (points to the chain on the desk)
"That chain??!!" he replies, pointing at the same chain as if there was more than one anywhere within viewing distance.
"Yeah, that chain! Can you go and get us a code?"
Pimpleface picks up the chain and walks off with it, eventually returning with chain in one hand and cell phone in the other.
"I keyed the code into my phone!" he proudly announces. He presses a few buttons and then reads out: "5-2-3-4-4 6-3-6-1-1 7-7-4-9-8"
Every digit is repeated by the woman behind the till followed by a small 'blip' as she punches the key.




'Beeeeeeeeeeepp!!' goes the till.
"Naaaahh!! That code is not right!!" she announces, shaking her head in an 'I don't know what to do about this' manner.
The by now sizable queue of customers waiting to pay at the only till currently open starts to grumble and mutter no doubt wondering which of those two utter nerds to kill first.
A third assistant arrives! To open another till?? Nooooooo!!! To open the catalogue and scan various items until he finds something worth £2.99
He finally comes across it and says:
"'ere! Use that one!"
She scans it and says: "That's £6.58, please!"
In my head I am thinking '£2.99 times 3 metres = £8.97!' and reply to her:
"£6.58??? How can that even be possible????"
"Oooohhh!! Silly me!!! I forgot to cancel the first incorrect price! Let me start again! (a customer at the back of the queue whines silently) Horrayyy!! Now I got it right!! That's £2.99, please!!"

I have lost the will to argue, fear the wrath of the menacing crowds and pay up, my Christian conscience only pricking me slightly for only having paid a third of the correct price.
Lord have mercy!!!

10 comments:

tlawwife said...

I could feel your pain right through the computer. Having the long line behind you makes it even worse I know.

Desert Songbird said...

And the cashiers and other employees go about their business, cheerfully, with NO CLUE as to their ineptitude.

Classic.

Anonymous said...

How aggravating. Really - I'm usually the person in the last of the line wondering what the hold up is.

Leann said...

yes us christains can be tested at the most busyest of times.
it seems we are to just put our selves in the other persons place.

well that only makes me want to say to them what Id say to my self.
"come on you dumb broad get a brain."!!!!so I would still be in deep do.
or Id say" did your mom have any kids that lived".and Id still be in deep do!!
so what Id have done is say" here Ill just hang my self from the clothes line.and leave and go to another store.
sorry I couldnt help.its hard to deal with people who dont know what the heck they are doing and dont care to find out.
my daugther works at a well known store and she says the people who work there are young ones.and its like pulling hens teeth to teach them any thing.she just is under so much stress cause she has to do their job plus her,s.
I think everyone lately is going through some thing or other.
seems like a world gone hey wire.

have a nice weekend and God bless.
I still didnt get your package in the mail.I know Iam sloooooow.but I have had so much to do and didnt get over there yet. it is wrapped and addressed and ready but Iam just sloooow.sorry.

Kila said...

Your photo made me laugh.

I hope the chain serves you well so you don't have the hassle of returning it!

Brooke - Little Miss Moi said...

Dear veryniceman. All I can think is... "The com-poo-ta says noooo."

Pamela said...

been there.
but I didn't pose in the noose!

Pamela said...

is that spamela before pamela?

alex said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Oh Good Night Nurse!

You got the free chain to pay you back for waiting. If you had mentioned it the line behind you would have flogged you instead of her. !