The difference between an angry whisper and a full scream made my week

I had two customers back to back last Tuesday at the hardware store. First guy just stood there whispering about a missing screw for 10 minutes while I had to lean in to hear him. Next lady walked in screaming about a cracked paint can, drew a crowd, and I had her sorted in 3 minutes flat. Turns out I'd rather deal with loud and direct than quiet and vague. Has anyone else found that calm customers actually take more time than the explosive ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugo_bennett20d ago

Got a buddy who works at a cell phone repair shop, said a quiet guy came in with a cracked screen and just slid the phone across the counter without saying a word. Took twenty minutes of back and forth to figure out what he wanted, and it turned out he just needed a screen protector. Meanwhile, a loud lady came in yelling about her phone not charging and she was out the door with a new charger in under five minutes.

mary77620d agoProlific Poster

Feel for the quiet guy honestly. Sometimes you just want to keep your head down and not bother anyone, but it backfires and makes everything harder (including the other person's job).

betty_palmer12d ago

Hugo's buddy must've felt like he was playing charades for a living at that point. I'd probably be the quiet guy, too, if I'm being honest - my social battery runs out faster than my phone's. At least the loud lady got her problem solved quick, even if she made everyone's ears ring while doing it. I once spent ten minutes trying to order a coffee by just pointing at the menu because I forgot how to speak. So yeah, I get it. Sometimes you just want the other person to read your mind and hand you the fix without all the talking.