This is hilarious!

[scorpion 0]

I received this email from a friend of mine. I thought I would share it with you all!

 

He works for Blockbuster.

 

Here is his email:

___________________________________________________________

 

Forget moron of the day, this character might be moron of the quarter.

 

So I'm on my way back from the bathroom, I see a long line and only two employees at registers. I try to hurry to my register, and I'm intercepted by an old man who tries to hand me a VHS tape. "Here," he says. "My rewinder is broken, rewind this for me."

 

I apologize and explain to him that we no longer have rewinders, as we haven't carried VHS tapes for rental or sale in quite some time.

 

"But I purchased it HERE!!!" he insists.

 

When I first started at Blockbuster in May 2005, we had a small handful of VHS rentals, because certain new releases still had 1 or 2 VHS for about every 100 DVDs, which stopped happening around that same month. There were also a few in the kids section, for Disney movies not yet released on DVD. Those were soon gone from the rental shelf, and joined the rest of the leftover VHS tapes on sale for like $3 or $4 each. Not even that was enough to move them off the shelf, and they were basically just taking up perfectly good space, so they soon found themselves in the dumpster.

 

Anyway, I again explain to the man that we haven't sold or rented a VHS tape in two years, and therefore there was absolutely no need for us to keep the few rewinders that we had had left at the time.

 

"But the Blockbuster in Vero Beach has rewinders!!!" he says, perhaps expecting that this statement would cause a rewinder to magically appear behind the counter. It was probably not even true to begin with, he probably hadn't been in that store for two years either. Even if it IS true, good for the Blockbuster in Vero Beach. We don't have any. Why are you still arguing with me? What exactly do you want me to do, make a rewinder materialize out of my butt? Or perhaps you think I'm lying to you, maybe as part of a crazy scheme to save myself the trouble of rewinding your tape?

 

So I once again calmly explain that since DVDs have completely replaced VHS, and there is not a single VHS tape left in the store, there is no reason whatsoever for us to have rewinders.

 

"Well that's pretty poor policy!" he angrily pouts, and begins to walk out.

 

Poor policy?!? What the heck are we supposed to do? Keep a rewinder readily available just in case some lunatic comes in two years after we sold our last $3 VHS? That's taking customer satisfaction just a bit too far. It won't exactly be devastating if he boycotts us. Do you expect an electronics store to fix scratches in your vinyl records? Do you expect a local car dealership to have parts for the discontinued model you bought there in the 70s?

 

And what the heck are you getting mad at ME for? I'm not responsible for inventing DVDs, stopping VHS manufacturing, or throwing away our rewinders.

 

I can't resist as he's opening the door, and I say, still politely: "I really have no idea why you'd expect us to still have a rewinder in here." He pauses like he's going to say something, then leaves.

 

Go ahead and complain about me you crazy old bastard, I hope you do. Give the district manager a good laugh. I doubt you'll be able to though, since I'm sure you've probably never even heard of the internet, and I have doubts about your ability to use a telephone.

 

Here's a novel idea: go join the 21st century and drop $30 at Walmart to buy a brand-spanking-new DVD player you cheap bastard. Or better yet, get a VCR/DVD combo. That's got a rewinder built in! I actually plan on getting one since I don't own a VCR, my DVD player is really old, and I have some home movies on VHS. Then again, a new VCR/DVD combo might not connect to your black and white TV.

 

And what exactly was your plan anyway? Were you seriously going to journey to your local Blockbuster every time you wanted to watch one of your own VHS tapes? I suppose that would be a new twist on going to Blockbuster when you want to watch a movie.

 

 

Anyway, I later went up to the office to tell my manager the funny story, and I realized that we actually still have a rewinder for our security tapes. Then I looked and saw the two rewinders from summer 2005 sitting on top of a file cabinet.

 

Oh well, I still don't feel bad. He was a rude crotchety jerk who was making an absurd request. But as always, I'm glad he stopped by, because my favorite part of the job is getting these stories about stupid customers to share with you all.

[rory 0]

LOL .. they still rent and sell VHS tapes down here .. DVD players cost $100+ locally ... so not everyone has one yet.

[Gesualdo 0]

Please forward this to your friend.

 

Personally I find the attitude of your friend, the sales clerk from Blockbuster, disgusting and in no way funny. The man came to you for help and you give him attitude. The tirade after he left was a disgrace. namecalling and thinking he should join the 21st century whe you yourself were looking to get an older technology for your own use is hypocritical. Lack of remorse, and later proven yourself wrong, should consider yourself lucky that the customer did not speak to your manager on site, you then would have had to swallow your pride and help the customer in his 'absurd" request. Did you tell your manager about the customer when you realized your mistake? Maybe you could have offered some good customer service and verified your statement of no rewinders or perhaps suggested he seek the vhs/dvd player that you were considering. It is this type of service that I have left Blockbuster and have not gone back. And by the way neither has anyone that I have told of MY experiences with them. HMM maybe poor service does make a difference in business.

[imcclendon 0]

At $8 per hour, you can't really expect first class customer service.

[survtech 0]

My question would be why can't he just rewind it in the same VCR that he watched it in?

 

I agree with Gesualdo. Your friend's attitude exemplifies the lack of customer service in many retailers today. It's a major reason why consumers aren't loyal to stores. How can you be loyal to a store that has rude employees like your friend?

[jisaac 0]

if i was the store manager and I found out about that I would make him rewind all the tapes that old guy had by his fingers. All the way to the beginning. As many times as that old guy pleased.

[Sir Flannel 0]

Add my voice to Gesualdo's chorus

[Gesualdo 0]

Why not???? Courtesy should not have a price tag nor should respect.