a little fruit, a little buyback

So last night i waitressed, as I always do on Sunday. It was a little bit busy after the game, but otherwise pretty slow. Most of my customers were lovely, though--I waited on a wonderful couple who understood that, right after the game, I got 5 parties at the same time. They had been seated next to another couple who just did NOT understand why I couldn't get to them immediately, and the good couple made fun of the bad couple after the bad couple left ("it is not busy! why are we waiting so long! we are leaving!"). I LOVE it when customers snark on each other. They were like, "It's alright they left--they wouldn't have tipped you anyway. We, on the other hand, love you."
I love it when people love me.

The only semi-annoying thing that happened was when a man asked me if we had a small dish of fruit for dessert. I explained that we didn't and offered him a dessert menu. He glanced at it and said, "I'm just wanting some fruit. You have none?"
"No, sir, we have the available desserts listed, that's it."
"I'd like some strawberries or raspberries, you have none?"
Um...I'm not sure how to make myself any clearer? We? Have NONE.
Instead I say, "Nope! Only the desserts listed!"
"Hmmm...I wanted fruit...."
WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING FRUIT I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I SAID NO FOUR TIMES ALREADY.

This happens frequently to me. I say, "No," or "I honestly don't know," and people keep asking me. It's as though they think I'll arrive at the answer they want if they ask enough.

"How do I get to Newton?"
"Sorry, I honestly have no idea. I know you'd go right down Comm Ave. There are maps of the area right behind you, though!"
"How far is is?"
"I honestly don't know."
"So I go down Comm Ave? How far?"
"I really don't know. There are maps..."
"DON'T YOU LIVE HERE?"
"Yes. But I don't have a car."
Disgusted look crosses customer's face.
"So you don't know how to get to Newton?"
Deep sigh.
"No. I. Don't."
Customer ROLLS EYES at husband and walks away.

I told her the first time! I'm not lying when I say I don't know something! And while I'm obligated to look up any book you want, no matter how wrong the title, directions--which I'm quite good at, if you're going somewhere in the city--aren't really part of my job. So when I say, "I don't know," it's because I don't! I'm not lying to you. If I don't know something, that information isn't going to spontaneously enter my brain. Accept it. Move on. Go look at our numerous assortment of maps.

And the third time someone didn't believe me:
So we have textbook buyback right now. Students bring in their ratty books and get money. They seem to think we're ripping them off. But they don't HAVE to sell their books back. They can keep them. Since the invention of e-bay, etc, it's become common to use something and resell it. But really, this isn't a common practice. I don't buy new silverware, eat off it for a year, then expect to sell it to someone. We're providing a service. We don't NEED to take back anything. And if you don't like the price we're giving to you, keep your damn psych textbook that you're not even going to use as a doorstop. We don't care. That's one more full-price text we'll sell.
(And I know I say "we." And that scares me.)

ANYWAY, there is a "truck" parked outside that has no affiliation with the store. It's some company that parks outside and takes back books, but they have the disadvantage of not knowing what texts the professors are using next semester. Blah Blah. We don't care about them, we have the upper hand.

So this girl comes in today and says, "I want to sell back books that they won't take upstairs. And that truck takes them."
I look at her, coaxing her to actually ask a question. She stares back. I finally say, "I'm not sure what your question is?"
"It's not there!"
"Um? The truck?"
"YES! When is it coming back?"
"Well, that truck isn't affiliated with the store."
"So where is it?"
"I don't know? They don't work here?"
"Are they going to be back?"
"They don't work for the bookstore. We don't keep track of them."
"Are they going to be back?"
"I. Don't. Know. They don't work with us."
"Is there someone here that knows?"
Have I not made myself clear?
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"Um, alright, but they might be back, right?"
WHY doesn't she believe me? Why does "no" not work?
"I honestly have no idea." End of discussion, right?
WRONG.
"Well, you guys aren't taking these books and I need to sell them."
Seriously? Is she seriously still asking me the same question?
"They are our competitors. We don't like them. We're glad they're gone."
"You're not helpful."
She leaves.
The fact that I had to take this long to recount that discussion annoys me. Anyone who is reading this is probably annoyed.

And that's what I deal with every single day. "I don't know"--admitting that I don't have the answer--is not a proper response anymore. But when it's the truth, I have no idea what the proper one is. I LIKE having the answer to everything. I tend to be a bit of a know-it-all. So it pains me to have to admit I don't have the answer. Yet these people just don't believe me--in fact, have to rub it in my face--that I don't have the answer for everything. I also pride myself on my honesty. I don't like lying.

So I hate them for making me admit that I'm not all-knowing.
And I hate them even more for not believing me when I actually admit that I. DON'T. KNOW.