Absurd requests/demands

[nuit93]

My mom couldn't understand why I wouldn't take on a full-time unpaid internship ("because it's what all your sister's friends did post-college!") on top of a full time paying job.  Yeah, well, sis's friends also had parents who bought them cars and paid their bills, and who didn't have to work to pay for school.  Oh, yeah, and I was also 'lazy' for not working 40 hours a week and still getting straight A's while being a commuter student.   

So fast forward to a little later when I'm established in a full time job.  A now-ex friend is pissed that I won't consider him as a roommate.  Why?  Because he has no job, refuses to get a job even though he's fully capable (he just kept re-applying for unemployment until it ran out, got a part time job until he got himself fired, then re-applied, all while living on his parents' couch), and couldn't guarantee that he could come up with his share of the rent.  Oh, but *I'M* the bad person for discriminating against someone who's too special to get a job.

[LazyDaisy]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

[VorFemme]

gold & platinum hand quilting needles that won't tarnish or etch from the acids of your skin - I am not kidding

For some of us, these kinds of needles really are a necessity.  My hands perspire a fair amount, especially when doing needlework (where the hand is often semi-closed, which can make the problem worse).  This causes a reaction with steel needles, leaving tarnish and even corrosion, which could ruin the fabric.  Many years ago, my mother, who was part owner of a needlepoint shop, recommended the gold needles, and I've used them ever since.

I can use just about any needle, but I had a set of gold plated needles that I adored. Not because I needed them, but because they're SO pretty.

And I agree... I wanna go to a quilt festival. 

I also found the gold needles easier to find on beige carpet!  Or chocolate brown couches!  Or if pinned into my clothing for short term storage - even without any floss in them - the gold glinted more brightly.

There is a quilt festival in Atlanta, Georgia - I think later this week (I'm in Houston - nowhere near Atlanta) and one in Houston, Texas in early November - www.quilts.com - I am not affiliated with them, just worked as casual labor hanging quilts, taking quilts down & packing them, and so forth two of the last three years (my first grandchild came a month early in 2010 and disrupted my plans to work that year - being so cute & all, I forgave him).

[tiff019]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

For what it's worth - some gyms do have a medical exemption where you can essentially put your membership on hold (often for a small monthly fee - my old gym was $10 a month) with a doctor's note so you can keep your prime rate/contract but not have to pay fully while you are out of commission. That totally doesn't excuse him if he was rude to the person on the other end of the line though.

[VorFemme]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

For what it's worth - some gyms do have a medical exemption where you can essentially put your membership on hold (often for a small monthly fee - my old gym was $10 a month) with a doctor's note so you can keep your prime rate/contract but not have to pay fully while you are out of commission. That totally doesn't excuse him if he was rude to the person on the other end of the line though.

I had one that had a "moving out of the area" exemption (military base in town - it probably got used a lot) but by the time we moved back near where a branch might be, it was out of business.

Darn....

[BabyMama]

I'm about to cancel my gym membership and have been looking online to make sure I go about it the right way. Now, I see that some gyms do have some kind of money-squeezing racket going--but the glut of stories from people who complain they cancelled and then were charged for an additional thirty days, what a scam is crazy. It says right on the gym's Web site that you need to give them 30 days' notice (which is great actually, I thought it was 90.) Do they think you don't have to pay for those final 30 days?

[LadyClaire]

I organize a large two-day symposium each year at work. One day, a potential attendee had some questions regarding the event. I was in a meeting that typically lasts 2-3 hours, so I wasn't there to answer his questions. One of my co-workers was able to help him, but he was still not satisfied, and demanded that I either be fetched from the meeting or he be given my personal cell phone number so he could call me that way.

He was very irate when my co-worker refused to give him my cell phone number. His question, by the way, was about which hotel he should book into..and that information is available on the event website, which is where he got my work number from.

[staceym]

He was very irate when my co-worker refused to give him my cell phone number.

oh man, as a receptionist..cell phones can be the bain of my existence. 

People can't wait 5 minutes anymore to talk to someone. 

Me:  I'm sorry he just stepped away from the office, but will be back in about 5 minutes, would you like to leave a message

Caller:  oh, does he have a cellphone, what's his number"



or another favorite

Me:  No I'm sorry he is on a call right at the moment, would you like his voice mail

Caller:  No, I'll just call his cellphone

mind boggles sometimes  - because yep, the person's cell phone starts ringing while they are sitting at their workstation talking on their desk phone.

[siamesecat2965]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say my former CW Useless had taken up residence at YOUR job. He was the same way, but about EVERYTHING and spend hours each day on the phone.  He always wanted SOMETHING for his perceived inconvenience, or asked the same question 10 different ways, hoping for the answer he wanted.

He was impatient too; if say he had ordered something or was waiting for a part for say his car, along those lines, if they told him it would be in in *about* three days, on the third morning, he'd be calling wanting to know if it had come in, and if not, why not.

And don't get me started on him waiting for callbacks.  he'd call a dr.'s office with a billing question (he seemed to have many of those) and would need to speak to someone right then and now.  he'd ask if someone esle could help him (usually not) and then would leave whoever a voicemail.  And would call back in a couple of hours if he hadn't received a call back from them.

Finally, and I don't know why it even took this long, he was let go. 

[LazyDaisy]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

For what it's worth - some gyms do have a medical exemption where you can essentially put your membership on hold (often for a small monthly fee - my old gym was $10 a month) with a doctor's note so you can keep your prime rate/contract but not have to pay fully while you are out of commission. That totally doesn't excuse him if he was rude to the person on the other end of the line though.

But that's the kicker -- he doesn't want to pay anything he just wants them to hold it for him for possibly over a year...he's not sure...and then he'll start paying again when he wants to go again. He can't even say for sure if he'll ever use it again because of his back injury -- which strangely doesn't seem to prevent him from playing drums in a rock band. From his responses it sounded like they were being reasonable and may have even offered that option. He belongs to a well known national chain of gyms that runs special offers all the time and we get reimbursed by our employer up to $100 a year for gym memberships so in my mind he's being an extra special snowflake.

[BusyBee]

I also found the gold needles easier to find on beige carpet!  Or chocolate brown couches!  Or if pinned into my clothing for short term storage - even without any floss in them - the gold glinted more brightly.

There, right there, you sold me.  I've been reading this thread and thinking how nice it would be, but now I must have gold needles today.

[LazyDaisy]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say my former CW Useless had taken up residence at YOUR job. He was the same way, but about EVERYTHING and spend hours each day on the phone.  He always wanted SOMETHING for his perceived inconvenience, or asked the same question 10 different ways, hoping for the answer he wanted.

He was impatient too; if say he had ordered something or was waiting for a part for say his car, along those lines, if they told him it would be in in *about* three days, on the third morning, he'd be calling wanting to know if it had come in, and if not, why not.

And don't get me started on him waiting for callbacks.  he'd call a dr.'s office with a billing question (he seemed to have many of those) and would need to speak to someone right then and now.  he'd ask if someone esle could help him (usually not) and then would leave whoever a voicemail.  And would call back in a couple of hours if he hadn't received a call back from them.

Finally, and I don't know why it even took this long, he was let go.

If your old CW also threatened to sue various businesses for (gasp) daring to charge him for their products or services or also spent time talking to random government agencies to complain about being discriminated against because said businesses were "rude" to him (he's white) then yes, I've got him now. Please take him back.

[turtleIScream]

I'm about to cancel my gym membership and have been looking online to make sure I go about it the right way. Now, I see that some gyms do have some kind of money-squeezing racket going--but the glut of stories from people who complain they cancelled and then were charged for an additional thirty days, what a scam is crazy. It says right on the gym's Web site that you need to give them 30 days' notice (which is great actually, I thought it was 90.) Do they think you don't have to pay for those final 30 days?

I might give them a pass on this one, depending on the circumstances. We had a cell phone contract for two years. With one month left, we tried to find out what we needed to do to end the service. We absolutely could not cancel even one day before the end of contract without hefty fees, but we had to give 30 days notice of our intent to cancel, then our request would be processed within 2-4 weeks. So our 2 year contract was enforceable for 26 months, and there wasn't a darn thing we could do about it. If your gym pulls something similar, I totally understand customers' frustrations.

[siamesecat2965]

I just overheard my co-irker on another of his entertaining personal calls where he was berating a customer rep at his fitness gym for charging him for his membership dues. You see, he has a back injury and just had surgery and he can't go to the gym for the next year at least, but he wants to keep his membership, just not pay for it until he can go again. His dues are locked in at a particular rate because he signed his contract years ago and it isn't offered to new customers. From what I overheard (can't help it, really) they sound like they're being extremely generous by offering to cancel the remainder of the contract instead of holding him to it for the full amount. Sorry snowflake, you can keep your prime rate by continuing to pay the lower dues even if you aren't using the membership, or you can pay nothing by canceling the membership -- but you can't do both. It doesn't sound like he's going to accept their offer. I hope they just go ahead and cancel his membership and tell him to stuff it.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say my former CW Useless had taken up residence at YOUR job. He was the same way, but about EVERYTHING and spend hours each day on the phone.  He always wanted SOMETHING for his perceived inconvenience, or asked the same question 10 different ways, hoping for the answer he wanted.

He was impatient too; if say he had ordered something or was waiting for a part for say his car, along those lines, if they told him it would be in in *about* three days, on the third morning, he'd be calling wanting to know if it had come in, and if not, why not.

And don't get me started on him waiting for callbacks.  he'd call a dr.'s office with a billing question (he seemed to have many of those) and would need to speak to someone right then and now.  he'd ask if someone esle could help him (usually not) and then would leave whoever a voicemail.  And would call back in a couple of hours if he hadn't received a call back from them.

Finally, and I don't know why it even took this long, he was let go.

If your old CW also threatened to sue various businesses for (gasp) daring to charge him for their products or services or also spent time talking to random government agencies to complain about being discriminated against because said businesses were "rude" to him (he's white) then yes, I've got him now. Please take him back.

No, perhaps not Useless but maybe a cousin? And even if it was, my answer would be no, it took years to get him gone, and no one wants him back My one favorite was when he called a large national chain, to complain about his dishwasher.  Said chain had sold and installed the dishwasher, and according to Useless, who was the all-knowing about everything, it wasn't done correctly 2 or 3 years before, so it "sagged" and was out of balance.  And insisted it was an error in the installation. Repair said ok we'll send someone out, and take a look.  But that wasn't good enough. Useless insisted he was not paying for the service call, since he was SURE it was their fault.  Service said we will only charge you if its not our error, and not having seen it, how would they know that?  useless went around and around calling over nad over.  Still don't know what the outcome was.  He never talked about any of it, we only knew since he was so darn loud!

He'd also ask, upon calling for an appt for his car, how much it might be.  Mind you, the car hadn't even been looked at but maybe was making a noise, and he expecgted the mechanic to not only diagnose the problem based on the noise, but also know how much it would cost to fix! 

I don't miss him at all.

[EMuir]

Speaking of gym fees, my company has a deal with a local gym for our employees.  Basically the gym gives employees a reduced rate for a yearly membership and the company takes the monthly amount off our paycheques.  One of the high mucky mucks signed up for this in May.  It's now October and he hasn't even gone to the gym to register.  Now he wants a refund of the monthly fees he's been paying since May because he didn't actually go to the gym.  The sad part is that the benefit may be toast for all of us because he's insisting our HR department call the gym and ask them if they'll refund, even though our contract with the gym clearly states that it isn't possible.  Sigh.