May 2002
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NEWS

The Nite-Time Video-Store Blues
By Jenessa Rempel, Grade 12, Garden Valley Collegiate, Winkler, MB

It is early in my shift at the video store where I work. A customer walks in and drops off a movie. He puts it on the table instead of in the slot given. I can already tell that this customer will be trouble. Walking up to the counter, he asks where the movie "Zoolander" is located. I try to explain it to him, but after the second attempt, it seems like a lost cause so I go to show him.

Meanwhile, there are customers lined up at the counter waiting to be served.

The first one in line speaks too quietly when giving her phone number. After she has to repeat it twice, I notice that she does not have an account at the store, so we need to make one. This process takes only a couple of minutes, but there is a line and the other customers are getting grumpy...their cars are going and they have places to be.

Since I'm the only one working tonight, I have to make the lady's file before others can be served. The next customer in line has a late charge for "The Musketeer." He tells me that he did not rent it and should not have to pay for it. I explain that the charge has to be paid before anyone can rent again on that file. Next, he gets all upset and tells me that he knows my boss and that he went to school with him. He finally decides to go talk to my boss another time and storms out of the store.

A customer calls in, while I'm in the middle of this mess, wanting to know if we have available for rent tonight the movie "Don't Say A Word." I say we have a lot of copies in and there will definitely be one in when they come.

The next customer rents a movie, then tells me that she needs to quickly run to her car to get her purse. This slows down everyone else in the line.

The line is finally shrinking and I can breathe again.

More customers come and go, but the first customer I served is still looking confused. He comes up to the front desk and, once again, he asks for assistance. I go through the usual procedure. All of a sudden, I realize that the man has brought up the video case instead of the actual movie. Frustration begins to settle in for both of us, so I go get the movie for him.

He finally leaves and another customer comes in. He says he has a movie reserved. I take his phone number and name and check to see which movie he has reserved. There is none listed. It turns out that he had called in earlier in the week, but had not actually asked to reserve the movie. Now it is not available. He gives me an evil look and stomps away.

I look at the clock. It's going to be a tough shift...and it's only just beginning.

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