So, I've been working 50 - 60 hour weeks on a big project, so I haven't been updating this, but here's another story from back in the day. This happened about 6 years ago. I was still at the mom-n-pop printshop in the shopping center. We had lots of one-time customers with people making copies, sending faxes, and ordering wedding/party invitations (a lucrative side-line we did). So, I was used to fielding calls from random people asking if we can/can't do something. We were the only print/copy shop on our side of town, so it happened a lot. One afternoon, about 3:00, this is what happened...
Me: XXXXXX Printing, how can I help you?
Young Girl: Uh, yeah... Like, can you, like... change something that's printed and print me a new copy?
Me: Well, I can scan it in and see what I can do, but I can't make any promises until I see what it is and you tell me what you need to have done, so why don't you bring it on down and I'll see what I can do for you.
Girl: Okay...
Half an hour later.... *door chime*
I popped out of my office and walked to the front reception area. The elderly guy was off that day, or maybe he was taking a nap in the back, I don't know... But anyway, I had to greet all visitors since there was no one in reception.
There were two very young teenagers in the front reception area. A pretty girl, and what was apparently her boyfriend. (Keep in mind, that at this point in my life, I was only 19, so I wasn't very far away from being in their shoes).
Me: Hi, are you the girl who called earlier?
Girl: Yeah....
Me: Okay, come on back to my office and let's see what you have.
She followed me back to my office. I sat down at my desk and pulled out a chair for her. She handed over a folded up piece of paper, and I unfolded it and laid it on my light box. The first thing that catches my attention is the watermark... oh, boy. Second, the raised seal at the bottom. Oh yeah, this is not going to work... The girl, seeing the expression on my face, starts babbling "Okay, I just need you to turn this, this, and this into A's or B's, it's just, I don't..."
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was her report card.
I sat in stunned silence for a few minutes, then I folded it back up and handed it to her. I gave her some speech about facing the music, told her I was only a couple years older than her, and how I understood what she was going through (I really didn't, I was a straight A-B student, but I was trying to be empathetic) and I sent her back home to face her parents.
Oh, but it doesn't end there. The entire front wall of our office is glass, so I can see out into the parking lot. She goes out the door with the boy, then stops & starts crying. Being the "tough guy" that only a spindly 5 foot nothing skinny white boy with a backwards baseball cap and 10x too-big jeans can be, he starts screaming towards our office "This is BULLSH*T!!!" flipping me off and generally making a fool out of himself. I was tempted to call the cops on him, but I decided that the girl had enough problems to deal with that day.
Shaking my head, I locked the front door just in case, and went back to my office to continue working on what I'd been doing before she walked in...
Me: XXXXXX Printing, how can I help you?
Young Girl: Uh, yeah... Like, can you, like... change something that's printed and print me a new copy?
Me: Well, I can scan it in and see what I can do, but I can't make any promises until I see what it is and you tell me what you need to have done, so why don't you bring it on down and I'll see what I can do for you.
Girl: Okay...
Half an hour later.... *door chime*
I popped out of my office and walked to the front reception area. The elderly guy was off that day, or maybe he was taking a nap in the back, I don't know... But anyway, I had to greet all visitors since there was no one in reception.
There were two very young teenagers in the front reception area. A pretty girl, and what was apparently her boyfriend. (Keep in mind, that at this point in my life, I was only 19, so I wasn't very far away from being in their shoes).
Me: Hi, are you the girl who called earlier?
Girl: Yeah....
Me: Okay, come on back to my office and let's see what you have.
She followed me back to my office. I sat down at my desk and pulled out a chair for her. She handed over a folded up piece of paper, and I unfolded it and laid it on my light box. The first thing that catches my attention is the watermark... oh, boy. Second, the raised seal at the bottom. Oh yeah, this is not going to work... The girl, seeing the expression on my face, starts babbling "Okay, I just need you to turn this, this, and this into A's or B's, it's just, I don't..."
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was her report card.
I sat in stunned silence for a few minutes, then I folded it back up and handed it to her. I gave her some speech about facing the music, told her I was only a couple years older than her, and how I understood what she was going through (I really didn't, I was a straight A-B student, but I was trying to be empathetic) and I sent her back home to face her parents.
Oh, but it doesn't end there. The entire front wall of our office is glass, so I can see out into the parking lot. She goes out the door with the boy, then stops & starts crying. Being the "tough guy" that only a spindly 5 foot nothing skinny white boy with a backwards baseball cap and 10x too-big jeans can be, he starts screaming towards our office "This is BULLSH*T!!!" flipping me off and generally making a fool out of himself. I was tempted to call the cops on him, but I decided that the girl had enough problems to deal with that day.
Shaking my head, I locked the front door just in case, and went back to my office to continue working on what I'd been doing before she walked in...
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