Don't run away, I need help

July 17th 2010, Did you ever notice when you are in a store just browsing around you have more folks wanting to help you than you can possibly count. However, go into the store and really need help, you can search the store for 10 minutes and there is no one to be found. And when you do find someone and ask your questions they look at you like your must be speaking a different language then they understand.

While going through a well know hardware store yesterday, I was having trouble finding the correct replacement light bulbs for my fan above my cooktop. After chasing down the two men that ran like crazy when they saw me heading their way, and finally catching them, they said, "oh did you want something, can I help you?" As they are shaking their head no while asking me if I needed help. "No, I was chasing you because I was drawn to your charm, wit and brains", I thought to myself. "Let me catch my breath first", I replied. "Hi, I need to replace the bulbs on my fan, they look like this. Now they are looking at each other quizically, like as if to say, I have never seen anything like this. They scratch their heads, turn the bulb over and over and instead they say, did you look? "Oh yes, don't you remember seeing me looking, and then I looked your way and you ran like hell because you knew I was coming to ask for help?" Total blank look on their faces, and the little guy says, "oh no, we were going because we got a page". "oh really", I say, "both of you". "Never mind, can one of you please try and help me?" As we walk back over to where we came from, the one guy looks at me again and says, tell me exactly what you are looking for. He says this while he is holding the bulb I need replaced. At this point I, of course, start talking louder and slower, as if that will suddenly make him understand. Well, it must have worked because he says, "Oh, Oh I see, you want more bulbs just like these". Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner in aisle 8. With that, he walks right over to the bulbs, reaches to the top row, and hands me the package. Everything would have been fine if it could have just stopped there. But, oh no, he looks at me and says, "why didn't you say you wanted Utility Bulbs"? And I look at him and say...to myself, "you freaking idiot you had the bulb in your hand, you could look at it and see what I wanted you pea brain nimwit". But out loud all I say is "Oh silly me, I guess I did not know to call them utility bulbs. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me." And turn and walk away. My motto is to always kill them with kindness.

How hard can it be to help someone out, I mean after all you do work at the store, you do get to wear the apron, and you get the discount for Pete's sake, would it be such an inconvenience to actually work while you were there. Times have changed, or maybe I have changed, what ever the case, I will make sure to do my homework the next time I go to the hardware store, or maybe, better yet, I will go on-line and see if I can order that way.