Source
r/TalesFromRetail•
Macatron

I need some Garden Pea sized bearings.

Short

Obligatory mobile format apology.

I work in a Cycle shop and we get some pretty daft questions from customers. In short, due to the amount of different types of bikes pretty much nothing is the same size. The same is true for ball bearings.

Anyway, this customer walks in. I don't know how I can tell but I knew that this was going to be good just from looking at him. The conversation went like this:

Customer: I need some loose bearings for my bike. Me: What size do you need? C: Errr... I don't know the exact measurement but they're Garden Pea sized. M: (jokingly) Ahh! The vegetable scale. Do you have a bearing with you that I can measure or can you tell me exactly where on your bike it's from? C: No, it's just standard Garden Pea size. Don't you have any of those? M: It is hard to tell the difference as they are all really close to each other but one that's the wrong size won't work.

The customer then pulls another very helpful Garden Pea size standard that I wasn't listening to because I've tried twice very simply to help but at this point I get a bit blunt. I pull out my draw of loose bearings with about 20 sizes all separeted.

M: As you can see, they start off really small Garden Pea size and increase by .5mm up to big Garden Pea size. If you can't recognise it, it's best to bring one in so we can measure it.

The customer agreed and left, probably to annoy another bike shop.

Posted Jul 24, 2016, 7:16 PM UTC

78861
GettingPaidRightNow•

To another bike shop... or his local garden center. Because damn it, it's a standard garden pea sized bearing!

148
mattinx•

Or grocery store?

9
ScottSierra•

Reminds me of the old joke where a guy sees another person sit down across from him on a bus, and he's holding his hands out flat, palms toward each other, fairly rigidly. He asks, "Are you going to the hospital? What kind of injury causes that?" The other man replies, "No, no, I'm going to the hardware store. I need a piece of pipe this long."

People really, really don't grasp what precision is about.

132
ferthur•

There's accuracy and there's precision, people like that want it accurate (it's the correct type of material, and about the right length), but they forget about the precision (correct length and diameter, etc...).

27
ScottSierra•

Well-put.

3
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
BobT21•

Similar story re: bra size.

10
rlaxton•

I think that with any pea sized boobs that the bra would be optional...

13
ScottSierra•

I can imagine employees deal with that all the time. I've read a story in the past where a woman, even after being measured, insisted the pro was wrong, yet the size she insisted on still didn't fit.

6
panthera213•

This is my friend. I took her with me to a specialty store to get fitted and she was so mad at what the woman told her. "She's crazy. She says I'm a <smaller band size> B cup. I am so clearly a <larger band size> A cup. I'm going back to <cheap ass lingerie store where they try to fit everyone into their 4 sizes>"

12
ScottSierra•

Have fun being uncomfortable!

6
catlover979•

(to your friend)

Yeahhhh, that's not how bra sizes work.

1
MacatronOP•

It's easy to tell when someone hasn't measured the original... they describe it as "standard". As usual one is a standard inner tube or standard tyre.

5
ScottSierra•

I'd probably reply, "there is no standard in (whatever item they're asking about)," but it might not do much good.

2
LokiKamiSama•

I love dumb questions like this. Recently someone asked me if we had a flat black paint with an eggshell finish.

52
messedupmayhem•

Ah, darn it, sir. Looks like we're all out of flat black. We've got jaw-breaker layers that come in various geometric shapes, tho.

14
zehamberglar•

As someone who knows fuck all about paint, what's wrong with this question?

1
sithrebel15•

Both eggshell and flat are finishes. Eggshell being shinier than flat.

10
LokiKamiSama•

Paint has different sheens (how shiny it appears). There is flat/matte (which has no sheen), eggshell (which has a little bit of a sheen, like an actual eggshell), satin (even though it shares the same name as a fabric, it is a little less shiny than it, think more the sheen of silk), semi-gloss (this is usually the sheen for trim, baseboards and doors, it makes it easier to clean), and finally high gloss (think how shiny a piece of glass is when the light hits it). Each base is finite. You can't make a satin base into a semi-gloss paint. There is a few brands of paint that has a satin/eggshell finish, but nothing can be flat and eggshell at the same time.

Paint also comes in different bases in addition to being in different sheens. They are white/base 1, medium/base 2 and deep/base 3 (and in the past there has even been a base 4, which I think has been discontinued). Each base has a finite amount of tint that can be added. The more tint that is added, the thinner the paint (it's why it's more difficult to put a dark color, like red, over a white wall than light colors, like cream, and why grey tinted primers are required). If too much tint is added, the paint will never dry. Tint stays forever tacky.

8
CaedaV•

Disclaimer: I am not a paint expert nor do I frequently use paint.

Eggshell is a color, and "flat black" would be a black colored paint with a non shiny finish (I.e. a "flat" finish) to the best of my knowledge.

Edit: I don't understand why I'm being down voted, all I did was state that both eggshell and flat are finishes, which is factually correct...

Edit 2: I just realized I stated that eggshell is a color. I am a dumbass.

-5†
Oldskullgamer•

Atleast you were honest about NOT being a paint expert. After reading your comment, I agree with you 110% Definitely no expert lol

6
Mewshimyo•

Eggshell is a finish/gloss. As is flat. Guy wanted it be both.

2
zehamberglar•

See, I think the customer just meant he wanted the paint to have an eggshell texture, and that doesn't seem that crazy. He was basically asking for that blackboard paint.

I actually can't stand when people go on reddit and complain that customers don't use the exact jargon of their field and instead just use the words they know. And that's what seems like is happening here.

-1†
CaedaV•

Yeah, I can see how it could be interpreted that way. But I can also see how it would be mildly irritating for an employee if someone came up and asked for something contradictory like that, which I assume happens nauseatingly often in the paint business. Not something that's that bad every once in a while, but on a daily basis could wear on you.

0†
chainsawmissus•

I don't know why some people think adding the words "common", "standard", "simple", or "regular" to whatever part they want is going to magically make the correct part appear in from of them.

I once spent 10 minutes arguing with some kid about whether I had a simple, common throttle cable about this long for his lawn mower before I did the same thing you did. I had cables from 8" inches to 22" with all kinds of ends for small garden equipment. Dumped them on the table and asked him to point out the common one.

None of them of course. We didn't even carry lawn mower parts.

41
TheChronographer•

"Regular" - meaning the size they always have had or always needed/wanted. The size they are very familiar with and therefore everyone else should be too because they are the most important person in the world. Clearly.

21
angiehawkeye•

Like the people who order a regular coffee but don't specify size...we have 3 sizes...

2
TheChronographer•

Well, if you have three sizes I would assume: small, regular, large. But if you ever dare assume wrong then someone is going to complain loudly.

9
SasoDuckCan't you look me up in The System?•

Someone is going to complain loudly regardless.

2
bettiebombtick tock•

oh yes there will be complaining. I've heard regular (referring to coffee) to mean not decaf, or plain, or regular (med) sized. So you can infer lots of things when they just order a regular coffee. Then you're the idiot who needs to ask questions to clarify instead of reading their mind.

1
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
pbsbqtf•

I've come to learn "standard" really means "oh god I hope this is standardised"...

7
MacatronOP•

Yes. We get those four words all the time.

3
showmeurknuckleball•

I just picture that guy coming back to the shop with a garden pea rather than a ball bearing.

Here!

24
KaraWolf•

I thought he might have one of the garden peas he was talking about in his pocket. Was waiting for him to pull it out lol

2
Sanprofe•

Pfft, his loss. Peppercorn is clearly a superior standard. His bike must be some garbage asian knock-off if it uses Garden Pea.

20
loonatic112358•

Well they did at least use peas in their request

9
capn_kwick•

He wanted loose ball bearings? If he has missing (or worn) ball bearings he has a bigger problem than just some missing ball bearings.

7
ed1380•

He's also missing a couple screws

13
porkfish66•

I can picture him at the next shop now. "The idiot at the other bike shop didn't even know what a garden pea looks like!"

7
ArcherMorriganThe problem is between your ears sir.•

Damn you handled that well retail worker applause

4
MacatronOP•

Thank you! I lose my patience with these people and bring my brand of sarcastic niceness.

3
sandtrooper73I have naturally curly hair•

Have you tried just using a standard garden pea as a spacer, sir?

3
DragonDeaditeThey are NOT all the same!•

I pull out my draw of loose bearings with about 20 sizes all separeted.

I love doing this to my customers whenever they say "They're all the same!" Yeah... no...

3
Theoneguynamednick•

Yeah man I work in a very popular athletic shoe store and people will always come in saying "they're black and white shoes! And the sole is a little thick and there really comfy!" Like most other running shoes??? Sometimes I can help them if they can describe it a little more.

2
ItsJustJossNo, we do not accept EBT•

You know...its got that little mark on the side...the curvy swooshy one!

4
Theoneguynamednick•

Exactly hahaha. It's technically a swoosh and not a check so good job on that!

1
windwoker•

It's actually a symbol of Hermes and his winged shoes.

Nike actually uses the symbol of the Goddess Nike. Hermes shoes are the goodyear symbol: my bad.

1
angel_of_afterlife•

Not if we're talking about Nike's it's not. The brand is named for Nike, goddess of victory. Nothing to do with Hermes.

1
SasoDuckCan't you look me up in The System?•

Hey OP, unrelated question but did you know much or anything about bikes prior to working at you bike shop? There's a few bike shops around town I've considered applying to but wasn't sure if prior knowledge was mandatory.

2
MacatronOP•

I was always keen on my bikes and knew a fair bit about them. I dropped my CV in with my experience and a little personal statement about bikes. Bike knowledge is useful but the ability to learn and being open to be taught is more important. I'd rather have someone who is keen on bikes, can/would like to learn about them but more importantly someone you could take to a bar and get along with than an expert who is a complete wanker.

5
Amphigorey•

I used to work at a fabric store. The following exchange happened frequently:

Customer: "Can you help me figure out how much fabric I need to buy? I'm making curtains."

Me: "Sure! What are the dimensions of your windows?"

Customer: "You know... they're window-sized."

2
proudsikh•

I'm assuming it took great patience to not look at the customer like -_____- or to be like "yeah let me get right on that "window-sized" fabric scale.

2
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
ItsJustJossNo, we do not accept EBT•

What kind of incompetent fool are you!? Don't you know the Vegetable scale!? Clearly you are unfit for your position! /s

1
PurpleWomat•

I wanted the ending to be: "The customer agreed and left, and returned the next day with a garden pea."

1
MacatronOP•

Unfortunately it has been a month since he came in and I'm starting to think he's not coming back.

1
ChackoM•

It would be amazing if someone (you or the guy) brought a actual Garden Pea and measured with that

1