It finally happened...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've awaited for years has arrived, and we may celebrate the coming of the end of the world - someone has called me an @$$hole, and they meant it.

Last night at work, a woman and her boyfriend came in with a group of friends to see a flick in one of the Director's Halls. Now, the Director's Halls have reserved seating, which means you chose your seats in advance and sit where you are assigned. We are very strict about this. Saves us a LOT of trouble trying to move folks around when they come in late and find that some guy has decided to move into the seats they bought. Therefore, if folks in a group want to sit together, they have to buy seats in a row.

Apparently, this did not occur to this woman, who had seats for row K, and the rest of her friends had row D, all the way down front. She asked if she could sit down there anyway. I said no, if people came in with those seats they would have priority and she would have to move. If she wanted row D, she'd have to go back to the Customer Service desk and exchange them. She asked again, could she sit in D? I said no, and explained again why. She got testy, because the theatre wasn't that full. I explained, yet again, that she had to sit in the seats she chose - it was policy (and it was also common sense, I think). Without even saying a word, then, she starts walking away from me, up the stairs and to row K. I seat her friends, and then I see her and her boyfriend, coming down the stairs, walking out the door, and heading, presumably, the the desk to exchange their seats.

Later on, I find out that this same customer, in getting new tickets, made sure to tell a manager about what happened, saying that I was "being an @$$hole" about it. Nice. I never raised my voice, tried my best to be patient with her, and explain why the policy was the way it was, as well as a way to rectify the situation. I didn't get in trouble or anything - my manager knows me and respects my work, so she knows that I wouldn't get snippy with folks - but it still bugged me.

One bit of silver lining - right after that woman left, a group of 8 in a family arrived to see the same movie - taking up almost all the space in row D, RIGHT WHERE SHE WANTED TO SIT, and thus proving my point. Ah, irony can be so ironic sometimes.

(P.S. - Congratulations to the lovely and talented Abby for being my 300th visitor. For that, you recieve a grand prize, which consists of...um...this congratulations.)