Lee was working at a major theme park one summer when a very popular ride had wait times between 90 - 120 minutes. Now, the people working the ride were not heartless, and they understood there was no way little kids were going to wait in a line that long without needing a snack or having to go to the bathroom. So, we worked off of a “one person in line can have up to two join them” when they got to the front of the line.
Lee was out working this incredibly long line one day when he heard a commotion up at the front of the line. He went up to see what was going on, and found a fellow staff member telling a yelling group of eighteen people that no, they couldn’t jump the line just because they had two people waiting in line for them. This was one of the younger staff members, and Lee could tell they were in over their head.
Lee hurried over and inserted himself between his co-worker and the Head Screamer and assumed the “customer service” stance. You know the one, hands clasped behind the back, feet planted about shoulder width apart, and making direct eye contact as he immediately asks why they thought it would be fair to have their huge group skip the line when everyone else has been waiting patiently. The Head Screamer starts going on about how they couldn’t spend all day in line with their family, and Lee holds up a hand and informs them that, because of the rule we have, we could let FOUR people from their group join the group of TWO that waited in the line. After listening to more arguing, including the phrase “Do you know how much we paid to be here?” Lee just sighed and responded, “Okay, at this point, you are being asked to leave this ride. Nobody from your group is getting on. Now, when you go complain about me up at customer service, make sure they know it’s the older Lee that’s working, because there are two other Lee’s here today, and I don’t want them pulled into this.”
Any further argument was drowned out by laughter and applause from all the park attendees who actually waited in line, and the party stormed off. After he made sure the party had indeed left, and the line was running smoothly once more, he went to the office for the ride and told the supervisor that he will probably be getting a call from customer service. After explaining what happened, the supervisor asked why he wasn’t notified as it was happening, and Lee explained there was no time to grab the phone or go get him because he was worried it would escalate to the point where security was called, and there would be a bigger mess with paperwork. Lee continued, reminding the supervisor that it was a customer service issue, and Lee had over ten years of experience in that field, and asked what the supervisor would have done differently.
“I wouldn’t have done anything differently, but I’m paid to put up with people like that. You’re not.”
Of course, he was right.
Oh, and the supervisor checked, there was never a complaint filed at customer service.
