I had to go to Ikea today. I was there a few weeks ago to get a new slip cover for my couch. When I got home (it’s 1 1/2 hours away), I found a hole in the cover. So, fine, I have to go all the way back there.
Anway, the returns desk is in this huge warehouse-like room that has several work stations - a place to pick stuff up, a place to order a delivery, an information desk, etc. It’s 11:00 on a Tuesday morning and I’m the only person in there not wearing an Ikea badge. I go up to the returns counter and the woman, without looking at me, presses the little button to make the number-to-be-served sign advance a number. Then she calls out, “72…72…” I just stand there and look at her.
She finally looks at me and says, “You have to take a number.”
I reply, “You’ve got to be kidding - I’m the only person here!” but she breaks eye contact and just ignores me. So, I have to traipse to the other side of the room (where you enter) and get my little number 72 so that I can hand it to her.
Unbelievable. It was like a sit-com.
Anyway, I hate the whole take-a-number thing. It’s especially bad at places that you only have to take a number if there’s crowd, like my local bakery. Sometimes I’ll walk up to the counter and there’s one other person there, being served. What do you do? Take a number? It’s seems sort of stupid when you’re obviously the only other person there, but if you don’t, it’s inevitable that sixteen people will walk in at the same time and grab numbers, leaving you to go last. Bah. I wish they just said, “Next!” and everyone was polite enough to go by the honor system.