I work as an administrative assistant at a downtown insurance agency.  About 20 minutes ago, two middle-aged women and a little girl came into the office and one of the women asked me if I would fax a document for her.  She said she would also need a cover sheet.  I asked if she was our customer, she looked at me as if I had insulted her or something, and said no.  I politely explained that ours was a business fax, but that office stores such as Staples or Office Depot would fax items for the public for a small fee. 

She said angrily that ours was the third place she had come into looking for help, that they were from out of town and were here for a funeral, that these were papers the receiver needed before the day was out, etc.  I asked, “This is a long-distance fax, then?” and she looked at me hard and said, “Yes. It. Is.”  She made no offer to cover the long-distance charges.  She had a very unpleasant attitude, especially considering she was asking me to break rules to do a favor for her.    

But I gave her the requested cover sheet and said I would fax her doc, as I could tell she was in a pinch, and figured that what seemed like anger was probably frustration.  As she filled out the cover sheet she said, “I need a notary public, too.”  I told her that I am a notary, and that we charge $5.00 for that service for non-customers, which she agreed to pay.  I checked her ID, which was a U.S. government military ID.  I did not see any number other than her social security number, which I recorded along with her name as a record of transaction.  She watched me do that, and said, “You don’t need my full social security number, all you need are the last 4 numbers.”  She then picked up the record off my desk and crossed off all but the last four digits of her social.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  

I signed and stamped her document, and faxed it.  When I finished, they all sat down, apparently waiting to be sure the fax went through.  I reminded her of the $5.00 fee, and she looked at me blankly, as if I were insulting her.   The other woman opened her purse and got out a twenty, which she handed to me without a word. I gave her change and a receipt.  She gave me a curt thank you, which was the only thank you I received.

The first woman made a call on her cell phone, and told me the fax had not gone through, and I would need to do it again.  She said, “I don’t know if you did it right.  Sometimes people make mistakes.”  At this point I was getting testy, and I assured her I know how to send faxes on our machine, but I agreed out loud, “Sometimes people do make mistakes.”  I was not feeling friendly or helpful, and just wanted them to leave.  Apparently the fax went through, and they left, but on the way out the second woman handed me a hastily written note telling me how much I had disrespected her sister who had risked her life so I could sit at my job.  She finished the note with, “God bless your poor soul”.  I was treated rudely, did a favor anyway, and then got a virtual slap in the face for my efforts.  I have never seen such an attitude of entitlement and rudeness.  In spite of that, I don’t know whether to feel guilty, taken advantage of, angry, or amused.  I don’t have a question, just needed to vent.  Thanks for the opportunity.

Puzzled