One Plain Bagel
This conversation took place last week between me and a staff member at one of Canada's hot brown beverage purveyors.
I order the same thing every day: a large steeped tea with half a milk, and a plain bagel, toasted with butter. Every day. I am boring.
Occasionally they are out of plain bagels, so I'll sub in something else: either another bagel that I like (of which there are few) or a muffin.
While waiting in line, I noticed that the basket for plain bagels in the display case was empty. When I got up to the till, I asked, "Do you have plain bagels today?"
Without hesitating, the employee said, "Yes."
So I ordered my usual breakfast, paid, and stepped to the side.
Not a moment later, she came up to me and said, "Err, we don't have any plain bagels."
Figures. I said, "All right, do you have four cheese bagels?"
"Oh, yes," she said.
"I'll get one of those."
She disappeared, then immedately returned. "We do not have any four cheese bagels either." She then listed off what they did have... None of which I liked.
I ended up getting a muffin instead. But I've learned my lesson. Don't assume that they know why you're asking the question. I wasn't asking out of curiosity, "Do you guys sell plain bagels?" I wanted to know if they had them now, today, for me to order and eat immedately.
So going forward, if I notice the bagel basket is empty, I'll say, "I noticed you do not have plain bagels in the basket. Do you have any more?" and go from there.
Maybe that will be more clear.
This entry was originally posted at https://atara.dreamwidth.org/623750.html. Please leave any comments there.
I order the same thing every day: a large steeped tea with half a milk, and a plain bagel, toasted with butter. Every day. I am boring.
Occasionally they are out of plain bagels, so I'll sub in something else: either another bagel that I like (of which there are few) or a muffin.
While waiting in line, I noticed that the basket for plain bagels in the display case was empty. When I got up to the till, I asked, "Do you have plain bagels today?"
Without hesitating, the employee said, "Yes."
So I ordered my usual breakfast, paid, and stepped to the side.
Not a moment later, she came up to me and said, "Err, we don't have any plain bagels."
Figures. I said, "All right, do you have four cheese bagels?"
"Oh, yes," she said.
"I'll get one of those."
She disappeared, then immedately returned. "We do not have any four cheese bagels either." She then listed off what they did have... None of which I liked.
I ended up getting a muffin instead. But I've learned my lesson. Don't assume that they know why you're asking the question. I wasn't asking out of curiosity, "Do you guys sell plain bagels?" I wanted to know if they had them now, today, for me to order and eat immedately.
So going forward, if I notice the bagel basket is empty, I'll say, "I noticed you do not have plain bagels in the basket. Do you have any more?" and go from there.
Maybe that will be more clear.
This entry was originally posted at https://atara.dreamwidth.org/623750.html. Please leave any comments there.