I had a bizarre experience in Home Base (UK hardware and home improvement superstore chain) today. Both items I intended to buy were priced either incorrectly or very confusingly. But what was even worse was the attitude of the staff; "It's not our fault," was bleated several times, and when I put it to them that the display was confusing (�3.99 special offer for padlocks, but most of the items on the display had individual prices more than �3.99, and none were priced �3.99...) there was no response, I was simply ignored.

Anyway, this made me think of other amusing and less amusing experiences I have had as an in-store customer, in camera shops more specifically.

The first time I visited New York, back in the mid 1980s, I just had to visit the discount camera district. I went into one shop and asked to see a particular lens. The salesman duly found a box and opened it to show me the lens. I wasn't going to buy it, but thanked him and told him this. At this point he he went mad - locked the door and threatened to call the police. He was screaming at me! Fortunately, a colleague appeared quickly and defused the situation; clearly the salesman had mental issues. I nearly joined him!

A couple of years ago I was in a Jessops store and a salesman was chatting to a lady who wanted to know if it was possible to copy things onto a memory card when using a card reader. The salesman, who I have to say was very gentle, kindly, polite, and honest, admitted that he didn't know...

Just a couple of months ago, and yes it's Jessops again, I was on the look out for a 49mm traditional style rubber lens hood for an old second hand lens I had just bought. The store, which is their New Oxford Street flagship one in this case, had every size but 49mm. I asked for assistance but was told, nope, they didn't make them in that size any more. I realised this was a hopeless cause and left. Across the road at Jacobs I picked one straight off their wall display.

I even have stories from the other side of the counter. Back in the early 1980s I worked in camera shops for a couple of years, even managing a couple of stores. I can remember a young lad coming into the shop clutching a Canon AE-1 Program and asking if we were interested in buying it as his mother didn't need it any more. I asked the lad how long she'd had the camera. "Two years I think," he said. The AE-1 Program has only been on sale for about 3 months, so realising the camera was 'hot' I told him to hop it. A day later, my opposite number in one of our other stores gleefully told me about how he'd bought an AE-1 Program for a song off an awfully familiar sounding kid...

Finally, never judge a customer by their looks. It was a Saturday evening and we were already winding down the shutters, when a scruffy bloke came into the shop and asked to look at a Contax 139 SLR that was in the window. I was half an hour later leaving the shop that evening, but the scruffy gent bought the 139, several lenses, and a flash, and my takings were considerably boosted for the day!

Ian