Don't assume they know what they're doing

We have one of those Blockbuster by mail movie accounts and I've found that it's a pretty good fit. I make a long list of movies and television shows I want to watch and Blockbuster remembers it. Instead of walking slowly along the outer wall looking at every new movie and trying to decide if I'm in the mood, but maybe there's something better around the next side, I just get one in the mail from my list...well everyone knows how this works now. However with the Blockbuster account we get two trade-ins a month which mean quick turn-around on the next one in the mail and instant gratification when you hear about that wacky new movie. I've never had a Blockbuster rental card and I've managed to have Paul around when we've traded in movies before. This month I let a movie languish on the table for over three weeks because I never felt like I was in the "right" mood to watch it. I finally decided to trade it in yesterday. I picked something from the television isle and when I went to the counter to do the exchange I mentioned that I don't have an actual card, but the account is under Paul's name.

"That's okay, can I see your drivers license?"

I hand him the license.

"The account isn't under my name, but I'm listed as an authorized user on the account."

"That's okay," he said "What's your phone number?"

"509, wait, do you want my phone number or the number of the account might be under?"

It doesn't matter he says, so I give him the whole number.

"What's your address?" And I recite my address.

"Jim Patterson?"

"No..."

"Well, you've never rented anything here."

"Yes, I have,"

"It must have been more than a year ago."

What? No, "It was about two months ago. The account is under Villabrille," I know I mentioned this before.

"oh, yeah here it is."

After this whole thing, I just want my own card so I don't have to go through this exchange again and the guy walks across the store and does some typing on another computer, tears something off the printer under the counter and puts it in the little laminated sleeve. That's right, he printed me a new card on the dot matrix printer. Even the local bakery has plastic coffee cards. Blockbuster prints them out, and part of the text is even cut off on the top of the card. Classy.