Vermont Service

So there are many reasons to live in Vermont, over the last 10 years I have come to realize service is not one of them.  Need an item at the store like a lamp?  Well, if it is not a box store the hours are most likely Tues.-Wed. 10AM to 1PM. When you try to actually ask about the item, the staff most likely will treat you like you are imposing on them.  For some reason, people with unexplained sources of income come to VT and open retail outlets or restaurants and then run them like they don't intend to make any money from them. Last night I ran into the perfect example.  These are the details and I swear I am not embellishing at all.

I went into Tina's Interiors on Church Street at 5:15PM.  Keep in mind it was a Tuesday and this is the week before Christmas.  I enter the store and a woman who can't be bothered to look up from her paper work asks if she can help me.  To be fair I knew what I wanted and told her maybe in a minute I was double checking on the rug I cam to buy.  I was a little brusque.  So I get my confirm at 5:21PM... it is on my phone and time stamped.  I walk to the counter and tell the woman I want to buy a rug.

Counter Woman: Are you parked out front?
Me: Why?
CW: Well, we are about to close.
Me: It is not even 5:30?
CW: Well, sometimes it takes awhile to get the rug out and into the car.

I stand there in silence for a minute thinking about how absurd this is.

Me: I don't mean to be a jerk but do you often tell a customer that asks to buy a rug no questions asked that you are about to close?

Thinking to myself I can't believe they do enough business to throw away an easy guaranteed sale for a few hundred bucks.  CW #1 continues to do paper work and barely acknowledge my question.

CW#2: Well, not usually but we are getting ready to close and it takes time to get the rug out.

I am shocked. They are trying to close early, in the middle of the week, and it is literally the top shopping week of the year.  Is this a drug front?  Did they sell 35 rugs earlier in the day and meet their quota?  Is this place owned by Bill Gates?

I tell them to hold the rug and storm out cursing under my breath and noticing several other stores closed the week before Christmas at 5:30PM.  No wonder there is so much turnover on Church Street, these stores are run by morons.  Except Outdoor Gear Exchange which was open, well staffed, and ready to take my money!!!