When my lbs was being refurbished I was forced to venture into my local Halfords to see if they could chase out a bb thread :?
The not so youthfull mechanic looked at me in a confused way before saying he'd check with his manager whether they had the correct tool :roll:
He walked into the back of the workshop and hid behind a door for five minutes picking his nose, then he noticed I was looking straight at his reflection in a display cabinet opposite him
I told a work experience boy to go to coopers (diy) and ask for a long weight 20 mins he stood there and then asked where his long weight was and the assistant said "you have just had it" and the whole checkout staff laughed character building I say (he is now in prison )
A few years back, before mobile phones, we sent an apprentice off to get some skirting ladders.
Half an hour later he was back
"6inch or 12inch?"
"8inch!" so off he went again.
Another half hour...
"They've only got 9inch".
"Are they extending?"
Another half hour...
"No , they're not extending"
"do they have any extending? Extending would be good."
....
"They only have extending in 10inch"
And on....
And on...
at my mates engineering firm they have pots of elbow grease, long weights, and spirit level bubbles, in the store for the slightly more with it apprentices!