Yeah, that reminds me of a time I was at this roadside diner and totally blanked on what to say to the cashier. Ended up mumbling something about the weather turning my brain to mush. She laughed and said her shift had been the same, and we just started chatting about dumb small talk fails. Now whenever I'm there we give each other a nod like we're in on the same joke. Those little connections from awkward starts really stick with you.

Last summer, a customer brought back a blender with a blade missing and said it was like that. I get what @dylan_patel means about feeling slimy. Arguing just makes a big mess, so you go along with it. This happens all the time, and you start to feel like you're helping people cheat. The bosses want us to keep customers happy, even when they're wrong. It turns the job into just smiling and taking the loss.

Remember a line that isn't straight will throw the whole balance off over time. Kind of like a bent frame on a car, it just stresses everything else connected to it. He probably kept it out of sentiment, but that doesn't mean it was ever a good idea. Might be worth suggesting he gets a proper, straight one now.

Tweak your recipe for the local flour. It's usually not the flour's fault.