So I had a student come in yesterday. The conversation went a little something like this:

Him: {unintelligible due to foreign accent} Telus couldn't hook up phone {unintelligible}
Me: I'm sorry, I'm not understanding completely. You're saying Telus couldn't come hook up a phone in your room?
Him: Yes
Me: Ok, which res do you live in?
Him: res X
Me: Ok, that explains it. The phones in that res are run by the University. Did you want to get the phone hooked up?
Him: Yes. And then I'll have internet?
Me: Ok, hang on. You've applied for internet?
Him: Yes
Me: And you paid for internet?
Him: Yes
Me: Ok, then it should be set up, just plug your computer into the socket with the cable. So what you want now is to have a phone?
Him: Yes
Me: So you need to fill out X form and pay Y money.

He does it. Hands in the forms. Life is beautiful. He's going to have a phone for the remaining half month of the semester.

He comes back today. "I came in yesterday for my internet"

Me: Hang on, you said you had internet and you wanted phone
Him: No, I wanted internet
Me: No... you said Telus couldn't hook up your phone.
Him: No, I said internet
Me: I asked you if you had applied for internet. You said yes. I asked you if you had paid for internet. You said yes. You said you wanted a phone.
Him: Don't you dare try to blame this on me. _YOU_ gave me the wrong form and just weren't listening.

At this point I just stared.

Me: I'm not going to argue with you. I'm going to tell you how to fix it. We'll refund the hookup fee at the end of April. Fill in these two forms. This one is to cancel the phone application from yesterday, and this one is to get internet.

The first form he fills out, he cancels his internet instead of phone.

Granted, I know there were some language barriers there. I might not have been understanding him, he might not have been understanding me. But I did my best to find out what exactly he wanted and provide it to him. Especially the first time he came in. I even asked the coworker whose desk backs on to mine if I hadn't been clear the first time around (she had overheard the conversation the first time). She said that if it had gone on any longer she would have come out from behind her desk and confronted him as well - apparently I was as clear as could be, and after all my questions it was also her understanding that he wanted phone service.

So do you want to tell me why I feel this weird combination of pissed off, hurt, and ready to punch a brick wall?