Welcome to Customer Service; The Land of Inconsistencies

I watched Airline last night. There was a seemingly kind, gentle man who was a massage therapist. He of course traveled with his fold-up table, bringing relaxation and joy wherever he went. At his most recent visit to the airport, he was told that his table was too large, and would be charged an additional $45.00 to check it. He told the customer service woman that he had checked it many times before, with no additional fees. She said that it was policy, and that there was no way around it. Now, I have experienced this type of situation myself, and find them to be the ultimate irritant. Certainly, there will be the kind customer service rep who will allow you to sneak by, or allow a little latitude, cuz you are kind, with a fun sense of humor. Shoot, it has happened to me. Just over Christmas, our bag was a bit heavier than was appropriate, but the nice gentleman let it go anyway, with no add-on fees! Random acts of good customer service. But this man on Airline had gotten away with it 8 times. 8 times! These were not all random acts of good customer service, so why did he get by so many times? I do not know. This brings me to the fruit of the gripe. The inconsistencies in customer service are overwhelming. Banks, restaurants, airports, phone customer service lines...all of them change things around with each new employee. Aren't there rules to govern their actions? Is there really that much room for interpretation of their handbooks? For instance, I went to a bank to cash a check. It was not my bank, but the check was written from the bank, so there would be a charge. Another time, I went to the same bank, cashed one of their own checks, and no charge. A third time, I returned, and was again charged. I asked the teller, "Why am I being charged? I was not charged previously." She stated that this was an impossibility. Ok. Please, someone explain these anomalies! Then, when you question the actions of the customer service rep, you are being rude. The bottom line is that the rules should be followed. Certainly, there is room for the occasional "above and beyond" actions, but most of us are able to determine it is just that, and not something set in stone. The next time we use the service, and don't get the "above and beyond" actions, we can see that they are only following the rules.