It Pays To Be Patient, Part 2

(A customer has just bought three books and has asked me to ship them as gifts. I haven’t done any shipping projects yet, and am unsure of what to charge, so I go downstairs and ask my boss about the price before returning to the customer. Note: A coworker has been standing at the register next to me during this exchange.)

Me: “So, the shipping for those books would be eight dollars for the regular postal service or twelve dollars UPS shipping.”

Customer: “Oh, I want to send them through the regular postal service, but to three separate addresses.”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, I misunderstood. Let me check with my boss if the prices would be any different, one moment.”

(I go downstairs to speak with my boss again, and come back with new prices.)

Me: “For three separate packages, that would be nine dollars.”

(The customer hands me one dollar.)

Me: “Oh… I’m sorry. That’s nine dollars for the shipping.”

Customer: “But you already took my money!”

Me: “Well, you already paid for the books, but I didn’t take any money for the shipping.”

Customer: “You have a very bad memory, young lady! I gave you ten dollars. You went to the register right there and rung in the money!”

(I look over at the register, which clearly displays the last transaction. It shows his total for the three books he bought.)

Me: “I’m sorry, but the register shows that the last thing I did on it was ring up your books.”

Customer: “Well! You just have a TERRIBLE memory! I already paid you!”

Me: “If you want, I can look on the register and show you the last transactions that were made, but—”

Customer: “CHECK.”

(I go through the old receipts, and of course, there is no receipt for any shipping. I ask my coworker if she saw me ring it up, since she’s been watching the entire time, and she says no.)

Me: “Sir, there is no receipt on the register. I promise you I did not take your money for anything but the books.”

Customer: “Well, you certainly took care of any future plans I had to do business here!”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that.”

(As we finish his transaction, the customer continues muttering under his breath the entire time. Once I put in his order, he suddenly stops muttering.)

Customer: *grudgingly* “…I’m going to have to apologize for giving you such a hard time, young lady.”

(I look over and see that he’s picked up the pile of objects he’d placed on the table during the transaction and, lo and behold, discovered the ten dollar bill he’d accused me of taking underneath. He left the store as quickly as possible and hasn’t been back since!)