Unfiltered Story #142780

I’m a night time manager at the local grocery store but on this particular day I am working a morning shift in the customer service desk.
A few months ago, the lottery changed its system around so that no tickets can be cancelled. Because of this, I will have the customer fill in a bubble sheet with their numbers instead of punching them in. If they refuse, I tell them that they are responsible for, and must buy, any mistakes that are made.
We have multiple signs posted stating this.
At this point in time, it’s around 11 am. The lottery machine switches to the next day automatically at 2 pm.
An older lady walks up to me and hands me a piece of paper with ten sets of numbers on it.
Lady: I want those for tomorrow night.
Me: If you want all these numbers, you’ll have to fill out sheet for each set. Tickets can no longer be cancelled so if I were to mess a ticket up, you would be responsible for paying for it.
I point to the multiple signs surrounding her head as I say my speech.
Lady: Yeah, yeah. I see the signs. Just type them in.
Me: okay but just to give you fair warning, you are responsible for any mistakes.
Lady: Yeah, that’s fine.
I start to type in the numbers, being careful to make sure the numbers are correct. After I’m done with all the sets, I tell her the total, which is $12, and hand her back the piece of paper. She hands me another piece of paper with another twelve sets of numbers on it.
Lady: I want those for tomorrow night, too. I hand me those other tickets so they don’t get mixed up.
I take the piece of paper and hand her the first set of tickets. I start to type in the second set of numbers and am about 2 or 3 into the list when she starts flipping out.
Lady: STOP! I said I wanted these for TOMORROW NIGHT. TO-MOR-ROW!
As she’s screaming, she’s shaking the tickets in my face. I take them back and sure enough, I forgot to hit the tomorrow button, most likely because I’m used to it going there automatically and because I’m a little bit tired from closing the night before.
Me: I’m sorry that I messed those up. I can reprint them for tomorrow night but, as I pointed out, you would be responsible for any mistakes made. So you’ll still have to buy these tickets.
Lady: WHAT!?! I have to pay for YOUR mistakes? That’s f#&$ing ridiculous! Let me speak to your manager!
I’m sort of shocked that she went sour so fast so I call my manager down. The office is directly behind the service counter so my manager was able to hear everything up to this point.
Manager: What seems to be the problem?
Lady: SHE (pointing at me) messed up my tickets.
She starts shaking the tickets in my managers face.
Lady: I wanted these for TOMORROW night and SHE played them for TONIGHT.
My manager takes the tickets if only to stop her from shaking them in her face.
Manager: I understand that she made a mistake but, as she said before she punched them in, we can’t cancel tickets. And since you refused to fill out a bubble sheet, you are responsible for paying for these tickets.
Lady: (screaming at us) That’s ridiculous. Why should I have to pay when it’s her fault?!? She should have to pay.
Manager: First off, we’re not going to be blaming anyone. And secondly, I heard her say to you before she started that you would have to buy any mistakes.
At this time, I realize someone has walked up behind me. I turn around and see a man standing there. He doesn’t work at the store so I asked him if I could help him. He said he was waiting for my manager so I turn back around to try to deal with the lotto lady.
The lady, apparently fed up with all of us, finally gave in. She threw the first piece of paper with the ten sets of numbers at me and says, sounding out each syllable: I want THOSE FOR TOMORROW NIGHT.
I re type all the numbers in, making sure that they are for tomorrow night, then finish typing the numbers on the second piece of paper. I tell her the total, which is now $34.
Lady: I can’t believe I have to pay an extra thirty dollars because of you. I’m never coming back here again! I’m calling lottery and complaining. I’m calling Tom Wolf!
I hand her her tickets and change.
Me: Have a wonderful day, ma’am!
She looks at me like I insulted her grandmother and storms away. I turn around and my manager is smiling.
Me: Hey, I warned her.
My manager then sees the man who was waiting for her, who turned out to be our lottery representative.
Manager: She wanted to call lotto and complain? I should have told her you were here. I bet she would have shut right up.
Lotto rep: I don’t want her yelling at me! And I heard her (me) telling her she couldn’t cancel tickets. It’s not our fault she wouldn’t listen.