Unfiltered Story #194467

Unlike most brick-and-mortar businesses, optical has three busy seasons: tax return time, back-to-school time, and the last week of December. People with insurances and flex benefits want to take advantage of them before they expire at the end of the year. What transpires next is a common interaction I would have in early January:
Patient: “Can you put the expense toward my [insurance/flex benefits/HSA]?”
Me: (after checking their benefits) “I’m sorry Mr. Customer, it looks like those expired at the end of last year.”
Patient: (after giving me a laundry list of excuses why they couldn’t come in the year before) “Well, just backdate the order to last year.”
Me: (loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear) “THAT would be FRAUD! Are you asking me to COMMIT FRAUD for you?”
Inevitably, the patient would look embarrassed, and sheepishly agree to pay. Never once have I gotten in trouble for this, and I’ve used the line dozens of times.