20% Discount, 100% Understanding

(This grocery store is running a small promotion in which you can get a flyer from a newspaper with sale stickers — 20%, 10%, and 5% off — and you are free to apply them to anything you buy. The young woman in front of me has apparently collected a few of these flyers and covered her whole weekly shop in the stickers.)

Cashier: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s been a policy change; we’re only allowed one 20% sticker per transaction, five 10% stickers, and as many 5% stickers as you want.”

Woman: “Oh, God. I think most of this is 20% and 10%. Let’s sort through it.”

(The woman and cashier try to figure out how to best scan all the items with the stickers while I’m unloading my cart.)

Woman: “Would it be all right to just break it all up into separate transactions for each 20% sticker I have, and then add as many 10% as we can?”

Cashier: “Sure, we could do that.”

(Figuring this out takes a while, and adding to it, the woman pays with a credit card, which means an entire new receipt to sign every time.)

Cashier: *to me* “I’m sorry for the wait. I can call to open another line if you want.”

Me: “It’s fine. There’s no one behind me, and I’ve got all the time in the world today.”

Woman: *while paying for her last transaction* “I’m so sorry, really, but I don’t think I could’ve afforded all this without the reductions.”

Me: “Trust me, I understand. You’re buying diapers, baby food, and staple food items. It’d be ridiculous not to use as many coupons as you can to stock up! I would’ve done just the same. And as I said, I’ve got time to wait today, so I don’t mind.”

Woman: “Thank you for understanding! Actually, I still have one 10% sticker and a few 5% left. Would you like them?”

Me: “You bet I do!”

(The cashier had a good laugh about it and was obviously glad I didn’t get angry, and I got a few of my more pricey items reduced. I considered it a win for all of us.)