A Cents-less Argument

(I used to work in a supermarket in Australia. Over here the lowest form of physical currency is a 5c piece. So if someone pays in cash, everything rounds up or down to the nearest 5c. In this story I had only been working at the place for a few months and a lady walked over to the register with just a few baby chilies.)

Me: “All right, your total comes to 17c.” *which rounds down to 15*

Customer: “That price is wrong.”

Me: “I’m sorry?”

Customer: “That’s not the right price per kilogram.”

(We check the price in the produce department and find she had been looking at the price for regular red chilies, which are cheaper than the hot baby chilies. By now one of my co-workers is with me helping me with the price check)

Coworker: “Okay, the cheaper price is for large chilies. This is the price for the baby chilies.”

Customer: “No, it said [price].”

Me: “No, you’ve read the wrong price. That’s for the large chilies.”

(My supervisor has noticed the commotion and comes over asking what’s going on. My coworker and I explain:)

Supervisor: “It’s too late to be dealing with this; I’ll just give it to her for that price.”

(Enters in a correction and walks away.)

Me: “Okay, so now your total is 13c.”

(I’m pretty confused at this point wondering why she went to so much trouble when if she’s paying cash, it would’ve come to 15c regardless seeing as thirteen rounds up to 15.)

Customer: “Well, since YOU were wrong, aren’t I supposed to get it for free?”

Me: “Okay, for starters; we’re not wrong. You were wrong and we’re just letting it go this time. So the scanning policy doesn’t apply.”

Coworker: “[Supervisor] is right; this isn’t worth the trouble. Just take the chilies!”

(Customer leaves.)

Me: “All that trouble for fifteen flipping cents.”