A Mis-Reading Is Misleading

It is just after Easter, and a customer is buying four packets of chocolate eggs. The eggs are on pegs at the top of the shelf. There are some other leftover Easter products on the very bottom of the shelf. They are all BOGOF (buy one, get one free). There are three signs that state this on the very bottom of the shelf, where the BOGOF items are, in big letters. Also on the signs are the names of the products that are BOGOF. The eggs aren’t mentioned in this; therefore, it’s common sense to assume they are not part of it.

Customer: “Why have you charged me extra for these eggs? The signs say that they are buy-one-get-one-free!”

Me: “Oh, no, it’s not the eggs. It’s the chocolate on the bottom shelf, see?”

Customer: “It’s very misleading.”

Me: “I’m so sorry. Let me get the sign and check.”

Customer: *Huffs* “I don’t have time for this! I’m in a rush! I just told you that the signs are misleading! What are you going to do about this?”

Me: “Do you still want the eggs?”

Customer: “No. I’m not going to bother.”

Me: “Okay, give me one moment and I’ll take them off your transaction.”

Because we are short-staffed, I have been given the supervisor’s code and can do the voids myself. Because I’m not used to doing these, though, I am taking a while. The lady doesn’t like this one bit and starts acting a little strange.

Customer: “Why are you being so awkward? I know you’re doing this deliberately! You’ve tricked me into this. You’ve made the signs misleading on purpose, and now you’re deliberately keeping me here because you know I’m in a rush!”

Me: “I’m sorry you feel that way, ma’am.”

Customer: “Excuse me?”

Me: “I’m sorry.”

I carry on, not as quickly as I’d like, removing the eggs from her transaction. Since she picked four packs up, this means I have to remove four items.

Customer: “I just told you! I’m in a rush! You’re just being slow on purpose! You people always make the signs misleading just to trick me! I’ll just leave my money here, because this is ridiculous and I don’t have time for this!”

Me: “Do you need the receipt?”

Customer: “No.”

Me: “Okay, you can leave your money on the side. I am very sorry for the inconvenience.”

She then left the shop. It was quite bizarre. I just find it funny that she’d think that. I wasn’t till-based that day, and I had a lot of things to do on the shop floor. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck on the till. I wanted the transaction to run smoothly just like she did!