And That’s How The Cookie Mathematically Crumbles

I work at a bakery that sells cookies either individually for a dollar each or by boxes of a dozen for $6. A customer comes up and picks out six cookies.

Me: “Would like to get a dozen? If you buy six, you basically get to pick out another six free.”

Customer: *Blinks at me* “Oh, you’re giving away free cookies?”

Me: “You get twice as many for no extra charge.”

He takes an obnoxious amount of time to select the other cookies, but eventually, I assemble his box. As I’m ringing him up, he notices the sign behind me advertising the deal. 

Customer: “Oh, that’s just what the box costs?”

Me: “What do you mean?”

Customer: “I thought you said I was getting the other six for free?”

Me: *Explaining the math* “It’s a basic bulk discount. Rather than paying full price, you get half-off.”

Customer: “But you’re not giving away free cookies? I thought you had some kind of deal going on, but that’s just the price of the box.”

Me: “Well, we are… except the deal is always on offer all the time.”

Customer: “Well, never mind, then. I don’t want it if it’s not special.”

He turned heel and walked off without another word. I ended up having to toss the box because he’d picked out some peanut butter cookies and we had to keep them from cross-contaminating.