Arguing About The Clock Until You’re Off It

(I’m a cashier at a big-box hobby type store where we also sell home decor items, as decorating is apparently a hobby. The store I work for has weekly sales in home decor where specific groups of items are 50% off. While we are a large national chain, we do not scan any items in and instead hand-key every item and apply discounts to sale items as needed. Because of this, and because I have been with the company for a few years now, I have all the sales memorized as they are on a rotating schedule. Being a cashier, I am no stranger to crazy experiences, but this one left me speechless. It’s five minutes before my shift ends and an older woman, her adult daughter, and her young granddaughter decide my line is the best to come through. They have four carts that are absolutely full of items from our home decor section, and most of the items they have chosen to purchase that day happen to not be on sale. I’m ringing through the items when I get to a huge wall clock that is fairly pricey; it is also not on sale.)

Customer: “No, that clock is supposed to be on sale this week! I need you to give me half off for it.”

Me: “Well, ma’am, it was actually on sale last week, so maybe there is a chance one of the signs was left up from last week. Let me call my department head, and if the sign was left up from last week I will be more than happy to give you the discount as that was our error.”

(The department head informs me that there is a sign on the end of where the clocks are, but it is not for the clocks and it does not say anything about clocks on it.)

Me: “Ma’am, my department head has let me know that the sign you saw is actually for the items on display on the end cap and not for the clocks. If you would like, I can take the clock off the ticket for you.”

Customer: *almost yelling at me* “No, I want this clock! But you still need to give me the half-off discount. It’s not like I actually read the sign. I just saw the sign said 50% off, so I figured that it was for the clocks.”

Me: “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but as the sign does not actually say clocks on it, I cannot give you the discount for the clock.”

Customer: “Well, that’s just stupid, I don’t understand why I can’t just get the discount. It’s not my fault I didn’t actually read the sign. I just saw it near the clocks, so it had to be for the clocks.”

(I’m a little thrown. I’ve had this type of misunderstanding happen before, but normally, once I explain to customers about what the sign actually says, they understand. Luckily, before I say something I regret, the customer’s daughter decides to speak up.)

Daughter: “Mother, what is your problem? You’re making yourself look like a fool. Now, either get the clock or don’t, but let this nice lady do her job. It’s your fault you didn’t read the d*** thing, not hers.”

(I smiled and mouthed, “Thank you,” to the daughter and finished out the transactions they all had, with no more incidents as the daughter had decided to take over for the mother. The daughter continued to tell me how nice and courteous I was. By the time I was done ringing up all four carts, they had spent in excess of $2000 and it was 20 minutes past time for me to clock out.)