As A Gift To Us, Please Go Away

(A customer waltzes up to our gelato counter at work and we start chatting. Then, he pulls a $10 gift certificate out of his wallet. People like this come into my work and try to bully me at the counter on a regular basis to get discounts or promotions by using my boss as an excuse. My boss recently told us that he’s had enough of it, and we have to follow policy.)

Customer: “How many gelatos can I get with this?”

Me: “Two. The total for two is $8.50 and I can’t give cash back. So, you could use it to pay for nearly three of them. There would be maybe a dollar or two left to pay.”

(The customer then pulls out a $5 gift certificate and adds it to the ten.)

Customer: “Then how about this: you use both of these and then write on the back of the $5 one that I have $2.50 left.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, I can’t give you cash back.”

Customer: “I’m not asking for cash back; I just want you to use the ten and the five, but not all of the five, and then I have a 2.50 credit to bring back.”

Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. Our policy is use it or lose it.”

Customer: *gets an angry look* “Excuse me?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but that’s what I’ve been told.”

Customer: *flustered and domineering* “Well, I know your boss and we have this deal because I teach his kids art lessons and he gives me these certificates in return.”

Me: “Well, I still can’t go against policy, sir. I’ve been told by my boss this is how it works. The only way I will do otherwise is if I am told otherwise by him.”

Customer: *gets very frustrated and ornery* “Well, I’m going to talk to my wife about this, and I’m going to call your boss and talk to him about his.”

Me: “That’s fine, but I still have to follow policy.”

(The customer then got very upset and started complaining to his wife, who took the logical approach and did exactly as suggested at first: use the $10 gift card and then pay the extra.  The extra leftover came to be $1.96. Not too bad when the total was $12.75 and the certificates take off tax as they’re used.)