Doesn’t Understand The Custom Part Of Customer, Part 10

(I work for a well known supermarket delivering groceries to customers at home. As delivery drivers we are given a fairly wide range of power when it comes to refunding customers. We can more or less give away stock at the door providing its worth no more than about £5. That means if I deliver some milk and you aren’t happy with the sell-by date printed on it, I may just give it to you for free. Some customers however seem to think I can push this to insane limits. Customers have asked me to refund and allow them to keep £20 worth of meat produce. But perhaps the most memorable one for me was a customer had ordered a large and expensive bottle of scotch — probably £70 shelf price. The customer found fault with the fact that the cardboard box it came in had been squashed slightly.)

Customer: “This really is unacceptable, I mean this was supposed to be a gift, and look at it.”

Me: “I understand completely; this is very disappointing. I’m sure. I can obviously refund this for you.”

(The customer gets a triumphant look in his eye.)

Me: “I just need to scan the item to issues the refund.”

(The customer hands the bottle over and I scan it and return it to my trays.)

Customer: “Oh, no! I want to keep it!”

Me: “Oh, okay. then let me just cancel that refund.”

Customer: “But I want my refund, too!”

Me: “I am very sorry, but I can’t do that for you. The cost of this item is far too high for me to give it to you for free.”

Customer: “NO! YOU HAVE TO LET ME KEEP IT! THE LAST DRIVER LET ME KEEP MY MILK!”

Me: “Yes, for low value items we have some leeway, but I simply can’t allow you to not pay for an item that costs over £60.”

Customer: “Oh! I can’t just keep anything I want and not pay?”

Me: “No, you can’t. That would be theft.”