Drop The Lines And Get In Line

I work as a cashier at an electronics store. On weekends, we basically have a skeleton crew of four to six people, so I often have to deal with customer questions until one of the tech guys or my manager is free. A man comes up to the cash with a printer.

Customer: “This has no price tag on the shelf.”

Me: “I’m sorry about that. I can scan it to check the price for you.”

He then makes everyone’s favorite joke.

Customer: “It has no price tag, so it must be free!”

I give him my customer service laugh and let him know that it’s about $400.

Customer: “But it’s actually free because there was no price tag.”

Me: “It doesn’t actually work like that.”

Customer: “You would change the price if it had the wrong price tag. It having no price tag is equivalent to it having a price tag of $0, so you need to honor your policy and give it to me for free.”

Me: “No, I can’t give you a printer for free. I can offer you this coupon I have for $50 off, though.”

Then, he started calling me an airhead and things like that and repeated everything, but in a much slower and louder tone like I was dense.

I called my manager who was busy with a customer. After a few minutes, my manager came over and confirmed what I had said.

The customer looked shocked, told us he was going to go to the police, called me some degrading name, and stormed off, shouting that he’d never shop here again. The following weekend, I cashed him out and would continue to see him in the store for the next few years I worked there.