Fuelling Their Anger

(A customer comes in with a gift card he won at a convention. While it is a card we take, it is generally used for diesel purchases and he has already pumped his gasoline. This conversation happens after I’ve tried running it several different ways and calling the card company.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, it looks like this card won’t run. Do you have another way to pay?”

Customer: “This is bulls***! Run it again!”

Me: “Sir, I’ve already tried every way I know to run it. I’ve called the issuing company and they couldn’t do anything, either. Are you sure it had money on it?”

Customer: “Of course it did! I just won it in a drawing! How long have you even worked here?!”

(This question happens a lot when customers get mad and try and bully any of the girls working. I’m generally pretty easygoing and soft-spoken, but this always gets me riled up.)

Me: *smiling* “Five years.”

Customer: “Oh… Well, fine, here’s the cash!”

(He threw his money on the counter. Unfortunately, he came back the next night. A truck driver stepped in and bought the card off of him before he could get too mad. I always wondered if he got ripped off!)