Getting The Right Sandwich Doesn’t Require A Brain Surgeon

I’m waiting for my lunch in the hospital cafeteria when a man wearing hospital scrubs comes up to the till nearby. These scrubs are typically reserved for people who work in autopsy or in surgery — and I know he doesn’t work in autopsy, because I do.

Customer: “Excuse me, I’ve received the wrong sandwich. I ordered a Denver sandwich.”

Staff: *Looks at the sandwich* “That is a Denver sandwich?”

Customer: “Oh, right, I meant I ordered a Denver sandwich but I wanted a Reuben.”

Staff: “Okay, so you’d like to order a Reuben sandwich?”

Customer: “No, I don’t want to get charged twice. I just want to switch the sandwiches.”

Staff: “So… You want to return the Denver and exchange it for a different sandwich?”

Customer: “Yes, is that okay?”

The staff member stares blankly for a moment at the man’s inability to recognize what is wrong here.

Staff: “I’ll have to talk to my manager about it. It was your mistake so we’re supposed to charge you for a new order.

Customer: “No, I know I made a mistake, but I don’t want to pay twice. Can’t you make me a new sandwich and just take this one?”

At that point, the manager stepped in.

After being brought up to speed, she sighed and said they would do it just this one time. The man didn’t seem to understand at all what the issue was. I was mostly amused that someone who makes a decent salary was so against the idea of paying for his own mistake when it was such an affordable one and shocked that he clearly didn’t see any issue with what he did.