Giving More Than His Two Cents
(A male customer buys nothing but a water and is checking out with me.)
Me: “Have a nice day!” *big smile*
Customer: “You too!”
(The customer leaves with no issue and is gone for perhaps a minute before he comes storming back in the exit door.)
Customer: “Did you charge me 5 cents for this water?” *waving receipt in the air*
Me: “The water itself is two dollars and then we have the deposit fee.”
(There is a 5-cent deposit on all beverages in my state. Period. You get it back when and if you recycle it at a machine that gives vouchers. It has been this way for as long as I can remember in my 22 years.)
Customer: “So you charged me 5 cents?!”
Me: “It’s not an extra five cents, Sir, there’s just a deposit.”
Customer: “I want my 5 cents back!”
Me: “I’m sorry, sir, it’s a state law. All beverages have a 5 cent deposit.”
Customer: “You can’t do that! It’s not displayed. I want my 5 cents back!”
Me: “Sir, I can’t give you a nickel, I’d be a nickel short in my till.”
Customer: “You need to give me my 5 cents back! It isn’t on a sign! You have to have a sign about it!”
Me: *shocked pause* “Let me call my manager… one second.”
(A new manager approaches and asks what the problem is. As the customer is obviously irate, he takes him back to his office to talk, something you really aren’t meant to do. When their meeting is finished, the customer storms out of the office.)
Manager: “I should have just given him the five cents. I think we just lost a customer.”
Me: “…I think we can survive losing that particular customer.”
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?