Her Brain Has Expired

(I am a cashier at a large store. We frequently have issues with coupons being misused for fraud and illegal gains, so I’ve learned to really check to make sure they are right. I’ve worked at this store for two years doing this. A customer hands over a coupon. I inspect it and realize it is for a product she does not have, and one we do not even carry in our store.)

Me: “I’m sorry, this is for the lotion, not the lip balm. See, it has a picture of the lotion and says, ‘Try our lotion.'”

Customer: “No, you don’t understand. If you don’t do this often it can be confusing, but you can use this for any of their products.”

Me: “It says this is for the lotion. Also, the coupon is six months expired.”

Customer: “No, you aren’t doing it right; you don’t understand. I know it can be confusing but you don’t know how it works; it can be used for anything.”

Me: “Sorry, but I can’t use this.”

(Understandably, we cannot take expired coupons because the manufacturer will not pay us back for them.)

Customer: “Well, I mean, okay, if you don’t know that’s just too bad that I have to go through this because you don’t know what you’re doing.”

(The customer doesn’t say she does not want the item, so I complete her transaction. She sits at my register staring at her receipt for a good minute and a half before she speaks up.)

Customer: “I don’t want this item since you didn’t use my coupon; do I need to return it here or over at that desk?”

(I returned the item there. She proceeded to stand at the next check lane carefully inspecting her receipt for another five minutes. This customer walked away thinking I was an idiot who “doesn’t know how coupons work” because I wouldn’t take an expired coupon for the wrong product.)