No Dress Is Worth This Price

(It’s a few weeks until Christmas. I work for a small concession on the women’s clothing floor in an upmarket department store. A man holding a very large, rather hideous, full-length formal gown stops me.)

Customer: “I don’t know my partner’s size, so if it’s the wrong size, or she doesn’t like it, what can she do? But I don’t want her to know how much I spent.”

Me: “Okay, you can get a gift receipt when you purchase the dress. That way she won’t know how much the dress costs, and she can exchange the dress by herself.”

Customer: “But what if it’s a different price?”

Me: “Either the difference will have to be paid, or she will get a gift card with the rest of the money. Unfortunately, with a gift receipt; we can’t pay cash or put it on a card unless it’s the same card.”

Customer: “But then she will know how much the dress cost…”

Me: “She won’t know the exact price if you have a gift receipt, but if she needs another size, she will probably see the price tag.”

Customer: “But how do I stop her finding out what the price is?”

Me: “If she needs to change it, you could go with her?”

Customer: “But I don’t want to do that. I just don’t want her to find out the price.”

Me: “That’s what the gift receipt is for.”

Customer: “But if she changes it, and it’s a different price, she’ll know?”

(This went on for a while.)