Not Receptive To Your Suggestion

(It’s a slow day and it’s just me and the deputy manager on duty. I’m working the registers when a usually-friendly customer comes in with her boyfriend. They buy a six pack of beer and get a top-up voucher for her phone. The voucher prints out with the receipt. She seems grouchy and declines the receipt, so I tear the voucher off and hand it to her before throwing the receipt away. I think everything’s fine until she comes back thirty minutes later.)

Customer: *storms up to till* “You! You never gave me my top-up!”

Me: “I what? I could’ve sworn I handed it to you.”

Customer: “No, you didn’t. You threw it in the bin!”

(I’m not used to being shouted at, so I’m doing my best not to get upset and to keep my voice level.)

Me: “I remember handing it to you. Is it possible it fell out your pocket somewhere?”

Customer: “No! I told you I didn’t want the receipt and you just threw it away! Get me my voucher!”

(Due to the way the system works I can’t even refund the transaction to get her money back, and if I printed a new one my till would be short. So, instead, I start rummaging through our receipt bin, just in case I did accidentally throw it away. Unfortunately, a line has started to form behind her.)

Me: “I’m so sorry. I will find your voucher, but do you mind if I serve these people?”

Customer: “Fine. Just hurry up!”

(She steps out of line and continues to glare at me while I serve other customers. My deputy manager wanders by and I flag him down to help, so now we’re both sifting through old receipts while I apologise both to him and to the customer.)

Me: “I’m really sorry. I could’ve sworn I gave it to you!”

(I’m panicking now because we’ve been through the entire bin with no sign of the voucher.)

Deputy Manager: “Hang on. I’ll be right back.” *goes through to the back office*

Customer: “This is ridiculous! You’ve practically stolen from me! It’s in that bin. Check again.”

Me: “I’m sorry, it’s not here. Is there any way you just misplaced it?”

Customer: “No! You’re useless!”

(The deputy manager comes back.)

Deputy Manager: “You put it in your coat pocket.”

Customer: “I’m not wearing a coat.”

Deputy Manager: “But you were when you came in earlier. I just checked the CCTV. I’m guessing you left it at home before coming back here? I’m sure if you check it’ll be there.”

Customer: “If it’s not, I’m coming right back!” *she leaves*

Me: “Please, God, don’t come back.”

Deputy Manager: *while laughing* “Go and have a cup of tea. It’ll be fine.”

(She did come back a few hours later to apologise, and she even gave me £1 to get myself a treat to make up for it. I suppose it was good of her to come back and do that, but I’ve never felt comfortable around her since then.)