Paying The Idiot Tax, Part 2
Our store is having one of those “more you spend, the more you save” sales with some coupons, which I think is a bit of a scam to force people to buy more than they need, but that’s a different rant.
A couple has a total that’s over $300. When you spend that much on a single purchase, the sale has a coupon that grants 15% off the whole purchase.
Me: “Your total is $301.43.”
The guy goes to pay. I realize he isn’t aware of the coupons we’re offering. I apply the discount on autopilot and start saying to the customer:
Me: “Sir, would you like me to apply—”
Customer: “—No, I don’t want to apply, and don’t bother trying to sign me up to it!”
Me: “No, I meant—”
Customer: “—I said what I said.”
No worries. I undo the application of the discount. The man sees his total go from $256.22 to $301.43.
Customer: “Wait… what happened?! Why did it go up?”
Me: “Oh, as I was trying to say, sir, I was asking if you’d like me to apply the coupon for 15% off, we’re offering for all purchases $300 and above. Don’t worry, I took it off as you said what you said.”
Customer: “But… I didn’t…”
Me: “So it’s back to $301.43. How would you like to pay?”
Customer: “…”
Customer’s Wife: *To her husband.* “You’re an idiot.”
He pays, and they leave. It turns out that he found time to complain to my manager for “making him look like an idiot”.
Manager: “Apparently, he’s upset because you showed him what his total would have been before you explained it. Maybe don’t apply the coupon unless the customer asks for it?”
Me: “Yeah, I’ll do that. I guess I assumed saving a customer forty-five bucks would have been a good thing.”
Manager: “These are customers. If you’re going to assume, always assume the worst.”
Related:
Paying The Idiot Tax
