Photo Perfect Representation Of A Cheapskate

(I am a manager. I am called up to the front to perform a return on a passport photo without a receipt.)

Me: “Hi, so you need to return this passport photo?”

Customer: “Yes, the visa office said it wouldn’t work.”

Me: “I’m so sorry about that. I’ll get this taken care of. Now, without a receipt, I can only offer you store credit unless you have the card you purchased it with.”

Customer: “Oh, no, I don’t want store credit. I’d like cash. I paid with cash.”

Me: “Yes, I understand, but without a receipt, the only options I can provide you with are an exchange or store credit.”

Customer: “Just a moment. I know I kept that receipt.”

(The customer begins digging through purse. My cashier shoots me a look that lets me know that she had previously done this and no receipt was found. Two minutes pass.)

Customer: “Oh, here it is!” *hands me a receipt from our competitor*

Me: “No, ma’am, this is from [Competitor] and for breath mints.”

Customer: “Oh. I guess I’ll take store credit.”

(I run the transaction through and the customer leaves. Per policy, I shred the returned photos and throw the pieces away I think I am done for the day. Twenty minutes later…)

Customer: “EXCUSE ME, MISS!” *interrupting me helping another customer*

Me: “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be with you in one moment.” *goes back to ringing up customer*

Customer: “Well, I’ll be real quick. I need my photos back.”

Me: “Just one moment, ma’am, and I’ll help you.” *finishes with customer* “Ma’am, what photos are you referring to?

Customer: “That passport photo I just returned. I want it back.”

Me: “Ma’am, after I returned them, I shredded them for your protection. I could reprint them or retake a passport photo and ring you up, though.”

Customer: “No, I don’t want to pay for it. Since the picture had my face, I wanted to keep it and get my refund. Why did you shred it?”

Me: *confused* “So you wanted your money back and to keep the picture?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “Ma’am, if you brought back a defective blood pressure monitor and returned it, I would keep the blood pressure monitor. I would not let you have the monitor and your money back.”

Customer: “But I wanted everything for free. I saw it on TLC and thought for sure it would work. I heard young women managers are usually nice about this thing.”

(I can only assume she meant ‘Extreme Couponing’ or ‘Extreme Cheapskates.’ She left after trying to convince my cashier to dig through the garbage and tape all the pieces together. Some people make me wonder about humanity.)