Pizza Can Do Many Things But It Can’t Pay For Itself

(I work for a local restaurant as a delivery driver. I am given a credit card reader for deliveries, and it is company policy for all payment to go through me, cash or card, though there are some exceptions.)

Me: “Hello, [Restaurant] delivery.”

(A customer walks up with a pen in his hands and no credit card.)

Customer: “Hello.” *makes no move to take food or pay*

Me: “Your total is [amount].”

Customer: “Yes.”

(The customer makes no move to pull out a card or cash but just stands there with a pen, smiling.)

Me: *running through the situations where the customer already paid* “Sir, did you order through an online service?”

(Sometimes customers order and pay through a third-party online service. The cashier is supposed to let me know, but it has slipped his mind from time to time.)

Customer: “No.”

Me: “Sir, did you request to pay over the phone?”

Customer: “No. I told [Cashier] that I wanted to pay with a credit card.”

(The customer remains standing there with a pen, smiling innocently. I hold up the credit card reader slightly, and continue waiting for him to give me his card. The customer seems to realize I’m waiting for payment.)

Customer: “Well, last time I ordered, they’d already charged me when the driver got here.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but unless you gave the cashier your credit card information, we can’t charge you unless we run your card.”

Customer: “Oh. Last time they’d already charged me. Don’t worry; we’ll just figure this out.”

(The customer finally got his credit card, and I was just stunned for the rest of the drive home. How did he expect us to charge him without giving us his card to charge?)