Price Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Me: “Okay, your total comes to $29.99 today.”

Customer: “Wait, thirty dollars? I thought this was on sale.”

Me: “It’s ringing up full price, but that might be a register error. What was the sale price?”

Customer: “I’m not sure, actually. Did I misread the sign? Maybe it meant the other brand. I want to buy the on-sale one, whichever it is. I could’ve sworn it was this one, though.”

Me: “Off the top of my head, I’m not sure. Let me have someone check; they can either grab the right one, or tell us the sale price so I can enter it correctly.”

Customer: “Great, thanks so much.”

(I can’t leave the register during a transaction, so I call into the radio for someone to check what the sale sign says. Halfway through my sentence, the manager comes storming over and nudges me away from the register.)

Manager: “This item was on sale?”

Customer: “Yeah, I think it was supposed to be $19.99, or something?”

Manager: *to me* “So, do a price override, $19.99!”

(I change the price, the customer leaves — looking a little baffled — and my manager sighs all irritated-like.)

Manager: “Why would you bother with a price check? You don’t need manager approval to change a price at checkout! You need to provide better customer service.”

(I know loyal customers are important, but I’m still miffed at how the store makes any money when “maybe it’s on sale, I could be wrong, I can’t remember for how much, anyway” earns a 30% discount! Not to mention how doing a price check counts as poor customer service, while snapping at your employees in front of a friendly customer is somehow better.)