Their Receipt Has An Attention Deficit

(Working at a chain convenience store, we accept bottle returns, recently raised to 10 cents each, on any product we sell in the store. A man has come in with two empty cans, which we accept, and his two children. He purchases four beverages with bottle deposits on them, and rather than giving him the 20 cents for his bottles, I just added that amount to his charge as a payment. This shows up on our receipts as a separate payment, very clearly. With four people still in line, he comes back into the store.)

Customer #1: “I brought in two cans.”

Me: “Yes, sir. I added the deposit amount as a payment on your charge.”

Customer #1: “But you charged me for four bottle deposits. You overcharged me.”

Me: “No, sir, you bought four drinks with bottle deposit on them. ”

Customer #1: “Right, but I brought to empties back.”

Me: “Yes, sir. Right here it shows where I credited you those two cans.”

Customer #1: “But you charged me for FOUR deposits!”

(As this conversation is going, two more people have joined the line, and since I’m the only one working, I rush through an explanation of how we handle bottle returns, and how being owed 20 cents doesn’t make the till take off 20 cents. He leaves shortly, but obviously still isn’t quite satisfied with the answer.)

Customer #2: “Wow.”

Me: “Sometimes people pay exactly the wrong amount of attention.”