Rewarding Knowledge
(I work at an arcade. All prizes are either under a counter or on a wall behind us. While stock changes, I know the ticket cost of each prize, and about how many we have. I’m also relatively good at math, and can add and subtract quickly in my head. A customer comes up on a slow day.)
Customer: “If I got [prize], how much would I have left?”
Me: *without pausing* “400. Did you wanna get it?”
Customer: “Uh, sure. How much is [other prize]?”
Me: “225, but we’re actually out of those.”
Customer: “You sure you don’t have any?”
Me: “I’m sure, sir. We have none in the stock room or in the cabinets.”
Customer: “Okay… how about [third prize]?”
Me: “It’s 400.”
Customer: “You know all the prices?”
Me: “Yup, memorized them by accident. Makes it easier to help people, though.”
Customer: “Oh, wow. Uh, can I get two [fourth prizes]?”
Me: “All right, here you go!”
Customer: “How much do I have left?”
Me: “Fifty, so you can get [candy], a bouncy ball, or some [other candy].”
Customer: “Hmm… do you have [candy] in orange?”
Me: “Nope, we only have these three colors.”
Customer: “You know the stock, too?”
Me: “Yep. I check often enough that I know what we do and don’t have.”
Customer: “Awesome. Can I get five [small candies]?”
Me: “Sure!” *I set them on the counter for him*
Customer: “Take them. Anyone who’s figured out how to run prizes this well deserves something.”
(I thanked him as he left. The rest of the day went a lot better after that.)
Question of the Week
Tell us your story about a customer who couldn't understand the most simple concept.
