Self-Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself, Part 13
I’m waiting in line for the self-checkout registers at one of the grocery stores I shop at. A middle-aged woman ahead of me gets to a register and seemingly has problems figuring out the machine. The attendant needs to help her with her first THREE items, and when the woman seemingly has trouble with the fourth item, she appears to snap.
Customer: “These stupid machines! Why can’t (store) get any real human cashiers open? All this self-serve nonsense causes nothing but problems!”
Attendant: “Ma’am, we have several human cashiers open today, just down in the next few aisles. If you would like me to cancel your transaction here, one of them will be happy to assist you.”
Customer: “I’m not waiting in those lines! I’m busy, and I have places to be!”
Attendant: “Ma’am, if you’re not comfortable using the self-scan registers, then you are welcome to go to a manned register. I can’t stand here and scan everything for you because I have to be available to help other customers.”
Customer: “What you should do is give me a discount for the inconvenience since you’re discriminating against people who can’t use self-scan and making them stand in long lines instead.”
It’s suddenly obvious from her tone that that attempted discount was her plan all along.
Attendant: “I’m afraid I can’t authorize any sort of discount. You can either—”
Customer: “—Maybe your manager can? Hmm?”
Attendant: *Via her walkie-talkie.* “Manager to self-check.”
A manager approaches after a minute or two.
Manager: “What seems to be the problem?”
The customer jumps in before the attendant can explain.
Customer: “[Store] is discriminating against me because the self-check registers don’t work and I don’t have time to wait in line at another register. I should get a discount for the inconvenience.”
Manager: “[Customer’s Name]. I personally banned you from this location last week for trying this very scam. Please leave now, or I will call the police and have you removed for trespassing.”
Customer: “But…”
Manager: “Please leave, [Customer’s Name], or I will call the police.”
The woman screeches, shoves her cart into the self-check register, and storms out of the store, screaming about how [Store] is discriminating against her. The manager had to close the register because it was damaged from the impact, but all the customers who had stopped to watch the scene were able to resume their transactions in peace, and I eventually made it through a different register without issue.
Related:
Self-Check Yourself Before You Self-Wreck Yourself, Part 12
Self-Check Yourself Before You Self-Wreck Yourself, Part 11
Self-Check Yourself Before You Self-Wreck Yourself, Part 10
Self-Check Yourself Before You Self-Wreck Yourself, Part 9
Self-Check Yourself Before You Self-Wreck Yourself, Part 8
