Social Insecurity, Part 7

(A couple approaches me holding clothes at the customer service desk.)

Me: “Can I help you with something?”

Wife: “Hi, we wanted to purchase these items but we left our credit card at home and the sales associate sent us back here.”

Me: “Well, if it’s our in-store credit card you can look it up actually at any register.”

Customer: “Okay, great. Do you need my license?”

Me: “Yes, I’ll need to verify your information but first I’m going to need you to type in your social security number at the pin pad.”

Customer: “Oh, no. That’s what they wanted up front, too. We don’t give out our social.”

Me: “Well, for us to look up your card we need your social first. Without it you can’t get any access to your account.”

Customer: “Well, that’s actually illegal for you to ask for our social.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but even to apply for a credit card here you would’ve had to type in your social.”

Customer: “No, we didn’t, and we are not giving out, and you need to stop asking since that’s against the law.”

(She keeps throwing that out and her husband is standing there looking incredibly smug for “knowing the law.”)

Me: “I’m sorry, but that’s the first step when activating our credit card. I myself have several from different companies and every time I have had to give them my social. I can put these clothes on hold but if you want to use your card, then you need to bring it in since you refuse to have us look it up for you.”

Customer: “Are you sure there’s no other way?”

Me: “You could call the credit card company and have them give you your account number but they still require a social. No matter what you will have to give us your social.”

Customer: “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

(I’m not sure what’s worse, the people that refuse to give out their social security number or the ones that start saying it aloud when you ask and you have to frantically tell them to stop and they have to type it in.)

Related:
Social Insecurity, Part 6
Social Insecurity, Part 5
Social Insecurity, Part 4