Special Opposite Day Sale!

(A customer comes up to my till with a basket full of items, which I ring up for her.)

Me: “That will be [total].”

Customer: “Oh, that much? I guess I got caught up in the sale… I don’t need all of this. Hmm.”

(She begins sorting through her purchase, separating it into two piles. One she pushes toward me, the other she pushes aside. I restart the transaction, scanning only the items she gave me.)

Me: “Okay, then that’s [new total].”

Customer: “Yeah, that’s better.”

(She pays for her purchase. As her receipt is printing, my coworker at the next till indicates the pile I didn’t scan.)

Coworker: “Are those going back onto the floor?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Customer: “No! I just bought those!”

Me: “What? No, you bought these.”

(I indicate the pile which she handed me and watched me scan.)

Customer: “What the heck?! I don’t want those things!”

Me: “Oh… sorry. Okay.”

(I returned the items she had just purchased and sold her the ones in the other pile, but I still have no idea what planet she was from to think that handing items to a cashier is the best way to convey that you *don’t* want to buy them!)