(I am a manager for this store which sells clothing for “mature” women, so we get a lot of older customers. Today’s customer is an elderly woman with her daughter that my coworker is ringing through, while I am standing beside her bagging and keeping an eye on things.)
Customer: *holding jacket* “How much is this?”
Coworker: “That is $99.95.”
Customer: “I thought it was $50!”
Coworker: *scans the jacket just in case* “No, sorry, it’s $99.95, and it says so on the tag, see?”
Customer: “Okay, I’ll buy it, anyway.”
(Everything else goes fine from there, and the customer leaves. A few hours later I get a phone call.)
Me: “[Workplace], [My Name], how can I help you?”
Customer: “It’s [Customer]…”
Me: “Hi! Yes, I remember you from earlier. Is everything okay?”
Customer: “Do you enjoy stealing from old ladies?”
Me: “I’m sorry, what?”
Customer: “That jacket says $50 on the tag, and you charged me $100! You stole from me! I want you to send me a cheque for $50!
Me: “All right, I remember my coworker telling you it was $99.95, but let me just check the tags on the other ones to see if any say they’re $49.95.”
(All the jackets are $99.95, and they aren’t on clearance, so they can’t have been marked otherwise, and nothing displayed around them is $49.95, either.)
Me: “Sorry for the confusion, but they’re all marked $99.95, and you seemed okay with that price when you purchased it from [Coworker]. If you’d like, you can bring it back and I will check the price tag on yours and refund the difference if it is marked cheaper.”
Customer: “Is [Coworker] there now? I want to speak to her!”
(My coworker’s shift has ended, but only just, and she is watching me on the phone. I don’t want her to have to stay behind talking to some unreasonable old lady.)
Me: “Sorry, she’s left for the day.”
Customer: “I don’t believe you!”
Me: “I’m really sorry, but her shift ended at [time] and she is no longer here. As I said before, you’re welcome to bring it back and I can sort it out for you.”
Customer: “I live in a retirement home! I can’t just come back!”
Me: “Can the lady you were with today bring it back on your behalf?”
Customer: “No! She’s gone back to [Town two hours away]! You’re going to mail me a cheque for $50!”
Me: “Sorry, ma’am, I can’t do that without seeing the price tag and checking everything myself. I can’t just send you $50.”
Customer: “You send me that cheque or I’m going to go to the authorities!”
Me: “Sorry, what?”
Customer: *hangs up*
(I never saw her again, and never saw any police, either!)