I’m working at an airport café.
Me: “We have Swiss, American, and pepper jack cheese. Which would you like?”
Customers: “Oh, just regular.”
Me: “All right, and how would you like your eggs?”
Customers: “Just regular eggs is fine.”
Me: “All right, and that comes with toast. Would you like wheat or white?”
Customer: “What’s wheat or white? Just regular toast is fine.”
During my years of working in fast food, I’ve seen that many of my coworkers never follow protocol exactly, which can cause problems with customers, especially ones that come to our restaurant often.
I’m working the dine-in counter as a man in his forties struts into the store, orders his meal, and then asks for a water cup. Our water cups are only ten cents and we are supposed to add them to their order. I add the cup to his order and read him his total, which he is shocked by.
Customer: “That seriously cannot be right. I order this every time I come and it’s never this much!”
I read back everything I have rung up onto my screen. As soon as I get to the water cup, he stops me.
Customer: “What do you mean, you’re charging me for a water cup? Aren’t they all free?”
Me: “No, sir, for a water cup it is ten cents extra. That’s the way it works and what my boss wants me to do. I’m sorry about that.”
He doesn’t take the apology, obviously, and says that no one else here ever charges him for the ten-cent water cup. That’s when it hits me that my coworkers have been really messing up, only for me to pick up their pieces.
Me: “Oh, really? Well, do you think I could gather these workers’ names from you?”
Customer: “Oh, no, I don’t want to get them in trouble or anything.”
I told him to have a nice day and made my boss check him out the rest of the way.
There is a fun event for families like mine in a city not too far away, less than 200 miles. We go every year. This year, I decide to make a mini-vacation out of it since the older kids are available. I book an AirBnB for all of us for two nights, get tickets to our favorite museums, and confirm our reservation for the annual event. I do this all on a single credit card so I can keep track of the cost of the trip and maximize my “points.”
We check into the Airbnb, go to the event, and have a great time. But the next day, things start well and go downhill. We go to the museum with our pre-paid tickets and love the exhibit. We stop at the gift shop to get some pretty things and use my card. No problems.
Then, we go next door to the botanical gardens and my card is declined. Embarrassed, I step out of line and call the card company. After all the confirmation hoopla…
Me: “Hello. I’m on a vacation with my family and my card was just declined. Have I come close to my limit? Was there a purchase I forgot about?”
Representative: “No. It looks like the card was flagged for suspected fraud.”
Me: “Oh, dear! What is that about? Was the card number used somewhere else?”
Representative: “We have an attempted use at [Botanical Garden].”
Me: “Yes, that is me. I am standing here at the botanical garden and planned to purchase tickets for the family with this card.”
Representative: “It looks like this purchase is being made in a location that seems suspect.”
Me: “Why? The botanical gardens are over fifty years old. It’s not a fly-by-night sort of thing.”
Representative: “It is flagged because it is not near the billing address.”
Me: “Well, no, it isn’t particularly near my billing address, but it is within a short drive. I am here, in this city, as should be obvious by the recent purchases on this card. I made a purchase literally fifty yards from here about twenty minutes ago. This isn’t the first time I’ve been to this city. I need to use this card. What can be done?”
Representative: “Oh, okay. I will make a note and release the hold.”
Me: “Thank you.”
I think that was weird, but after getting back in line, the tickets are purchased and we have a nice walk through the gardens.
Then, we stop for drinks before going back to the house. The card is declined. I pull out my debit card instead but later call the card company again.
Me: “Hello. I just tried to use my card and again, the transaction was denied.”
Representative: “It looks like the card has been suspended for suspected fraud.”
Me: “I called a few hours ago and explained that I am in this town and I will be using this card in this town. Is there no note in the file?”
Representative: “Yes, I see a note that a purchase to [Botanical Gardens] was authorized after suspected fraud.”
Me: “Yes. I am still in this town. I plan to be here for another twenty-four hours. I need this card to work.”
Representative: “The hold has been released. You can try this transaction again.”
Me: “Yeah, I didn’t stand in line in a [Convenience Store] to make this call. That purchase has been taken care of, but I need to know that I will not be embarrassed at dinner tonight when I try to use this card.”
Representative: “Everything has been taken care of.”
We go out to dinner and enjoy the food, but I am thinking the whole time that there will be an embarrassment at the end. And there is.
Waiter: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but your card has been declined.”
The kids all burst out laughing, having been told of the previous issues. I hand over my debit card while gnashing my teeth. After we leave the restaurant, our plan is to walk around the downtown area for a while. I send the kids ahead and find a bench to sit on to make a call.
Me: “I want to make something clear. I am in this town. This is not the first time I have been here nor it will be the last. I booked a place to stay for two nights using this card. I booked tickets using this card. I booked these things weeks ago. There was no issue. I am now in the town where the tickets and housing are located. While here, I had planned to eat and drink and maybe see a few other sights. I had planned to use this card. However! I have been thwarted at several turns. Tell. Me. Why.”
Representative: “I am so sorry. I see notes here that you have authorized the use of your card at [Botanical Gardens] and have called about another denied purchase. I see there is a denied charge at [Restaurant] less than an hour ago.”
Me: “Yes! Why?”
Representative: “It would look as if these transactions were flagged for suspected fraud.”
Me: “Why?”
Representative: “It looks as if the location is—”
Me: “The location is less than 200 miles from the billing address. Have you never traveled more than 200 miles? Is it company policy that cardholders not travel? Is it so unheard of that someone who lives in a smallish town might go to ‘the big city’ once in a while?”
Representative: “Well, for your safety—”
Me: “Yes, I do appreciate that you may be looking out for my financial safety, but I have explained twice that I am here, in this town. And yet, a third time, my card was flagged.”
Representative: “That does seem excessive. I will put a note in—”
Me: “That won’t be necessary. I am canceling this card. I will use my debit card for the remainder of my stay here. Dealing with this card is not good for my blood pressure. You’ve lost a customer. I know that means nothing to you, or even the company, but this is just too ridiculous.”
Representative: “But you’ll lose your points! What can we do for you to reconsider?”
Me: “Goodbye.”
When I got home, I paid off the remainder of the balance online, canceled it, and cut the card in half. I will now make it a habit to bring TWO credit cards along with my debit card on vacations, even if I’d only planned to use one.
I have just returned from the dentist to determine the cause of a week-long headache. At the dentist’s office, I had removed my glasses before getting an x-ray. At home, I look down to my chest where I expect to see them hanging by their strap. They aren’t there.
Me: “Where are my glasses?”
Daughter: “How should I know? Do you mean the ones you’re wearing?”
I snarled and walked away while flipping her the bird.
We do not sell normal textbooks at our store; however, we do sell nursing and some law textbooks. Because of the high price and the fact that each of the textbooks comes with a digital download and CD, all of these are shrink-wrapped. We tell each customer when they purchase these that they cannot return them unless they are unopened, and it has to be within seven business days — seven days shorter than our normal return policy.
A customer comes up to the front with a return and immediately apologizes, stating that this will be the hardest return that I have to do today. I’m bracing myself for the worst kind of return — a book damaged or ripped — and she pulls out one of the nursing textbooks we sell.
It’s still in its packaging, with the receipt taped to the front of the shrinkwrap.
I look up to her and ask my standard questions.
Me: “Was anything wrong with it?”
Customer: “No, I just realized that I’m not cut out for nursing and wanted to return it. I know I’m a bit late with the receipt, so if you can only give me partial credit or nothing at all, that’s fine.”
I quickly scan the receipt.
Me: “You bought this three days ago? The packaging is still unopened. Do you have the card you paid with it on you by chance?”
Customer: “Yes, actually; I was planning on buying some other books.”
Me: “Okay, well, this all looks in order, so if you insert your card, you’ll be getting $156.88 back on your card, but since it’s the weekend, it won’t go back on until Tuesday.”
Customer: “Wait, seriously?”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. You are within the return policy, so you’ll be getting the full amount back.”
Customer: *Nearly in tears* “I didn’t expect that at all! I bought a textbook from the campus, and even though it was unopened, they told me I could only get $30 back. Thank you! You just made my day!”
Me: “Well, I’m glad I was able to help! You are one of the easiest returns I’ve done in a while, so if you could sign this, you can get on your way!”
I hand her a return receipt that comes with a coupon for a BOGO cookie over in our café.
Customer: “What kind of cookie do you like?”
Me: “I think the chocolate chunk is the best, but my coworkers usually say the peanut butter one.”
Customer: “Okay, thank you.”
Ten minutes later, she comes up to me at the register and hands me one of our chocolate chunk cookies.
Customer: “Thank you so much again! I really appreciate it! This is for you!”
Me: “Thank you so much! I didn’t expect that!”
It made my day to see someone who was so sweet get exactly what she deserved!
Related:
That’s The Way The Cookie Gloriously Crumbles
This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for March 2021!
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Read the Feel Good roundup for March 2021!
