The Formula To Get Formula Isn’t Working

A customer wants to purchase nine cans of baby formula with her WIC card. At the beginning of the transaction, the register will print a slip with all the customer’s available WIC benefits. I usually glance at the slip to make sure everything is all right but the customer doesn’t have any cans of formula in her WIC benefits.

Me: “Ma’am, you don’t appear to have any available formula on your WIC card.”

I show her the slip and read off all her available WIC benefits.

Customer: “Can you run the card again? I know I have formula. I’ve been getting formula for months.”

Me: “The card will still have the same benefits as it says here. If you’re supposed to have formula on your WIC card, you need to call the WIC office and let them know there has been an error with your card.”

The customer stares at me for a few seconds.

Customer: “Can you just run the card again?”

I close the transaction so she can run her card again and, unsurprisingly, the card hasn’t suddenly gotten formula added onto it.

Me: “You need to call the WIC office if you’re supposed to have formula on your benefits, because it’s not on here.”

Customer: “Fine. I’m not taking them. Can you charge me for these waters?”

I ring up four gallon jugs of water while she calls someone.

Customer: “The WIC isn’t working… I don’t know. It isn’t working… I don’t know. It isn’t working… I don’t know.”

The customer repeated this while I finished her transaction, and then she left, still repeating herself to whoever she was talking to.