The Mother Of All Nice Gestures

(I am just about to clock out from work when a teenage girl walks in to return a shirt that was paid for with credit card. My coworker handles the transaction.)

Coworker: “So, you’ll be getting $13.94 back for this. Do you have a credit card to put that on to?”

Girl: “No.”

Coworker: “Well, I can give you a voucher to the store instead.”

Girl: “Okay, that works.”

(My coworker finishes the transaction, and gives her the voucher. The girl’s mother then comes in and becomes furious when her daughter gives her the voucher instead of cash. So she stomps over to my coworker.)

Woman: “Excuse me, but I wanted cash back for this, not a voucher.”

Coworker: “I’m sorry; you only get back your return how it was originally paid for.”

Woman: “Fine, I’ll put it back on to my card.”

(Unfortunately my store cannot put money from a voucher back onto a credit card. It’s final once it becomes a voucher. My coworker explains this, the woman gets mad and demands to speak to a manager. My manager comes over.)

Woman: “You have to put this back onto my card. I need to get gas for my car.”

Manager: “I’m sorry, but once it’s been put onto a voucher there’s nothing we can do.”

Woman: “You have to.”

Manager: “I can’t.”

Woman: “You HAVE to!”

Manager: “I can’t!”

(This unpleasantness goes on for awhile, until my manager has had enough.)

Manager: “I don’t have to do anything. Especially something that’s impossible.”

(The woman finally gets it through her head and leaves with her daughter. Then after a couple minutes her daughter comes back in, tears streaming down her face, and goes back over to my coworker and manager.)

Girl: “Is there anything you can do?”

Manager: “I wish I could but it’s impossible.”

(The girl looks to be on the verge of tears again.)

Girl: “Please…”

(I’m finally clocked out now, and after watching this whole situation and feeling terrible for the girl, I walk over.)

Me: “How much is on the voucher?”

Coworker: “Uh…$13.94.”

Me: “Okay.”

(I pull out my wallet and get $14.)

Me: “I’ll give you this for the voucher.”

Girl: “…really?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Girl: “Thank you. So much.”

Me: “Of course.”

(The girl takes the money and leaves. My coworker hands me the voucher.)

Coworker: “Thank you, [My Name.]”

Me: “Yeah, no problem.”

Manager: “That was amazing, [My Name]. Thank you, I appreciate it.”

Me: “Just to be clear: I did it to help out the poor girl, not her f****** mother.”