Toys Are Home Décor When You Have Kids

It’s a Thursday in January, and we’ve just finished a huge sale of basically everything in our “home decor” department. The sale ended on Sunday and we started a new one on Monday with only specific items on sale. A gentleman comes into my line to pay for three items. He checks my name tag as I greet him.

Customer: “Hello, [My Name]. I heard these were on sale.”

He’s got a hat, which technically would have qualified as half-off the week before because of which department it’s from, and two toys that have not ever been on sale in the three years I’ve worked here. They’re like $4, and the hat is between $10 and $15.

Me: “Well, actually, it’s just [specific items] on sale this week, so the hat won’t be on sale, unfortunately.”

I am checking the ad in front of my face as I talk.

Customer: “Can I get a discount on these?”

He indicates the toys. I genuinely can’t tell if he’s joking or not, so I try to stay apologetic but firm as I inform him that those aren’t on sale, either. I ring all three items up because he’s not saying much else and give him his total, between $20 and $25.

Customer: “That’s more than I wanted to spend.”

Regardless, he inserted his card into the chip reader, and I sent him on his way with his receipt. I realized much later that I forgot to bring up our store coupon, since the price was apparently a big deal to him. Sorry, dude. You don’t just get a discount any time you ask for one. Maybe he thought I was new and a pushover or something?