What, Are You Going To Tell Our Moms Next?

About a year into my job at a gas station, we join in several other gas stations to switch over to prepay-only pumps. I personally see drive-offs a few times every time I work, so I am happy to see the change. Customers, however, resist the change as much as they can from threatening to not get gas here anymore to getting me to turn on the pump for them because our system still allows it for semi-truck drivers that use special cards to pay.

One day, a lady I have never seen before pulls up to the pump and grabs the nozzle, expecting me to turn on the pump for her. I announce over the speakers the same speech I’ve been giving everyone that won’t read the prepay signs on the pumps and continue to wait on other customers in my line.

She ignores me at first, but she hangs up the nozzle after a minute, makes her way into the store, and starts in at me.

Customer: “Why can’t I get gas outside?”

Me: *Politely* “We’re a prepay-only store now. You’ll have to put money into the pump before getting your gas.”

She seems confused at first, but we get through the transaction; she puts in $30 unleaded onto a debit card and heads out to pump her fuel. She doesn’t put the whole $30 into her vehicle and heads back in to speak to me.

Customer: “I want the cash for the fuel I didn’t use.”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I forgot to mention that any unused money is automatically refunded back to the card once the nozzle is hung back up onto the pump. I have no way to give you cash back from the transaction. It may take a day for the refund to appear on your bank statement, but it will be there.”

Customer: *Angry* “Give me the cash back!”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but I can’t do that. It’s refunded automatically. You still have the money; it’s just on your card.”

She leaves the store, and I think I’m done with her. Nope.

I continue with my work, helping customers in the store for several minutes, and I look outside. A cop has pulled up to the woman’s car and she’s talking to him, occasionally pointing at the store, and I already see the headache coming. I tell my coworker to run the register as the cop comes in and asks to speak to me.

Me: “What can I do for you?”

Police Officer: “This customer called us and said you’ve been very rude to her and have refused to give her money back that she didn’t use for her fuel.”

I tell him what happened and how refunds for gas work.

Me: “If you wish, you can come back with me to the cameras to watch the footage.”

Police Officer: “That’s okay. I’ll inform her of what really happened.”

I didn’t see the cop and lady talk as a rush hit the store then, but one of my regulars told me that the lady flipped me off after she got into her car so the cop wouldn’t see her do it.