When Two Out Of Five Is A Passing Grade

(The bookstore I work for has a promotional card that we are supposed to sell, as there’s an annual fee. The managers are really pushing us, and in our daily meetings before each shift, they emphasize how we must mention the card to each customer and point out two different benefits. There are five benefits to choose from. I have been doing it for years now and have my spiel down pretty pat, but I make sure to mention two of the benefits every time. One day after a transaction my manager pulls me aside. She has a clipboard with a rating sheet on it.)

Manager: “Good job selling the membership card to that last customer, but I had to mark you down for only mentioning one benefit. I need you to sign this, acknowledging your mistake.”

Me: “What? No, I mentioned two benefits.”

(I repeat the two I said.)

Manager: “That’s really only one. You need to mention two.”

Me: “No, in the meetings you said we could pick any two of the five. Those are the two I mentioned.”

Manager: “Well, we meant two really different ones. The ones you mentioned are close to the same, so they don’t really count.”

(We go on and on for about five minutes, and in the end, I still refuse to sign that I’ve done something wrong. She is visibly frustrated and gives up.)

Manager: “I’m going to speak to [Store Manager] about you!”

Me: “Great! Make sure to tell him how I sold the card!”