Any jaw-dropping checkout experiences?
July 10th, 2006 | by mbhunter |Spurred on by Punny Money’s post on whether retail workers just don’t care anymore, I’m recalling three of my did-the-cashier-really-do-that experiences. All three of them involved shortchanging me less than a nickel, but it amazes me that some cashiers have no clue about customer service.
- I bought a drink at Borders. The cashier overcharged me. I pointed this out to her, and she continued to hold out her hand to take my credit card. When I complained to the manager about the experience, the cashier openly complained to her co-workers, stating that she overcharged customers all the time! She even complained about me in earshop of my wife.
- A Wendy’s cashier shortchanged me because they ran out of pennies. (I thought you rounded up in this case — apparently not!)
- (This is the funniest of the three in my opinion.) I bought an item for $3.34 at the campus convenience store at RPI. I paid with a ten. The cashier shortchanged me a penny because she wouldn’t give me $6.66 back. I swear I’m not making this up. I mean, come on!
Can you top these? Post your list of retail worker shenanigans on your blog and let me know, and I’ll post a link here! (Or post a comment.)
- Divorce to Financial Freedom’s experiences
- Blogging Away Debt’s experiences from the flip side
- Some more from Divorce to Financial Freedom
- Frugal for Life’s checkout experience
15 Responses to “Any jaw-dropping checkout experiences?”
By Nick on Jul 10, 2006 | Reply
Back when I was a retail worker, I once had a woman who was due $13.13 change from me. She gave me a 14-cent tip so that she didn’t have to get “bad luck change.”
By D on Jul 11, 2006 | Reply
I posted an item that relates. Enjoy.
http://divorce2financialfreedom.blogspot.com/2006/07/check-out-experiences-to-remember.html
By kmickeyd on Jul 12, 2006 | Reply
Wow…I had a $6.66 charge once – but the cashier put a penny of her own in so I wouldn’t have to have the “devil’s charge” on my debit card. Much better customer service, imo.
I’m sure I’ve had really bad experiences, but I think I’ve blocked them out…
By Bri on Jul 12, 2006 | Reply
I exchanged some pajamas at Old Navy after Christmas – same size, same color. The exchange was done in a different city, so the difference was $.01. The cashier tried to make me pay it. I said it was an even exchange and thus didn’t require any $. No dice. I said I had no cash. She asked for a credit card. I explained that by running my credit card, Old Navy would be losing $.15-.20 on the transaction charge. She wouldn’t relent. I asked for the manager. She didn’t call the manager, just let me go at that point.
On the same day, I exchanged stuff at the Gap (interestingly enough, it’s the same operating company as ON). There was a $.06 difference and the cashier never even mentioned it to me. Just let me leave with my jeans.
By mbhunter on Jul 13, 2006 | Reply
Bri, I would have charged the penny on your credit card. Per Visa’s merchant policy they have to accept it.
By D on Jul 13, 2006 | Reply
So sad…Last night another nightmare shopping.
http://divorce2financialfreedom.blogspot.com/2006/07/checkout-experience-last-night.html
By D on Jul 13, 2006 | Reply
What’s up? Amy’s listing is exactly what Tricia posted on Blogging Away Debt a couple of days ago.
Is Tricia – Amy or do we have a deceitful one among us?
By mbhunter on Jul 14, 2006 | Reply
D, looks like Amy is scraping Tricia’s post. I changed the link. Thanks very much for catching that!
By Tricia on Jul 14, 2006 | Reply
Thanks MBH for removing the scraper.
By Tricia on Jul 14, 2006 | Reply
Oh, and thanks for the link
By terrell on Jul 14, 2006 | Reply
I was once at this coffee place…I’m sure you’ve heard of it…ends in ‘bucks.
Anyway, I ordered an iced coffee. The cashier didn’t ask whether or not I wanted it sweetened and I didn’t specify. When I picked up my order, it was sweetened and I politely asked that I get an unsweetened coffee. The barista asked me in a rude tone if I specified unsweetened and I said no, that I wasn’t asked. Then, the barista shouted at the cashier, “Why didn’t you ask her if she wanted it sweetened?” The cashier said that he had, right in front of me! I told him that he in fact did not ask me and he started to argue with me. He told me it was my job to specifiy whether or not I wanted it sweetened, not his.
I couldn’t believe the service, but I noticed a couple weeks later that the guy was gone.
By ~Dawn on Jul 14, 2006 | Reply
I got one for ya
http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/2006/07/life-in-check-out-lanes.html
By Kristine on Jul 15, 2006 | Reply
Bri’s comment reminded me of an experience with Reebok. Not bad…just interesting. When my friend comes to the city she stocks up on her difficult to find shoes from Reebok at the outlet mall. I can’t remember the deal she gets, but it’s like BOGO if she spends a minimun of $50. Of course the shoes are $49.99 or something as irritating, so we have to buy something for a few dollars. The last time we went, the store didn’t have the shoes, but they called another outlet in the city and found out they had them. So we went 10 minutes down the freeway to the other mall and the cashier there did something I’d never seen anyone do–she threw in the penny so we didn’t have to buy some little thing to get the discount. WOW! That one thing alone makes me want to go back to that certain store again! The service industry might want to consider how people react to saving a spending a few cents in their stores and train their employees accordingly.