Now that the so-called holiday season is over I found myself, like many folks, returning a couple of items to the store for a refund or exchange when it finally hit me! Three exchanges; one refund, paying cash, and using the charge card... do you realize how many cashiers can't count and do simple addition and subtraction?!?!
Standing in line for nearly 15 minutes, (seemingly feeling like 30), I approach the cashier with a refund, and a brand new shirt which I plan to pay for.
"Will this be cash or charge?" she asked in a loud, authoritarian voice.
"Well," I say calmly, "Cash for the shirt, with the refund from the return."
Looking quite puzzled the cashier says, "Pardon me?"
Once again, I repeated, "Cash for the shirt, with the refund from the return."
By now, I knew she was lost. The look on her face was one of a person who had just entered a checkbook balancing adult education class, only to hear a professor of mathematics say "Welcome to Advanced Calculus." She immediately picked up a telephone, queued in some number and said "Manager to the Men's Department...code 114 please."
Within seconds an older gentleman, probably in his 60's, came over to the register.
"Yes sir, can I help you?"
"Sure", I said, "I would like to return this pair of pants, and with the money I receive from this return, I would like to buy this shirt."
"And your receipt, sir?"
"Right here," I said.
Within a few minutes, this gentleman showed the young lady how to do a refund, give me the money back, ring up my new shirt, and process the payment.
During this whole evolution, I began having flashbacks of how many times I have gone through this type of ordeal - along with many others. I thought to myself, 'Damn, after only being here for 35 minutes... I finally got that new shirt I wanted.' Then, in a faint voice, I heard the cashier say, "I'm sorry sir, I've only been here since the 5th of December, and this all still fairly new."
"No problem," I said, "I understand." But you know what...I didn't understand. For 30-days now, this cashier has been probably performing this same feat day in and day out.
"Ahhhh...did you say since the 5th of December?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"And you still need the manager's help?" I said.
"Not now...not anymore. I finally understand this."
She then began to show me just how the manger did my return. Taking my same pair of pants (once again), scanning the refund, and then handing me $27.00.
"See, that wasn't long now was it? Would you like the shirt done?"
"No thanks," was my reply, "I've seen enough."
The cashier, being quite humble and proud of her latest accomplishment, said, "OK, here's your refund...and have a nice day."
Man, for 30 seconds I felt guilty. Exchanging one pair of pants for two refunds and buying a new shirt to boot. And all I had to pay was 35 minutes of my time.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Hearing on the news that the retail industry had a bad holiday sale season. Gee...I wonder why?!
