Playing the race card (kinda long)

[Pixelated]

I went to cover Coworker's lunch break in The Dead Zone.

Hooboy.

OCW - Other Coworker
B1 - Bitch #1 (younger, the daughter of the next one)
B2 - Bitch #2

OCW brought B1 and B2 to the register to buy some flooring.

First they get into it over the price. They were talking over each other so I can't remember who said what, but B1 was arguing it was the wrong price, or possibly the wrong product ... I dunno. B2 appeared to start off in agreement but eventually persuaded B1 that no, it was the correct product, and OCW confirmed it was the correct price.

Then OCW left, and I started ringing up the order. We're talking some 12 boxes of flooring and three rolls of ... something.

I ask if they want to contribute to the children's health charity. B1 cuts me off in midsentence with a curt "No." Ooookaaaay.

She is, however, making a big deal about getting all the "deals" she can. She is, you see, a [specific race] and members of this group are tax-exempt on their purchases (provincial taxes only).

They have to register with our store, and we call up their account via their phone number. I ask for her phone number. More crossover babbling about WHICH phone number it is; finally they settle on one. I type it in and hit 'search.'

Nothing.

Indignation ensures. B1: "Waddya mean, I'm not in the system?? We shop at (store) all the time!!" B2 mentions that they shopped a lot in [other city, two hours away]. Um, I don't think that matters because our stores are not connected ...

I call the front and ask if we can access their account in [other city]. Nope.

Grumbling ensues. Then they decide on a second phone number. I type that in and hit 'search.'

Nothing. Again.

The indignation ramps up and now includes the "WHY are we having to spend so much time on this??? This is RIDICULOUS!!!! blarghblarghargleblargh!!"

I tell them they can go up to Customer Service and sign up, as it doesn't seem they are in our system. The Customer Service counter is at the front of the store. Now the indignation becomes haughty. "We have to walk ALL THE WAY UP THERE???" Okay, it's a big store, but fer fuck's sakes, lady ...

Finally it seems as though they're going to do so, and I clear my monitor.

You guessed it ... now they come up with a THIRD phone number. I start re-scanning everything.

B1 or B2 (can't remember): "What are you doing NOW?"

Me: "I'm re-scanning your items."

B1/B2: "Why are you doing THAT???"

Me: "Because I thought you were going up to the Customer Service desk to re-enroll so I cleared my register so I could cash out other customers." (Not that there was anyone else in line.)

I type in the third phone number. Hoorah, hoorah, a name comes up!

"Yes, that's me." This is B1.

I go through the (very brief) process to subtract her provincial taxes ... aaaaand ... get a new window that says "Your tax-exempt account expired on [Date]. Please go to Customer Service to sign up."

I show her the message.

Now she goes for the nuclear option. "How can my CARD be expired?? My CARD says its expiry date is [a couple of years down the road]!! My card is NOT expired!!! ARGLEBLARGHBLARGHBLARGH!!!"

When I finally get a word in edgewise, I point out that the message says nothing about her CARD, because it is issued by the GOVERNMENT, which we are definitely not, and it is likely her STORE ACCOUNT that has expired.

More screaming and yelling, of the "We shop here all the time!!!" and "We were just here last week!!!!"

And I believe this is the point where B1 says, "I hope you're not doing this to me because I'm [race]!"



Yeah, lady, I have managed to screw around with the computer WHILE I WAS CHECKING YOU OUT so that it would deny you your legal rights. MWAHAHAHAHAAAA ...

In retrospect, at that point, I should've said "I'm done here" and cleared my monitor and called for management.

I did part of that; I called for management and something in my tone apparently scared the heck out of them because TWO of them showed up.

Female Manager stood her ground nicely, which she always does, and flatly told B1 and B2 that her ACCOUNT had likely expired and it would be easy enough to set it up again if she'd just come up to the Customer Service desk. (Didn't I already say that? Possibly more than once?? )

B1 goes into Haughty Indignation mode again about how she's spent SOOOO much of her valuable time here waiting for something to get done. FM explains that the system is what it is, and we have to work with it (and yes, I had also said THAT).

B1: "Well, that's not MY fault."

FM: "No, and it's not mine either. Nor is it hers." (motioning to me).

B2: "Well, I'm sorry, but I've just come off a 10-hour shift ..."

Cry me a river and drown in it, baby. I'm still in the MIDDLE of MY shift and you've just made it a truly shitty one.

I pointed out that they need not waste any more of their precious time as they could also pay for their goods up front and that seemed to shut everything down. Off they went with the two managers.

The coworker who was on lunch came back about five minutes later and I told her I was NEVER covering for her again.

B1 went out with the loader (who'd been witness to pretty much the whole mess, as I'd called him early on to help them load the stuff in their vehicle), and B2 went out a few minutes later, smiling and me and saying "Thanks."

I just stared at her.

You're NOT welcome, bitch.

[earl colby pottinger]

Race

I hate when someone tries to use the race card to get ahead.

I was in a long lineup at Shopper's one and a Black woman tried to skip the entire line to jump to the front. I called out the line start back here. And all the rest of us were in the line. She quickly scanned the line and realize I was the only other Black person in the line, so she tried to make me look small.

She asked "So, you are from one of the islands?".

I answered "Yes.". I don't know what she thought she would get, maybe claim Blacks on the born on the mainland (Canada) had extra rights.

Then I smiled and said, "England, London England".

I was born and raised in England, but spent my teenage years in Jamaica - for some stupid reason because I have dark skin people only heard the Jamaican accent, and the moment you point out you were born in England they start to notice the English pronunciations.

[Gerrinson]

When I finally get a word in edgewise, I point out that the message says nothing about her CARD, because it is issued by the GOVERNMENT, which we are definitely not, and it is likely her STORE ACCOUNT that has expired.

I'm not going to downplay the suckitude of the SCs. They sucked. And probably should apologize, since their description matches a bunch of my relatives who are also [Race] and therefore exempt from provincial taxes and are about as organized and coherent as the SCs above. (Auntie Drama Llama is that you buying flooring?)

However, for OP's Corporate Overlords, as someone who deals with tax exemptions for my organization (amongst many other duties) why, why, WHY do you insist on having your tax exempt accounts expire before the government authorization expires? It just causes a huge hassle for customers and the staff like OP. Basically everyone involved except the idjits actually making the decision. I sent out tax documents good for nearly a decade, but you set our account to expire in a year. IT MAKES NO SENSE.

The only ones worse are the few who have nincompoops in their tax departments. I had an exemption application refused THREE TIMES because 'this is the same document you sent last year'. Yes. Yes it is. Because it is valid from 2018 to 2028, so of course it's the same bloody document you festering sh*tweasel! The government doesn't issue replacements every year for something which is valid for a full decade.

[/Rant][/Threadjack]

[Rosco the Iroc]

I had a guy go off about his veteran discount w/o any proof other then a hat over a $10 item.

As one I pretty much told him to cram it and if that's his high mark of service he had it ass backwards and to ring though so I could get on with my day. (I was also in line)

[TheSHAD0W]

If you're trying to get your tax off because of your race, then yeah, technically, it *is* because you're [race]. Just sayin'.

[Pixelated]

If you're trying to get your tax off because of your race, then yeah, technically, it *is* because you're [race]. Just sayin'.

No, she was insinuating that I was deliberately giving her a hard time because of her race.

The tax exemption itself is their legal right ... provided they've got that little government-issued card (which she did).

*****************

Today I got an older man at my register ... he pulls out his status card ...

AND ... he wasn't in our system!!

Me: *silently* OHHHH NOOOOOZ ...

However, when I told him about it and explained he could go to the Customer Service desk and register AND pay for his purchases at the same time ... he just said, "Oh, okay" and gathered up his stuff and off he went.

I was sorry I couldn't give him a coupon or something.

[TheSHAD0W]

No, she was insinuating that I was deliberately giving her a hard time because of her race.

Obviously. I was just noting that, strictly speaking, it's the truth!

[Slave to the Phone]

It really ticks me off when people try to throw the race card at me. All of my work is done over the phone, I have NO idea what color/race/religion any of my clients are and they don't have that sort of information about me.

I only have 32 weeks left, so I am a little more relaxed about throwing it right back at them. "Have you ever seen me? Do you have any idea what race I am? Calling me racist because you don't like my determination is just making you sound like a scammer who likes to throw the race card."