"I'm not going to the Parking office to get a token"

[snugglegirl05]

The university where I work at as a Visitor Parking attendant accepts cash, check, debit, & credit cards as forms of payment. When you pay with your credit or debit card, you have to get a token from the Parking office to exit Visitor Parking. I tell everyone paying with their credit or debit card that they have to pay at the Parking office. The Parking office staff tells anyone paying with the credit or debit card to go to the Cashier office, pay for their parking, bring the receipt they get back to the Parking office, & then they will give them a token to exit. According to Visitor Parking/Community Relations, I cannot accept your receipt as proof of payment.

A student drives up to the booth window. She has a student parking tag hanging in her rear view window, but she wants to park in Visitor Parking, & pay with her credit card.

me: "Everyone paying with their credit card has to pay at the Parking Office."
student: "ok"

Several minutes later the phone inside the booth rings. I look up & see a car at the exit gate.

me: "Visitor Parking booth, how may I help you?"
student: "The gate will not go up."
me: "I'm so sorry, but the only way the gate will go up is after you pay for your parking inside the building."
student: "I went to the cashier office to pay for my parking with my credit card."
At that point there was only one customer who had told me they would pay with their credit card.

me: "I'm so sorry, but I did tell you when you arrived that you had to pay at the Parking office with your credit card."
student: "Well I have a receipt."
me: "I'm so sorry, but everyone paying with their credit card has to get a token from the Parking office. You have to go to the Parking office & get one."
student: "Well...I'm not going there"
me: "I'm so sorry, but I cannot bend the rules"

The student backs up & goes to the Parking office.

[bainsidhe]

No offense intended, but this system does sound like a real pain in the a$$. I can see why it's frustrating for both of you. Then again, next time she'll remember to have cash.