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A real gem from today, which must have been the worst day in recent memory at my supermarket. It was packed all day (almost as bad as yesterday: aka Welfare Day) and everyone was particularly grumpy and irritable.
So this 86-year-old woman comes into my line. I ring out her items. The woman behind her doesn't put the divider up, so I ring 4 of her items by mistake until someone notices. This normally shouldn't be a problem, I take out the items and delete them from the order. But noo...the old woman demands:
OW: Noo let's just do this is all over again. Cancel the order.
ME: I'm sorry I can't do that. But don't worry, the screen here and your receipt shows the items were deleted.
OW: I don't know about this....this is for my daughter; this isn't for me. My ticket needs to be perfect.
ME: *handing her the receipt*, Ok, everything above this line *draws line on receipt* were your items. Everything below were hers and you can see here that they were deleted.
The woman leaves but hangs out by the window scrutinizing her receipt. She eventually calls a supervisor over and bugs her so much that she gets her to void out the order. Now this is a very complicated and unusual request.
The supervisor puts her carriage back into my line (I had no customers at that point) and leaves to fill out the necessary form and contact the manager. Another woman with a small order gets into my line, and I ask the supervisor if I can just ring her out while she's filling out the form. She gives me the go-ahead, and as I reach for the first item...
OW: DON'T. YOU. DARE. I was first! You are not serving anyone before me.
The cashier in front of me jumps in and says: "Ma'am you can just come over here. I don't have a line."
OW: *turns around sharply* DON'T YOU BE A SMARTASS TO ME! I'm 86 years old! You can't treat me like that!!
The cashier is just flabbergasted and explains she was just helping the other woman.
OW: You know, you could just give me the 20 dollar bill I gave you back, and I'll give you back the change.
ME: I can't do that; it'll throw off my drawer.
OW: Ugh...why can't you people do things like they did in the old days? Pencil and paper! You can't go wrong with pencil and paper.
ME: (thinking: Yeah they didn't exactly have supermarkets 80 years ago with cashiers ringing up $150-300 orders, hundreds of different brands and products, manually on pencil and paper)
So the supervisor comes over and now all that needs to be done now is to manually take out all the items one by one from her carriage, scan them out of the system (or in the case of produce, and she had a lot of produce, remove them manually with a code and register key) then scan them all back in.
As the supervisor is voiding the items (and as all old ladies do...every single item was put in one of its own small plastic produce bag)...
OW: Don't take the milk out of the bag!! I just put it in there!!!
SUP: Ma'am, I need to otherwise it won't scan. I'll put it right back in.
OW: It was $1.99. I have a good memory you know and it was $1.99.
SUP: I know honey, but I need to scan it out.
So she ends up getting her $7.80 back.
So now I'm scanning her items back in. And another woman comes into my line. The old woman turns to the new woman...
OW: *taking divider* These things are very important you know! If you don't use them...*turns to me, talking to me like I'm an idiot* YOU COULD END UP MIXING UP PEOPLE'S ORDERS.
Ok, the order comes to $7.79 (a penny less because sometimes the produce doesnt re-weigh to be the same exact weight).
She gives me $7.75 from the change she just received.
ME: Oo sorry you need to give me that nickel there too.
OW: No! I'm giving you the pennies. *gives me the pennies*
ME: Ok, that's from $7.79. *puts change in drawer, gives her receipt* Have a nice day. (thinking: "and stop ruining mine")
OW: You owe me a penny!! I gave you 5 pennies!
ME: Why in the world would you give me 5 pennies??? And then expect a penny back in change as well??
OW: *throws hands up in the air, grumbles, and walks away*
I wish I were making this up...I really do.
So this 86-year-old woman comes into my line. I ring out her items. The woman behind her doesn't put the divider up, so I ring 4 of her items by mistake until someone notices. This normally shouldn't be a problem, I take out the items and delete them from the order. But noo...the old woman demands:
OW: Noo let's just do this is all over again. Cancel the order.
ME: I'm sorry I can't do that. But don't worry, the screen here and your receipt shows the items were deleted.
OW: I don't know about this....this is for my daughter; this isn't for me. My ticket needs to be perfect.
ME: *handing her the receipt*, Ok, everything above this line *draws line on receipt* were your items. Everything below were hers and you can see here that they were deleted.
The woman leaves but hangs out by the window scrutinizing her receipt. She eventually calls a supervisor over and bugs her so much that she gets her to void out the order. Now this is a very complicated and unusual request.
The supervisor puts her carriage back into my line (I had no customers at that point) and leaves to fill out the necessary form and contact the manager. Another woman with a small order gets into my line, and I ask the supervisor if I can just ring her out while she's filling out the form. She gives me the go-ahead, and as I reach for the first item...
OW: DON'T. YOU. DARE. I was first! You are not serving anyone before me.
The cashier in front of me jumps in and says: "Ma'am you can just come over here. I don't have a line."
OW: *turns around sharply* DON'T YOU BE A SMARTASS TO ME! I'm 86 years old! You can't treat me like that!!
The cashier is just flabbergasted and explains she was just helping the other woman.
OW: You know, you could just give me the 20 dollar bill I gave you back, and I'll give you back the change.
ME: I can't do that; it'll throw off my drawer.
OW: Ugh...why can't you people do things like they did in the old days? Pencil and paper! You can't go wrong with pencil and paper.
ME: (thinking: Yeah they didn't exactly have supermarkets 80 years ago with cashiers ringing up $150-300 orders, hundreds of different brands and products, manually on pencil and paper)
So the supervisor comes over and now all that needs to be done now is to manually take out all the items one by one from her carriage, scan them out of the system (or in the case of produce, and she had a lot of produce, remove them manually with a code and register key) then scan them all back in.
As the supervisor is voiding the items (and as all old ladies do...every single item was put in one of its own small plastic produce bag)...
OW: Don't take the milk out of the bag!! I just put it in there!!!
SUP: Ma'am, I need to otherwise it won't scan. I'll put it right back in.
OW: It was $1.99. I have a good memory you know and it was $1.99.
SUP: I know honey, but I need to scan it out.
So she ends up getting her $7.80 back.
So now I'm scanning her items back in. And another woman comes into my line. The old woman turns to the new woman...
OW: *taking divider* These things are very important you know! If you don't use them...*turns to me, talking to me like I'm an idiot* YOU COULD END UP MIXING UP PEOPLE'S ORDERS.
Ok, the order comes to $7.79 (a penny less because sometimes the produce doesnt re-weigh to be the same exact weight).
She gives me $7.75 from the change she just received.
ME: Oo sorry you need to give me that nickel there too.
OW: No! I'm giving you the pennies. *gives me the pennies*
ME: Ok, that's from $7.79. *puts change in drawer, gives her receipt* Have a nice day. (thinking: "and stop ruining mine")
OW: You owe me a penny!! I gave you 5 pennies!
ME: Why in the world would you give me 5 pennies??? And then expect a penny back in change as well??
OW: *throws hands up in the air, grumbles, and walks away*
I wish I were making this up...I really do.
I would have lost the plot on the old biddy.
I write, my friend Red draws. Comments welcome. Leave them on their, or on my profile here. 
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