But it's SIMPLE MATH!!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I've ran into this at several jobs, most notably the computer store I worked at in college.

You see, we'd run weekend sales and the cool thing about those was that any special discounts given during those sales could be added on top of already discounted merchandise. This means you could say, get an additional 20% off something that was already 25% off.

I'm sure you can guess where this is going.

Guy comes up with a $40 item that was previously 20% off and as part of the weekend sale is additional 30% off.

So the math on that works out like this:

20% off $40 = $32
30% off $32 = $22.40, which is what rings up on the register...

SC: That's WRONG! It should be $20, it's %50 off!
Me: It's actually 20% with an extra 30% off, so the total is right.
SC: What, did you fail math class or something? 20% plus 30% is 50% genius, that means I get this for half off.
Me: No it doesn't.
SC: Excuse me?
Me: It's NOT half off. You get 20% off the retail price which brings the total down to $32, THEN you get 30% off that which comes out to $22.40. The register is right.
SC: That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Me:....
SC: This is like grade school math! 20 plus 30 is 50! This is not rocket science. 50 percent equals half off!
Me: But it's not half off sir.
SC: It's FIFTY PERCENT
Me: NO, it's not, it's 20 percent PLUS an additional 30 percent. There's two different discounts, not a single 50 percent price drop.
SC: Why can't you understand simple math? I want this for $20 and I want it now.
Me: I can't do that.
SC: WHY NOT?!
Me: Because it's not our job to give you a lower price due to the fact you don't understand how these discounts work.
SC: I don't appreciate your rudeness. Get me your manager.

Manager L comes over, goes over the same thing I did with the guy THREE MORE times while a line builds behind him, to no avail.

Regretfully L eventually decided to eat the $2.40 simply because the guy was getting extremely angry and the other customers were getting impatient. Not what I would have done but whatever.

This wasn't an isolated incident. I got this ALL the time with these kinds of sales.

[MoonCat]

I will admit that many years ago, I thought the same thing. The first time it was explained to me I pretty much did this I didn't scream at anybody, though, I just asked how come the price wasn't [whatever] and the cashier explained how the discount worked, and I thought I'm an idiot, paid up and left. Never made that mistake again.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I will admit that many years ago, I thought the same thing.

Me too. I was a bit upset that first time, partly because "waaah I wanted this for super cheap, not just cheap" and partly because "god I'm such an idiot."

[Mr Hero]

This is the kind of logic that breaks Skyrim in half. I have four pieces of enchanted gear that reduces the cost of two types of magic by 25% per item. And it follows the SC's logic. In other words free magic!

[Aethian]

So he was going for elementary math and you guys were using middle school math...so who exactly failed math class?

[Freak]

Interestingly, I've had times when my fellow employees didn't realise that (to use a $100 purchase with 50% off and a $10 voucher as an example):

(100-10) x 0.5 =/= 100 x 0.5 - 10

Fortunately, they always saw the difference when I told them and showed them on a calculator. The same goes for any customer I've had who has ever had the issue. Ignorance is one thing. Your customer was an idiot, which is another thing entirely.

[emax4]

When the wording of "additional" comes in to play, perhaps the fine print shouldn't have been so fine.

[shopgirl15]

I admit I suck at math (especially calculating percents), but even I know that's not how those discounts work.

[thehuckster]

Not that it would have mattered, since the guy would have still disagreed, but the best way to explain it is by taking an item that's 50% off, and then taking 50% off of that... it doesn't make the item, free, but instead it's effectively 75% off.

[chikenlady]

Interestingly, I've had times when my fellow employees didn't realise that (to use a $100 purchase with 50% off and a $10 voucher as an example):

(100-10) x 0.5 =/= 100 x 0.5 - 10

Fortunately, they always saw the difference when I told them and showed them on a calculator. The same goes for any customer I've had who has ever had the issue. Ignorance is one thing. Your customer was an idiot, which is another thing entirely.

Correct me if I am wrong but this works out to be:

90 x0.5 > 50-10
45>40

or am I looking at it wrong?

[Jester]

I have always been extremely good at math, so I will try to explain the whole thing to the guy upset guy in the OP so that he can understand it.

Sir, two plus two equals you're a raging fucking asshole.

Here endeth the lesson.

[MrSmiley]

20% off $40 = $32
30% off $32 = $22.40, which is what rings up on the register...

SC: That's WRONG! It should be $20, it's %50 off!
Me: It's actually 20% with an extra 30% off, so the total is right.
SC: What, did you fail math class or something? 20% plus 30% is 50% genius, that means I get this for half off.

Actually had something similar with [major vendor] in regards to taxes. A certain charge should be calculated at a 2% fee and then taxes of 5% and 5% added which are calculated off that subtotal. Unfortunately the company is setting up their system to just add 12% to the cost, which is not the same thing and of course, a little bit short. So far all attempts to explain this have gone around in circles even though there have been emails 6 times as long as this post and diagrams.

[caitsith2]

So the math on that works out like this:

20% off $40 = $32
30% off $32 = $22.40, which is what rings up on the register...

Interestingly, if you do the 30% off first, then the 20%, you get the exact same answer of $22.40.

30% off $40 = $28
20% off $28 = $22.40.

In other words, it doesn't matter which order you ring up the discounts, you get the same answer.

[icmedia]

Sir, two plus two equals you're a raging fucking asshole.

This should be a required math lesson for all SCs.

[Greenday]

Correct me if I am wrong but this works out to be:

90 x0.5 > 50-10
45>40

or am I looking at it wrong?

Correct. $45 and $40 respectively.