Me: “No, sir, I need you to write a new check. This one is illegible and I can’t accept it into my till.”
Pink Guy: “Screw you! Fine, forget the cash-back. I’ll just pay with my card.”
(He pulls the card out, and swipes it. But it’s too fast, I have to hit a button first.)
Me: “Okay, your card is ready to swipe.”
Pink Guy: “I already swiped it.”
Me: “I wasn’t ready in time, sorry. I have to hit a button for it to take. It’s ready now, though.”
Pink Guy: “The machine said it was ready!”
Me: “That’s the default screen. It always says that. I know it’s irritating. I wish they’d change it.”
(He swipes his card again, and poises with his pen. I expect him to start with the card transaction, but notice he’s still standing there after a second.)
Pink Guy: “Well?”
(I look at my screen, and realize it hasn’t taken the card still. I clear it and prime it again.)
Me: “Try it again, please?”
Pink Guy: “No! You’ll charge me twice!”
Me: “It won’t charge you twice. I promise. It only charges when you approve the amount and sign.”
Pink Guy: “If it charges me twice I’ll get you fired.”
Me: “I promise. It won’t charge you twice.”
(He poises with the card and practically stares me down as if judging the worth of my soul as he slides the card through. It’s then I notice the magnet strip is in his fingers.)
Me: “May I see your card, sir?”
Pink Guy: *apparently giving up, he responds less angrily than I expected* “Take it.”
(I take the card and swipe it through the correct way, setting it on the counter. Once again he poises with the pen, waiting for the prompt, and again, I notice it’s taking him a tad longer than other people. I look at the screen just as he comments.)
Pink Guy: “It’s still not doing anything.”
(I pick up his card, and take in a breath. It’s a ditch effort, but I enter the card number manually. No dice. I hand his card back.)
Me: “I’m sorry sir, your card won’t go through. Do you have another method of payment?” (It has been rejected.)
Pink Guy: “What the h***!” *literally throws the card at me, hitting my chest, and I catch it* “That’s a new f****** card! Of course it’ll take! Your computer is stupid!”
Me: “I’m sorry, sir.”
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