Ad =/= coupon

[XCashier]

Our company’s website is set up so that if you sign up for them, it sends e-mails with ads of upcoming sales and coupons. Well, this customer printed out the first page of the e-mail, advertising the coupon, but not the coupon itself (I don't get the e-mails, so I'm not sure how it works, but I think there's a link in the e-mail to go to the coupon page.) She did this four times. Then she came to my register.

SC: I wish to use this coupon on this book.
ME: Ma’am, this is not the coupon, I need the coupon with the barcode.
SC: This is what was sent to me! I printed it off, four times, and this is what printed!
ME: I can’t use this, ma’am, I’m sorry. I need the actual coupon with the barcode.
SC: (getting angry) Well, you've just lost a customer for your store! I’ll never go to any Fabric Store, ever again!

She threw the book and the paper down and stomped out. The customers after her thought she was out of line and said so. A few minutes later, she came back in, waving the other three copies she’d printed out.

SC: See, this is what printed out! I did it four times and this is what I got!
ME: Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I do need an actual coupon. That’s just the ad.

She stomped out again. Later, I told a manager what happened, in case she called and complained. The manager said I was right, that I needed the actual coupon with code, and that 99% of people who complain never take it up the ladder.

[Trixie]

Every so often we get wastes of paper from our Catalina printers (don't really have words for how much I hate all those coupons unless it's one I'm using) that will be advertising some future sale. It clearly says NOT A REDEEMABLE COUPON across the top yet people still try to come in and use them.

One time someone tried to use it with the cashier next to me and luckily I was too busy to step in and correct them. I've learned my lesson to keep my mouth shut. And it got so far as to call a manager up and even then neither of them figured out it wasn't a coupon and gave the guy the sale price.

Inside I was screaming "It's not a fucking coupon!! Have you all forgotten how to read??" I think I also died a little inside after that transaction. People just don't get it that coupons have barcodes. And barcodes are the secret to everything in retail.

[Mr Hero]

I get a few promotional emails every once in a while to stores I frequent. The way they generally work is the email itself shows me what the promotion is, then has a link for a printable coupon. Not hard to read directions.

[notalwaysright]

Haha, wouldn't it have been funny to tell her that even if she HAD correctly printed the coupon, you couldn't accept duplicate coupons? So you'd only be able to take one of them? She'd have murdered you.

I actually thought the coupon did show up on the email, without having to go to a separate page, because I've brought up the email on my phone and the coupon was there. So I dunno what she printed, maybe it spanned two pages and she just printed page one. Also, did she say "wish"?

[XCashier]

I actually thought the coupon did show up on the email, without having to go to a separate page, because I've brought up the email on my phone and the coupon was there. So I dunno what she printed, maybe it spanned two pages and she just printed page one.

You're probably right. I don't have a smartphone myself, but I do recall having to scroll way down on customer's phones to find the coupon. So she's probably got her printer set to print only page one for some reason.

Also, did she say "wish"?

I'm terrible at remembering dialogue. This is the best I remember it. She did, however, say,

SC: (getting angry) Well, you've just lost a customer for your store! I’ll never go to any Fabric Store, ever again!

That one, I remember correctly, because it was so bizarre.

[MoonCat]

In talking to customers who are having trouble with our website, I've noticed that a large number of them seem to have difficulty with the concept that the entire page doesn't necessarily show on their screen all at once. It's like "Scroll down? OHHHHHH there it is!!!!!"

And most of them don't bother to read the instructions, either.

Likely explains why the customer in the OP couldn't find the actual coupon.

[OneMoreTime]

Do you really expect customers to READ????