So it's a Saturday afternoon, and as usual the store is packed and we're all run off our feet. In the midst of it all occurs this little gem.
Me:
SCL: Soil Conditioner Lady
R: Supervisor
SCL brings a trolley to my till, with a few bits and pieces plus two large bags of 'Soil Conditioner and Improver'.
Me : *noticing price of the conditioner as I ring it up* Wow, £19.99! I didn't realise that stuff cost so much!
SCL: I know, that's why I was so pleased to see that I can get 2 bags for that price.
Me : *looks at screen - I have put in the amount as 2, but there is no discount showing* It doesn't seem to be putting the deal through... *goes to next screen - still no discount showing*
Me: Did it say Buy one get one free on the shelving?
SCL: No, it says it here on the front of the bag, look!
She points to the bottom part of the bag. It says "400 m2 for £19.99" (the 2 after the m is superscripted, but this keyboard can't do that, you'll have to imagine it)
Me : Ah no, what that says is "400 square metres for £19.99. You get 400 square metres of coverage for £19.99, is what they mean.
SCL: *shakes her head* NO, that says "400 metres, 2 for £19.99". That's how I read it.
Me: *thinks... help...* But the 2 is superscripted, that's the usual abbreviation for square metres.
SCL: They don't write it like that where I come from!
Me: *hits the PA button* Supervisor to Till 12, please.
Enter the cheery person known as R.
R: How can I help?
Me: There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether this should be selling for £19.99 for two bags.
R: *looks at product* No, not for this, we have deals on our compost and hard landscaping, but not this.
SCL: The bag says "2 for £19.99! Right there, look!
R: *looks* No, that says 400 square metres for £19.99.
SCL: NO! Look! 400 metres, 2 for £19.99!
R: But 'square metres' is always written like that....
SCL: Not where I come from!
R: Well... that is a pretty universal way of writing it....
SCL: Not where I come from!
R: *realises that argument will get him nowhere* Well I'll leave it with you, but that is the common way of writing squared metres...
SCL: *does cbf as she realises that she is not getting the second bag free* I'll just have the one bag then.
R hoists the other bag on his shoulder and takes it away. SCL pays for her shopping but with a lot of discontented muttering under her breath.
A minute or two later, R comes past my till again and says, "Did I step into a parallel universe just then?"
Help me here, people - I thought it was the accepted way everywhere to write it like that, certainly in the UK, or am I wrong?
Me:
SCL: Soil Conditioner Lady
R: Supervisor
SCL brings a trolley to my till, with a few bits and pieces plus two large bags of 'Soil Conditioner and Improver'.
Me : *noticing price of the conditioner as I ring it up* Wow, £19.99! I didn't realise that stuff cost so much!
SCL: I know, that's why I was so pleased to see that I can get 2 bags for that price.
Me : *looks at screen - I have put in the amount as 2, but there is no discount showing* It doesn't seem to be putting the deal through... *goes to next screen - still no discount showing*
Me: Did it say Buy one get one free on the shelving?
SCL: No, it says it here on the front of the bag, look!
She points to the bottom part of the bag. It says "400 m2 for £19.99" (the 2 after the m is superscripted, but this keyboard can't do that, you'll have to imagine it)
Me : Ah no, what that says is "400 square metres for £19.99. You get 400 square metres of coverage for £19.99, is what they mean.
SCL: *shakes her head* NO, that says "400 metres, 2 for £19.99". That's how I read it.
Me: *thinks... help...* But the 2 is superscripted, that's the usual abbreviation for square metres.
SCL: They don't write it like that where I come from!
Me: *hits the PA button* Supervisor to Till 12, please.
Enter the cheery person known as R.
R: How can I help?
Me: There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether this should be selling for £19.99 for two bags.
R: *looks at product* No, not for this, we have deals on our compost and hard landscaping, but not this.
SCL: The bag says "2 for £19.99! Right there, look!
R: *looks* No, that says 400 square metres for £19.99.
SCL: NO! Look! 400 metres, 2 for £19.99!
R: But 'square metres' is always written like that....
SCL: Not where I come from!
R: Well... that is a pretty universal way of writing it....
SCL: Not where I come from!
R: *realises that argument will get him nowhere* Well I'll leave it with you, but that is the common way of writing squared metres...
SCL: *does cbf as she realises that she is not getting the second bag free* I'll just have the one bag then.
R hoists the other bag on his shoulder and takes it away. SCL pays for her shopping but with a lot of discontented muttering under her breath.
A minute or two later, R comes past my till again and says, "Did I step into a parallel universe just then?"
Help me here, people - I thought it was the accepted way everywhere to write it like that, certainly in the UK, or am I wrong?
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