Coupons. Learn To Use Them.

[BrenDAnn]

So, tonight must've been Coupon Moron night at the c-store. I had two different people come in with "buy a large specialty, get a medium one topping free" coupons. Neither was doing it right. One of them earned me a compliment from our uber-picky, uber-strict Area Sup, who was there all night. On to the tales.

Story the First
Woman comes up to the counter with two large pizzas. She hands me a card, and asks if we take it. It's one of our discount cards, with the special as I stated above, good for ten uses. Only problem is, she has two larges. One of them needed to be a medium. The following conversation ensues:

ME: I'm sorry, but your single topping pizza would've needed to be a medium. You got a large.
SC: Well...but...What's the single topping?
ME: You got a large **specialty** and a large pepperoni. Your pepperoni would've had to be a medium.
SC: What? But I thought she ordered a medium!
ME: **shows her the order slip** It's marked as two larges
SC: Well, what's the price difference between a medium and a large?
ME: A large is $XX.XX, and a medium is $XX.XX (basically a 50 cent difference)
SC: I'll pay the difference. Can I do that?
ME: **thinking to myself how much trouble I'd be in if I did that** No, I'm sorry, that won;t work. I'd have to scan the back of the card, and the computer won't let me do the discount that way.
SC: Oh...So...I just have to take them as they are?
ME: Yes, sorry about that
SC: Well, she should've known that when she ordered! **huffy a bit**
ME: I'm sorry about that. That'll be $XX.XX please.
SC: Oh, no, it's fine. She should've know to order a medium, I called her to tell her what to order, she should've understood that.
ME: **after her transaction is finished** Alright, well, thank you and have a good evening!

Note: this one got me the compliment. Supervisor said later that I handled the lady very well. Score for me!

Story the Second
Not long after the first lady, another lady comes to the counter to pay for her pizzas while she waits for them to be finished, with a local coupon book that has in it, you guessed it, that same special. She at least had the right size pizzas. The problem became apparent in our conversation.

SC: I'd like to pay for my pizzas now. Is that alright?
ME: Sure. What kind of pizzas did you have? (she hadn't brought the order slip up)
SC: A large mushroom with extra cheese, and a medium **single topping**
ME: Oh, I'm sorry, but your large isn't a specialty.
SC: It's not?
ME: No. A specialty would be a supreme, taco, all meat, things like that.
SC: Oh, so, I can't use the coupon?
ME: No, sorry.
SC: **sighs, but pays anyway**
ME: **thanks her, sends her on her way, shakes my head**

Seriously people, learn to read and use coupons correctly. I know, I know, it's a stretch for some people to do, but it's not THAT hard, is it? If it says large specialty, make sure you order a specialty. If it says medium single topping, make sure your single topping pizza is a medium. Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part, and I don't give discounts for stupidity. Sorry, folks!

[Mnemjian]

That's pretty awesome how your supervisor actually acknowledged you did a good job by upholding policy! Since bad sups just adore overriding policy for SC's

[bainsidhe]

As an aside, I do wish businesses would let you pay the size difference. However, I don't turn all SC on the employee either. *shrugs*

[vstorevigilante]

Coupons.... idiots do not cope well with them.

Once upon a time when I worked at the move theatre, and we had an assortment of horrible coupons to confuse people. However, the best one was the "SEE A MOVIE FOR JUST $5" coupon. Now, adult admission being $10.99, this is a deal.

99% of people mis-read this and took it to mean, $5 OFF your admission. 90% of these people were adults, so they were actually saving a dollar more than they expected, and were pleased. Until I got an old fucking hag.

SOC = sucky old lady
M = that would be me.

SOC: *hands coupon, along with $1.99.*
M: Okay, that'll be another $3, please.
SOC: What...? No, it's only$1.99
M: *catching on right away* I'm sorry, this coupon means you pay $5 for a ticket, not $5 off the price.
SOC: Yes, and senior's admission is $6.99
M: ................... Yes, but this coupon means you pay $5 for a ticket. With this coupon, a ticket is $5. It is not $5 off the admission price.
SOC: But senior's admission is only $6.99! So I gave you enough.
M: *see above. I repeated it.*
*rinse and repeat the above for FIVE ENTIRE MINUTES, no exaggeration!*
SOC: *FINALLY clueing in* Well that's a terrible deal!! It only saves less than $2!
M: *deep breaths* Well, as it explains on the coupon, it is good for an ADULT ADMISSION, the coupon is unaffected by the age of the person holding it, and even if it were for any ticket, that does not change the fact that it says, here in bold, as the title of the coupon, SEE A MOVIE FOR JUST $5.
SOC: That's ridiculous. Not a deal at all.
M: WELL, seeing as adult admission is near $11, it's actually getting like $6 off, which is great. Maybe you know a younger person you can give this to, who would appreciate it and get use out of it?
SOC: ...@#%!^#&#$^@^@^@ *hands over rest of money*

After that, my manager, who witnessed the whole thing, gave me a lollipop. Despite me being 19 at the time. She told me after that I needed/deserved it. I agreed.

Sorry this reply was so long, just felt like sharing since you clearly understand my pain I completely agree, simply READING (as well as COMPREHENDING, which I tihnk is the problem here), would stop these things from happening.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Sometimes at the swamp, we get those lovely lovely people who buy, say 23 of an item, have 23 coupons for that same item, and demand their purchase be split into 23 different transactions so they can use all 23 coupons.

No. Just...no. That would cause the checkout lines to back up to Timbuktu and require us to call for backup cashiers off the floor, who would then have to stay at the registers for quite some time while your 23 separate transactions are being rung up and paid for.

We're not going to throw our store's operations into chaos so that you can exploit a loophole.

[Geek King]

Just send her to the back of the line 22 times.

[BrenDAnn]

Yes, my management is actually good about reinforcing store policy, thank whatever deity you want to thank. Irv, the people you talk about--I'd be balling up fists to resist clocking them! Even better is the person that tried to use an expired coupon that said buy ANY large, get a medium 1 topping free. They, of course, got pissy with me, until they realized their kids had misplaced the current coupon. Much apologizing ensued on the customer's part when they showed up at the store. People should have to have a certain level of IQ to be able to use coupons, I swear!

[arminius58]

I sympathize, we have quiet a few school coupon books/cards that the schools sell. Now our owner in his infinite wisdom does not make the coupons say the same thing, so I have just got into the habit of asking them to read to me what it says on the card. I am so surprised how many throw a fit cause one they have to actually find the card, and two that they have to tell me what it says. Seriously, if your going to use a coupon make sure to actually have it handy.

[saturnz_dragon]

I like the customers who give me a coupon that's worth more than the item and expect me to give them money back. Example- A lady bought some sort of educational game for about $7 and handed me a coupon for $10.... the coupon wasn't even for the game, it was for the game system itself. I argued with her for quite some time before she finally gave up and played dumb. "Ohhhh I thought it was for the game!!!" Idiot.