On a road trip recently, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart to fill the tank and get drinks. We were obviously traveling — everyone scurried to the restroom before we made our drink selections. At the checkout counter, we chatted away. The clerk told me the total and I handed him my credit card. Suddenly, the readout on the register jumped by $1.05 as the cashier mumbled, “That’s six drinks.”
I put my hand on the counter and got quite serious, stating, “That’s five drinks.”
He glared at me a moment then said, “Fine. I’ll take a dollar off.”
My response, “…And the tax.” Dead silence. Even the kids stopped jabbering.
He shoved the credit receipt across the counter. I signed. I crossed my arms. I waited. He gave me my nickel.
The remainder of our trip was quite lovely.
I share this little story with you not to bash the mini-mart cashier. I know that is a thankless job, standing in one place a whole shift dealing with grumpy people, screaming kids and the like. Most, I am sure, are decent, honest employees.
However, distracted patrons are easy prey for the less honest. We multitask: restroom, snacks, gas, and map checks (or at least mentally thinking to the next step), clerks can easily take advantage.
Vacationers, generally, are easy prey. It’s not just the distractions. Traveling in foreign countries and unfamiliar with the currency, clerks can adjust the total and we might not notice.
What can we do?
- Pay attention at the register. At the mini-mart, even though I was talking with the kids, I watched the cash register out of the corner of my eye and saw the change. I might easily have missed what the clerk said, but I didn’t miss the change in the total!
- Ask questions kindly if you don’t understand the total. In Paris, we needed a couple days to get comfortable with euros. I questioned a couple of charges (playing a little dumb, perhaps). While the charges in Paris were correct, the language barrier got me. The clerks were quite nice about it.
- Check your receipt before you leave the store. At the very least, count the total number of items charged to make sure it matches the number of items purchased. If it’s incorrect, you can get it fixed.
Buyer beware! Pay attention at the cash register to make sure you pay for your purchases, but not extra.
Of course, this advice works at home too. Accidental overcharges happen all the time and we pay, unaware. The holiday shopping frenzy is about to begin. Pay attention whenever you shop and pay for what you purchase and not a penny (or a nickel) more!
Gasp.. I’ve been that distracted traveler! I will take you advice and be more mindful, that can really add up!
🙂 How was San Diego?
I suck so bad in doing all those things!!! that’s why my husband always is the one who takes care of it. He’ll ask the heck out of the cashier if he sees something that it’s not right or he doesn’t understand.
It is great to have a person like that around, but sometimes I feel so embarrassed. I know I shouldn’t because it is our right to ask questions but still… I think I am too shy for those things!
Awww, that’s okay. When I’m in a rush, I don’t complain. I just deal with it. The incident I wrote about was an extreme that I could not ignore!
I think it’s hard when you’re out of the country sometimes to keep up. Czech was hard for me, but thankfully hubby caught on to the system very quickly. If he hadn’t have been along, I easily could have been cheated (though thankfully everyone we ran across on that trip was fantastic!).
Your pointers are good ones, for sure!!
Rosey, When we travel out of the country together (with the kids, especially), one of us watches the kids/life and the other watches the register. And we extend grace when we mess up — that’s part of the learning process! 🙂
I seriously need to check receipts more often. It seems like every time I actually take a minute to review one from the grocery store I notice a mistake. Thanks for the advice!
At the grocery store, I take photos of prices on items unclearly marked to show the cashier. I also group items likely to be rung up incorrectly (sale items) at the back of the belt so that I’m done unloading before the prices run through.
It is perfectly acceptable to review your receipt — even if customers stand behind you complaining — if you feel there’s been a mistake! (Though I tend to move to the customer service desk for those clerical issues)
ha! my husband take photos, too!
smart man! 🙂
I don’t do it often, but when the price is unclear, I sure do.
wonderful tip–being so busy sometimes things slip by–This weekend we had a great visit with my brother and his family—went to a arcade center–my nephew won a jackpot 500 tickets–we took the loooooooong strip right over to the ticket muncher right away–475 tickets! Its a little different then ca$h, but for kids the tickets are $$$—BUSY BUSY places always best to keep a watchful eye. =)
You are absolutely right! Keep that watchful eye. 🙂