Retail Hell Memories: The time the frustrated lady just threw her card at me and made me do it for her
From MangoNerd, Tales From Retail:
I work at a craft store. This particular craft store, our card machines are somewhat confusing. So when somebody inserts their card into the chip reader, the options are "VISA DEBIT" and "US DEBIT". But the actual options are the first one is when you want to run it as credit, second one for debit. I let the customer know so in the future, they won't complain about refunding and getting credit back.
Okay so this one lady, RC for rude customer, is getting ready to pay. She chooses the second option, so she wants to run it as debit. The machine and my computer are telling me she put in the incorrect pin.
Me: So according to the system, that wasn't the correct pin.
RC: That's impossible!
Me: It could've been a misclick or it could be the system's fault. I would suggest running it as credit, the first option.
RC: I KNOW THAT WAS THE CORRECT PIN.
RC proceeds to pull the card out, and start over. She chooses to run it as debit AGAIN, enters the pin, and the same INCORRECT PIN text popped up again.
RC: I DON'T GET WHAT THIS WANTS FROM ME?!?!?
Me: As I said before, you could run it as credit and just sign for it instead of entering the pin.
This is when RC just throws her card at me. Not directly at me, but she pretty much threw it like a frisbee with her fingers, it went a bit far, hit my stomach, then landed on the counter. She didn't say anything about it. Now I would've blown this off as an accident if it wasn't for her condescending attitude.
I pick up the card, insert it, choose credit, then I move the card machine back to her.
Me: Now you just confirm the purchase. Then when it prompts you, you take out your card, and SIGN.
RC does as said, and the purchase is finally done. I hand her the receipt, say "have a good day", and she's gone.
tl;dr - Our systems say that a customer's pin is wrong. I suggest to run it as credit so she just signs for it. She runs it as debit again, and the pin is apparently wrong again. She throws her card at me and I run it as CREDIT like I attempted to tell her, she signs without hassle, and she's out of there.
Thank you! My work often has the two options pop up and I never know what the difference is. I'm glad that only the staff see the message, and that our default has been credit.
Posted by: CopperPenny | Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 07:45 AM
I would've refused her service the moment she threw her card at me.
Posted by: Misty Meanor | Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 09:11 AM
If people don't know the PIN I don't give them the option to use credit. If it's their card, they know the PIN, if they don't know the PIN, it's not their card
Posted by: Flutilicious | Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 09:56 AM
Those two options mean 'Your POS is poorly programmed'. :P There is no circumstance where a credit card is properly referred to as 'debit'.
Posted by: TechTyger | Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 07:25 PM