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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-02-25, 14:20

Okay, so let's say you're at a restaurant and they overcharge you in some small way — you order three cookies and they give you three but charge you for four, say. It's fast food, so you get your receipt with your food, and notice the error immediately. Do you:

A) Go back up to the register with your receipt and make the person re-ring the transaction and give you back the cost of the fourth cookie, on principle

B) Go back up to the register with your receipt and just ask for the fourth cookie, so the person doesn't have to mess with the computer

C) Do nothing and go on with your day

???

I'm trying to calibrate my behavior to societal norms, here (and yes, I'm aware the normal thing to do isn't post about it on the Internet, ha ha). My instinct would be to do nothing, but I'm worried I'm a pushover. I want to develop self-confidence, so I can be a success at life, but I don't want to be a dick.

If it matters, assume that you're eating alone.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2011-02-25, 14:23

Depends on the mood I'm in. Depending on my mood, I could see doing any of the above options.
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Noel
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Chicago
 
2011-02-25, 14:29

Saying something doesn't necessitate being a dick. Just be polite and understanding about it; don't imply any blame on the cashier.

Edit: It's times like this that Minnesota Nice comes in handy. Just don't be Minnesota Too-Nice (i.e. a pushover).
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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Send a message via Skype™ to PB PM 
2011-02-25, 14:31

Personally I'd just go for B, mistakes happen and it's not worth making a big fuss.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2011-02-25, 14:32

You've got the receipt that clearly shows you've been charged for four. You've not waited nine days to go back and claim money or a free cookie, right? You noticed it right then. You've got every right to ask for the money back or a fourth cookie.

How is that being a dick? As long as you don't act like one, screaming and carrying on like an idiot or making loud threats or a scene like some assbag, you're simply asking to be treated right, and getting what you pay for (or not paying for what you didn't get, in this case).

There is plenty of middle-ground between "being a dick" and "being a pushover". Stake out some nice territory somewhere in that span - where you stand up for yourself in a polite, mature way - and you'll be okay.

Option "B" is what I'd do. It's easiest, quickest, doesn't involve a manager coming over with the key and having to do a bunch of voids and crazy stuff. And you may be happy to have a fourth surprise cookie later that evening.
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billybobsky
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Inner Swabia. If you have to ask twice, don't.
 
2011-02-25, 14:35

Depends upon the cost and duration of separation between purchasing item. Low cost and immediately, I ask for a correction of the bill. Low cost and much later, I don't. High cost, I will always ask for a correction...
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Brave Ulysses
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2011-02-25, 14:40

huh? Why is this even an issue? Just go ask for the 4th cookie.

What's the big deal?
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2011-02-25, 14:41

Option B, extra cookies ftw
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2011-02-25, 14:41

Yeah, he's right. You gotta factor in cost, time involved/elapsed, etc. But in your situation, Robo, you noticed it on the spot. You could've just asked for that fourth cookie. I imagine the guy at the register's pay isn't tied to that in any real way, and would've had no problem doing it.
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Dorian Gray
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2011-02-25, 14:45

There is no wrong answer, Robo. Though I would be more likely to choose A or C than B.

Last edited by Dorian Gray : 2011-02-25 at 19:28. Reason: gibberish
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thegelding
feeling my oats
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: there are nice people here...that makes me happy
Send a message via AIM to thegelding  
2011-02-25, 14:47

Go Rambo on the cookie scamming bastard.


I actually never look at receipts...but i'm a bit geeky and would know the price of 3 cookies with tax ahead of time and been surprised at the register by the price...

then the question becomes, would i just pay knowing the price is off...or would i politely correct the cashier...or would i just walk off sans cookies?

g

crazy is not a rare human condition

everything is food if you chew hard enough
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-02-25, 15:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
You've got the receipt that clearly shows you've been charged for four. You've not waited nine days to go back and claim money or a free cookie, right? You noticed it right then. You've got every right to ask for the money back or a fourth cookie.

How is that being a dick? As long as you don't act like one, screaming and carrying on like an idiot or making loud threats or a scene like some assbag, you're simply asking to be treated right, and getting what you pay for (or not paying for what you didn't get, in this case).
I don't know. I guess the amount is so small that asking about it does have a certain amount of stickler-ness to it. But that's fine, right? I'm not made of money, and small or not, that cookie is rightfully mine.

I went up and asked for the fourth cookie. I was practically apologizing for myself the entire time (though I didn't say I was sorry) but I'm still counting this as a personal victory. +1 Self-Confidence.

Of course, now I'm not hungry any more.

I'm not sure people without anxiety can really understand what it's like, the constant second-guessing and lack of self-trust. Like, I had to mentally rehearse what I was going to say ("Don't apologize...Say 'I think I was overcharged' instead of 'You overcharged me'...don't apologize...") and sort of "work up" to going up and asking for my damn cookie. And I actually had to go up there twice, because the first time I chickened out. (I was getting a refill, so it's not like I just stood there, moth agape, and walked out of line.) I'm sure that sounds pathetic, but I'm trying.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Moogs
Hates the Infotainment
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
 
2011-02-25, 15:15

Errrr... If you'd already eaten all the cookies and then notice the discrepancy, I probably would not say anything because it would look like you are pan-handling for free cookies.

OTOH, if in the future you check the receipt as soon as you sit down and then notice, yeah... just take it back up there with your tray and say "I notice the charge was four cookies, but I only got three... any chance I could get that extra one so you don't have to mess with the register?"

If they say no then you can be a dick and say "You clearly have a problem with basic addition; why don't you go get your manager so I can recommend a set of duties that doesn't require punching numeric keypads, as it confuses you. And also he's going to give me my cookie and that's really going to make you look stupid."

...into the light of a dark black night.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-02-25, 15:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by thegelding View Post
I actually never look at receipts...but i'm a bit geeky and would know the price of 3 cookies with tax ahead of time and been surprised at the register by the price...

then the question becomes, would i just pay knowing the price is off...or would i politely correct the cashier...or would i just walk off sans cookies?

g
I'm a bit geeky too (and Oregon has no sales tax, which makes mental math easy). I did notice the price was higher than expected as I ordered (which was why I looked at the receipt), but I thought they might have just raised their prices (not all their prices are listed on the menu) and I wasn't given a receipt until after my order was bagged. Needless to say, this place isn't one of those places that has a big LCD that shows you an itemized breakdown of your order.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moogs View Post
Errrr... If you'd already eaten all the cookies and then notice the discrepancy, I probably would not say anything because it would look like you are pan-handling for free cookies.
I brought the bag of cookies up with me, but from what I gather, the "pressed cookie button four times instead of three" error happens quite often at this establishment; they pretty much asked me if I wanted the fourth cookie or my money back with no questions asked (to their credit).

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Windswept
On Pacific time
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Moderator's Pub
 
2011-02-25, 18:37

This isn't an answer to 'your' question, but a 'wrong change' incident happened to me a few months back. Clearly an intentional incident, however.

I always figure out what my change will be ahead of time, just for the heck of it. This time, I gave the drive-thru cashier a $20 bill and should have received $18.53 in change.

The cashier handed me the change, and said: "Your change is $15.53." I looked at the money lying in my out-stretched hand and just said "Uhhh...", with my eyebrows raised in surprise.

After a moment passed, with my hand still out holding the money and my mouth speechless, the cashier reached over to the side of the register, picked up three dollars that had been sitting there, and without a word, handed me the $3 that she had apparently planned to keep for herself. I just took the money, gave her an odd look, and drove to the next window to pick up my food. (This was a McDonald's, btw.)

When I got home, I called the phone number on the receipt and explained to the manager what had happened. I said that I felt sure he didn't want his employees cheating his customers, that if she had done this to 'me', she probably had been short-changing people on a regular basis, and said I hoped that he would do something about the incident.

Well, she certainly didn't get fired, because I saw her there afterwards. I hope the manager put her on probation or something, because she was certainly guilty of petty theft. Frankly, I could never look her in the eye later, because I really loathe people who steal from others. It makes me sick.

And she's probably still cheating people, because so many don't check their change. Tsk. Not checking your change just enables these creeps to continue cheating customers. Please... check your change.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-02-25, 19:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by Windswept View Post
This isn't an answer to 'your' question, but a 'wrong change' incident happened to me a few months back. Clearly an intentional incident, however.

I always figure out what my change will be ahead of time, just for the heck of it. This time, I gave the drive-thru cashier a $20 bill and should have received $18.53 in change.

The cashier handed me the change, and said: "Your change is $15.53." I looked at the money lying in my out-stretched hand and just said "Uhhh...", with my eyebrows raised in surprise.
Wait, you bought $1.47 worth of stuff and the cashier thought she could pretend you bought $4.47 worth of stuff? Like, three times as much?

Does that work on people?

I've never really gotten ripped off (unless you count this cookie), but I've been to places where the employees are ripping off the store. Like, if you're at a place where drinks are an even dollar? A lot of the time, if you order just a soda and you're paying with cash, the employee will take your dollar and hand you a cup...but not ring up the transaction, 'cause they just pocket the money. I don't really care, though, I mean I paid for the soda* and if the minimum-wage employee wants to pocket it, that's his deal. Though I suppose that might be one reason sodas are usually a buck and change now. If you need change, they have to use the register.

*) My ultimate pet peeve — okay, one of them — is people who steal soda from the fountain. Once I saw an entire family walk into a McDonald's with like eight gallon jugs and those ginormous Double Gulps, the hard plastic ones with the handles, and they filled up all of them at the fountain, like the were having a party or something. And the cashier just sort of watched them, apparently powerless to say anything. I was like, seriously? Like, I wanted to smack them. With one of their Double Gulps.

I'm turning into a curmudgeon.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2011-02-25, 19:32

Come on in, the water's fine.

Actually, I'm trying to walk a fine line where I've not given up completely on the species, however nothing really surprises me anymore and I pretty much figure people are going to be weinees if/when the situation allows. But I always love it when they choose not to. It's great to see people walk away from trouble and stupid situations, do the right thing, act right in traffic, stores, movie theaters, etc.

It all kinda seems to balance out.
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tomoe
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
 
2011-02-25, 19:34

Funny that you started this thread because I experienced an inadvertent overcharge at the grocery store this evening. Bought a Spanish onion ($0.89/pound) but was charged for a yellow onion (1.29/pound). I (politely) said to the cashier, "Oh, that's Spanish onion, not a yellow one". She was apologetic and corrected the price.

That said, I apply the same policy as billybobsky when I'm shopping.

Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch
He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
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addison
Formerly “AWM”
 
Join Date: May 2009
 
2011-02-25, 19:34

If your goal is to develop self confidence and not be a pushover then clearly the answer is A. You ordered three but were charged for four. If you wanted four you would have ordered four. Little events like these are good steppingstones for what you are trying to accomplish.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2011-02-25, 20:26

If we're restricting the question to fast food places, the $$ in question is almost always small enough that I don't care between A and B, and will tell them to do whatever's easier for them (usually B). If I go through the drive-through and don't discover the error until I get home, C becomes an option, But I'll tell them about next time I go through. So far everyone's always taken care of me.

When I was a kid, people who did wrong were punished, restricted, and forbidden. Now, when someone does wrong, all of the rest of us are punished, restricted, and forbidden... and the one who did the wrong is counselled and "understood" and fed ice cream.
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thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2011-02-25, 21:16

Small error probably A or B (maybe C depends on how small, my mood, cashier, etc)

Large error always A.

If you let people get away with too much in life, you will be seen as a pushover, be polite but firm nice guys usually win. (and don't get the piss taken that often)

I used to be undecided.....But now I'm not so sure.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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