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Today I was picking up some groceries which totaled $22. I pulled out a $100 to pay, the elderly cashier gave me my change and I was on my way. I almost made it to the door looked at the money in my hand and thought it felt like too much so I counted it and sure enough she had given me $20 too much.
I thought about it for a minute and decided to take the high road and went back to her. She had a line of customers but looked at me like maybe she didn't give me the correct change. I told her she gave me too much which really surprised her. She counted it out once again, thanked me and I was on my way.
Taking the high road as I call it is not always the easy route but deep down it is the right way to go plus the cashier was elderly and I thought that she might get into trouble for being short at the end of her shift.
The question/debate is What would you have done?
What if the cashier was some punk surly kid and not a nice elderly woman?
Today I was picking up some groceries which totaled $22. I pulled out a $100 to pay, the elderly cashier gave me my change and I was on my way. I almost made it to the door looked at the money in my hand and thought it felt like too much so I counted it and sure enough she had given me $20 too much.
I thought about it for a minute and decided to take the high road and went back to her. She had a line of customers but looked at me like maybe she didn't give me the correct change. I told her she gave me too much which really surprised her. She counted it out once again, thanked me and I was on my way.
Taking the high road as I call it is not always the easy route but deep down it is the right way to go plus the cashier was elderly and I thought that she might get into trouble for being short at the end of her shift.
The question/debate is What would you have done?
What if the cashier was some punk surly kid and not a nice elderly woman?
Well, I know I will be criticized for my response...I have been before. But...
For me it depends on the clerk. Good clerk, polite, friendly. Okay, I would be honest and point out the mistake.
A clerk who is not paying attention to their job or who is rude...well, it's not my job to do their job. They're being paid to pay attention. Heck, in most such jobs now they don't have to actually ring anything up, just scan; they don't have to do any calculation. If you can't do that basic a job nowadays, you don't deserve having the customer helping you.
Honesty stands on its own - you either are or you're not. It shouldn't be situational, and even less based on the personality of the person who would most be affected. Cashiers have to tally up their cash drawer at night and any discrepancy may well be taken out of their pay. I wouldn't want to cause that no matter who it was.
Today I was picking up some groceries which totaled $22. I pulled out a $100 to pay, the elderly cashier gave me my change and I was on my way. I almost made it to the door looked at the money in my hand and thought it felt like too much so I counted it and sure enough she had given me $20 too much.
I thought about it for a minute and decided to take the high road and went back to her. She had a line of customers but looked at me like maybe she didn't give me the correct change. I told her she gave me too much which really surprised her. She counted it out once again, thanked me and I was on my way.
Taking the high road as I call it is not always the easy route but deep down it is the right way to go plus the cashier was elderly and I thought that she might get into trouble for being short at the end of her shift.
The question/debate is What would you have done?
What if the cashier was some punk surly kid and not a nice elderly woman?
I've been in this situations many times and I've always returned the overage. They do get 'docked' if their register comes up short, so I wouldn't want that to happen, they get paid so little usually.
I especially recall the couple of times when the cashier became 'peeved' when I've approached them announcing that an error was made (assuming I was going to say they shorted ME they jumped right on the defensive train). They were more irritated than thankful that I fixed their mistake. LOL. That's on them.
I'm kinda' with the poster #2. One time long ago I had a cashier that was about as ditzy as she could get, I got annoyed with her (but didn't snarl at her), and afterwards I noticed that she gave me too much. I kept it.
But I've almost always chosen the honest road and given it back.
I try not to base my behavior off other people's behavior. I'd give it back.
Something similar happened to me at a currency exchange office in Australia when I was a teen. The lady gave me $100 Australian money more than my US dollars were worth.
Maybe a surly or disinterested cashier could maybe learn something from a person going back and saying, 'Hey, you overpaid me. Better be careful or they'll think you're stealing from the till."
Maybe if she knew how to count money, she would have a retirement egg and not need to work?
Credit cards are the way to pay, get 5% back plus they dont think too hard to count change
Keep it, its a tip. Everyone seems to want a 20% tip, so that's yours for shopping there
Do you ever give back part of it? Instead of full amount
... And if the situation were reversed and you paid $20 too much ... and later noticed the difference -- would you also consider that a "tip?' -- or would you want your $20 back?
If it's a small, mom and pop store, I'll give it back every time. Wallmart...probably not. An insurance company...hell no!
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