Standing in Line

Today, I stood in line at a local store of a large national retail chain. I have gotten in the habit of paying off the credit card we use there each month, because for the life of me, I cannot keep the due date straight in my head. In spite of post-its. In spite of my software's helpful pop-up warnings that "you have bills that are due within the next five days." I actually need a pop-up to say, "Hey stupid, pay it NOW!!!" But I digress.

At the head of the line was a very pushy woman, demanding that the Customer Service person accept a return.

Pushy Customer (PC): I wanna return these items.

Customer Service Representative (CSR): Do you have a receipt?

PC: No. But I bought them with my store credit card.

CSR: Do you have your store credit card.

PC: No. But I have some ID.

[CSR enters said ID into the computer.)

CSR: I cannot find you in the system. Is the address correct on your ID?

PC: No, I moved.

CSR: What is your correct address?

PC: Why do you want that?

CSR: So I can look up your credit card in the system.

PC: [Gives allegedly updated information.]

CSR: Here it is. What would you like to return?

PC: These. (Opens plastic bag from a grocery store to display some opened packages of underwear.)

CSR: OK, let me scan these. (Scans them.) I'm sorry, ma'am, we do not seem to carry this brand.

PC: But I bought them here!!!

CSR: But ma'am, you live in (a town some 45 miles from here.)

PC: I was just passing through that day.

CSR: Do you have a receipt?

PC: No!! Look it up!

CSR: I did, ma'am. And there is nothing on the receipt on the computer that shows this brand being purchased here.

PC: Well, the computer must be wrong!

CSR: Ma'am, if you had the original receipt, or even a gift receipt, I might be able to help you.

PC: Well, the salesperson didn't give me the original receipt.

Being an intuitive guy, I begin to see where this is going, and that even though the due date for my credit card payment is still a few days off, at this rate, I may not make it.

So I begin to think to myself, "What are my options?"

One, go pay my credit card bill at another cash register in the store. Two, I could leave and come back later. Three, I should really shop at a store that has customers THAT HAVE A CLUE!!!! Four, I could give this woman the $8.75 she is owed and call it a charitable donation. Charity not to her, but to the small crowd formed behind us. All the while, I admire that the CSR is unbelievably patient, kind, and generous to this obnoxious PC. Not at all like the cartoon below.

I am a wimp, and I hate lines. I choose option one.