Just Ask Georgia: 9/18/2024

Georgia, I have a question,

Am I wrong to ask a customer if she wants her penny back?

I work in a local retail establishment while figuring out the next stages of my life. At my location, a popularly purchased item is $1.99. Of my customers, 90% of them hand me $2 when purchasing said item, and 95% of those customers will leave without a word. The other 5% vocalize they don’t want the penny in change.

Towards the end of my shift today, a customer came through, purchased the item, and handed me $2 as payment. I asked her if she wanted her penny back, as sometimes the customer doesn’t immediately turn away, so I like to ask just in case.

This customer got FURIOUS and said, “Do you feel the need to ask?” I was about to explain why I asked when she cut me off and said, “You shouldn’t HAVE to ask. It’s MY penny.” After that, I wordlessly gave her the penny and told her to have a great rest of her day. She sneered at me, then left.

It frazzled me for a second, but it seems like such a mundane thing to be mad about. Should I stop asking altogether to avoid this mess in the future?

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Dear Penny,

A penny is a penny is a penny. And most of us toss them away. But some of us can be penny-pinchers. She’s right...it IS her penny. But she didn't need to snap at you, as it is a simple (and quite standard) question she could have quickly just said “yes” to and left.

In the future, I would say, “And a penny is your change,” and let the customer handle the rest.

With love, Georgia

Have a question for Georgia? Email her at whledger@gmail.com.

Please note: this column is just for fun. No person, animal, or property has ever been harmed or in danger. Satire is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”