Discounts are great. If you’re trying to stretch your money as far as possible, you’d probably look for opportunities to get discounts on everything you need.

Imagine only getting a discount if you pay with a gift card. Would you load money on the gift card to get the discount, or would you not want to deal with the hassle and pay with a credit card?

In today’s story, one customer doesn’t seem to understand that these are her options. She wants to get the discount without paying with the gift card.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

She called in a complaint to corporate about us because we would not break corporate policy for her

I work in a chain convienence store that has a gift card that gives you a $0.03 discount off each gallon of gas when used at the pump or inside.

You would not believe how many customers DO NOT UNDERSTAND the policy on this card, and how unbelievably upset they get for not getting their way (or you probably would understand, this is Tales From Retail after all).

This story is about one of these many customers.

This employee really doesn’t seem to like the store gift cards.

So this woman walks in wanting gas on a pump.

The transaction is going smoothly until I noticed that in addition to pulling out her credit card, she has also pulled out a store gift card and laid in on the counter.

Now a lot of people don’t realize that you have to pay cash to reload/put money on these cards, but she hasn’t said anything about it so i just let it slide hoping that she just gets her gas and leaves and I dont have to go through another spiel about these damn cards.

No such luck.

Nope.

Her card goes through, I tell her to have a nice day. B

efore she leaves she asks if her discount went through.

Me: “oh no ma’am, you have to use the gift card to buy the gas to get the discount.”

Lady: “oh alright, can we redo and use the card then?”

I say no problem, ring her up again, she swipes the gift card and it declines.

The lady doesn’t seem to understand.

Me: “I’m sorry ma’am, this is saying insufficient funds.”

Lady: “yes but i just want the discount.”

Me: “Well there needs to be money on here, i have no way to just give you the discount.”

Lady: “But there’s no money on there!”

Me: “…then I can’t give you a discount.”

Lady: “where is your manager?”

The situation escalates even more.

So I grab my assistant manager (AM) who repeats exactly what i said to this woman who is now asking for my general managers personal cell number.

AM explains we cannot and will not give her that information, which absolutely baffles miss rude.

She then asks us to CALL HIM until he picks up so that she can personally talk to him, and when that doesn’t work she asks for corporate.

By this time I walk away, as shes now telling my AM that I was extremely rude as she didn’t know who was open (my cashier was helping another customer, I was in the back but walked up when she approached the register) and she couldve sworn I was lying to her because She felt “something wasn’t right”.

The lady was still upset.

So i go on break, she calls corporate and goes back to her car.

I come back just in time for her to come back for a receipt for whoever is on the phone, AND a receipt for her money going back on her card, because she doesnt believe we actually told her the truth (when we refund gas from a card it can take up to 30 minutes to reappear in your bank account). Which she can only get from her bank. Which again, she doesn’t believe me and demands a manager.

After talking to AM, she rants about how she passed up [major grocery store] gas station specifically for OUR prices and were going to be VERY SORRY about lying to her and we are ALL LOSING OUR JOBS before she finally stormed out and drove off.

Honestly, that gift card/discount situation sounds messed up. They should have a separate gift card and a separate discount card. That would make life easier for everyone.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

The gift cards are the real problem.

She can’t really get anyone fired.

I’m not sure if this would work, but it might help. I’m sure some customers still wouldn’t read the sign.

It’s not like she was really saving that much.

That’s a lot of drama for 3 cents a gallon!

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.