Venting....

I am a firm believer in having my ducks in a row... ALWAYS. Whenever I go to Walmart, Kroger, Target, Loft, or wherever, I put my stuff on the counter, get my debit card out, run it the through the machine, and once my stuff is in the bags, I have paid for my items and am ready to go. I am not still looking for my checkbook, debit card, asking questions about prices, etc.

So, today I run in Charming Charlies on my lunch hour.. If you are not familiar with this store, it is mostly an accessory store, i.e, jewelry, scarves, sunglasses, but it also has shoes and clothes. I make my selections and get in line. I am actually second in line, but I do see another customer standing to the left of the cash register, instead of to the right of the register, and I determine either she thinks getting in the proper lines does not apply to her, or she has never shopped there before. Turns out, she thinks lines don't apply to her AND she has NEVER shopped there before. This is the conversation between her and the cashier:

Customer: I need this gift wrapped.

Cashier: Sorry ma'am we don't gift wrap.

Customer: Really? But it is a birthday present. What am I supposed to do?

Cashier: I can put tissue paper in the nice bag we provide for purchases.

Customer: (LONG HESITATION) Well, that doesn't sound very presentable. Can you put a bow on the bag?

Cashier: We don't have bows. We don't gift wrap. (apparently customer is hard of hearing)..

Customer: Can you take the price tags off?

Cashier: I can mark through them. We need to leave tags on in case she needs to return the items for any reason.

Customer: (puts on her reading glasses and very intently watches him mark through prices on ALL FIVE ITEMS SHE WAS PURCHASING.)

Cashier: Your total is $$$$.

Customer: I need to pay $15.00 in cash and put the rest on my debit card. (at this point she hands him her debit card, when there is very obviously a machine she will have to master all by herself TO THE RIGHT OF THE REGISTER)...

Cashier: That is fine. Please swipe your card.

Customer: (Proceeds to move her things to the RIGHT OF THE REGISTER where she needed to be to begin with, and FINALLY swipes her card.)

Cashier: Do you want your receipt in the bag?

Customer: Do I need a receipt?

Cashier: If the person needs to exchange the items, she will need the receipt.

Customer: Well, should I put it in the bag with the gift?

Cashier: If the person needs to exchange the items, she will need the receipt.

Customer: Well then, I guess I will put it in the bag. (At this point she FINALLY TAKES HER BAG AND STARTS WALKING TOWARD THE DOOR, AND I am about to give her a push to get her moving!!!! Not really, but I wanted too!!!)

I pay for my items in less than 1 minutes and head to the door. The greeter at the door tells the customer to have a good day. Customer proceeds to tell the greeter her bag does not look like a birthday present and apparently she will now have to go somewhere else to have the items wrapped. I walk past her and leave the store before I lose my cool and tell her a small child WILL NOT CARE IF HER GIFT IS WRAPPED!!! SHE ONLY CARES ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THE BAG!!! GOOD GRIEF!!!! Trust me, I know this. I have a female child, and the way the package is wrapped HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE!!! CONTENTS, CONTENTS, CONTENTS!!! That is what is important.

Can you imagine dealing with her on a daily basis???

Now, I feel much better!