Thursday, July 31, 2008

Help Wanted--Math Skills Not Required

Welcome to Sonic; may I take your order?

Yeah, can I get a Route 44 Strawberry Limeade?

That'll be $2.15.

Thanks.

I consider swiping my credit card right there at the ordering kiosk but decide to pay cash instead. After a few minutes a young carhop walks up to my window.


Here's your limeade. Would you like your credit card receipt?

I didn't use a credit card.

Oh.... (She looks at the receipt in confusion.) The total was $6.57, right?

"$6.57?! Are limeades now petroleum-based?" I refrain from asking.

No, I just got the drink. It was $2.15. (I hand her $5 and some change and decide to be helpful.) I'll just need $3 back.

Okay.

She hands me the $3 and I wonder how much I could have gotten away with asking her for. Maybe I could've made money on this deal....

4 comments:

Caroline said...

Gah, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. When living in Virginia once I had a drive through experience like this...

"Welcome to Wendy's can I take your order."

"Just a moment, please."

"That will be $6.08, please pull around."


Most expensive moment of my life.

Angie said...

I get so annoyed with stuff like this! What's sad is that I've seen people pull out their cell to do the math to see how much change I should get! Yes, I've told cashiers as well. Usually they just believe me, I guess I have an honest face.

Becky said...

Wow...just wow.

On the subject of Sonic, is tipping generally expected (assuming you have GOOD service)? We just *finally* got our first here in Minnesota, and I was unsure how that works, since a carhop brings out the food and all.

C. Beth said...

LOL, Caroline.

Angie, with our honest faces, we should come up with some really great con. Great way to pay for our kids' educations.

Becky--You can tip at Sonic but tips are usually pretty small. I think the most common thing is to just let them "keep the change" as in actual coins. In fact I've had carhops not even offer me the coin portion of my change. Yesterday I gave about 50 cents as a tip because it was just a drink. But there's no space on the credit card receipt for tipping so if I don't have cash I end up not tipping and even when I apologize they don't seem to think it's a big deal.