I always try to have an idea how much my bill should be when I get to the register, anywhere.
I saw some Gingerbread houses at Joann's the other week and I asked an employee if I could use my 40% off coupon on that kit. Sure you can. I get to register and I'm watching the small screen on the charge card scanner and I see that the 40% came off a $3 item. I asked why it wasn't off the GB house? She didn't know and she couldn't change anything and the managers were on lunch. There was a man working the register besides her and he had no customers. I said excuse me but can you tell me why the discount is coming off the $3 item and not the G-house. He said it should and he starts to read the register as best as you can, and I told them both again that the person on the floor said I could use my coupon on the G-house. He says who can we call? and then decideds to call for help. Guess who the help is? The person I asked on the floor if the coupon is good on the house!!! She looks again at the register info and discovers that the house is on sale, although NO SALE SIGN was posted at the houses. I asked what is it on sale for? A dollar less than the sign price! I said that's no sale, settled for the % off the $3 item (since I knew everything else I had was at sale price and those coupons are not good on sale items!) and proceeded to pay me bill. I had a gift card. The original clerk tells me to run the card thru the scanner in front of me. She works there, I did what she said and the card doesn't scan. Try it again and it doesn't work. By this time the line is long and the man is waiting on customers and the person that was called off the floor was waiting on customers. My clerk waits till that clerk is finished with her customer and asks her why my card doesn't scan. That clerk says you have to run gift cards thru the register - the other scanner is only for credit cards. Ok, my bill is paid. I'm ready to leave and my clerk says don't forget your gingerbreadhouse. I could have walked off with it but reminded her "don't you remember I said take it off my bill - I did not want it?" Oh yeah, thanks she says. From all my readings on this board, I KNOW there may issues at Joann's so I stay aware of what is going on with my bill and try to stay calm. And this can happen at any store!
By the way, as I was waiting for help at the register, another customer didn't have a coupon and since I had the one I printed off the computer and was an extra for me, I gave it to her. She was more thankful than the employees!!