So anyway, I do my shopping and pick out something in my price range that I think she'd like. I take it up to the counter, absently nodding at the lady there shopping who expresses positive noises at me for purchasing something for my wife (or for some unnamed woman, as the product is obviously not suited for me, even if I were to use it for a cross-gender purpose.) (Side Note A: I obviously don't want the wife to figure out what it is.) (Side Note B: Is it really THAT big a deal for a dude to purchase something for a chick? I go to the store FAR more often than my wife does, for a number of reasons. So I'll buy shampoo or tampons or whatever, if she needs `em. But women, usually older ladies, act like I am the second coming of Christ. I don't get it.) Anyway, I had this exchange with the sales clerk:
Me: (Placing object on sales counter) Umm...
Her: Did you find everything--- (interrupted by me)
Me: MMM...ummmm...ummm.....(trying to remember what I'm trying to say. I hate getting older and forgetting how to say what I mean)...oh! Gift Receipt.
Her: We don't have them.
Me: (double take.) What? Really?
Her: Yeah, we don't do them, at all.
Me: Seriously? That's odd. Well, can you print an extra copy of the receipt to put with the gift?
Her: No. I would have no way of doing that.
Me: (obviously incredulous) REALLY? Wow...Seriously?
Her: *shakes head*
Me: Wow...that's pretty pathetic.
Her: (taken aback) ...
Me: I mean, EVERYONE does gift receipts now.
Her: (offended) Well, we're just a (type) store...
Me: Yeah, but...seriously...
Her: (offended so short to the point of rude) Slide card. Sign Paper. Receipt in bag? Thanks.
And, out I go. Now, I didn't apologize and I wasn't going to...why? Well, because I don't think I crossed the line. I wasn't commenting on her personally but on a clearly stupid policy. And I would have said that her correct response would be to apologize for failing to meet my (reasonable) expectations as a customer, instead of being loyal to an extremely stupid policy.
But, I really don't think she had a cause to be offended at what I said and I know that I will not return to that store to buy a gift ever again. I'll go by stuff for me, but, well, who doesn't do gift receipts. That's crap.
