[getbent]

t_red, I think many of us have rung a register. When I have been working at a store I realize that I'm representing my company and that my company would always want to make sure that our customers felt good about their visit. There are times when machines make mistakes, when software malfunctions and when mistakes are made... it is what we do when those things crop up that differentiates us from our competitors.

More than once back in the old days I was instructed by a credit card company to confiscate a card which I did, but all the while apologizing profusely and explaining that I'd been ordered to do it. I can imagine that, like benderfreak says, it is embarrassing when you know you have it, but it would be just as embarrassing if you didn't, like Ben said, and there is no reason to embarrass your customers, whether they are wrong or not does not matter, you don't know (like you said.)

Good customer service isn't when it all goes well, it is when it goes to hell that you find out who the talented people are.... those folks are the ones that while the situation is frustrating or while you may believe that the customer is trying to rip you off, you don't show it. Instead you kill them with good manners and professional behavior.

Of course the interpretation is that of the receiver---> that doesn't make it incorrect and I can promise you any store director will tell you that they do NOT want customers feeling that the sales agent was a smart ass or smirking. I think that is pretty obvious... so, it doesn't matter what is going on in the mind of the clerk, what matters for everyone in the store is that everyone feel valued and respected. When that breaks down... sales decrease and you lose customers. There are two stores in our town that lost our business. Their owners are aware of it. In one case, the owner reached out to me and several others and apologized and asked us back. We went back in and gave it a go, but, sadly, he's done a too poor job training his staff and we won't be back. The other place closed up 3 months ago.

You can't skimp on treating people right. If they feel mistreated, it doesn't matter what was in your head... their perception IS the reality.