I had a bit of an embarrassing altercation in the local servo this evening resulting in the "duty manager" effectively banning me.
It started simply enough: I pulled up to the pump & filled the Ute with $100 bucks of diesel & walked in to pay. I grabbed an iced coffee as it was $3.00 on special & the console operator asked if I wanted anything from the hotbox as it was all half price. I grabbed 2 chilli chicken strips normally $2.20 each & with the Iced coffee at $3.00 handed over $5.20 informing her I'd put the fuel on my card. She then asked for $14.80!!! I said quite politely that I thought she had made a mistake.

"No it comes to $14.80 Sir"

"Actually no! It comes to $5.20. one iced coffee on special as per the blurb all over your fridges = $3.00 + 2 chilli chicken strips @ $2.20 comes to $5.20"

"Well I've rung it in & it comes to $14.80"

"$3.00 + $2.20 is $5.20 You made a mistake"

"No it's $14.80"

"O.K forget the food & drink I don't want it You offered it at half price yet your charging me twice the full price"

At this point the manager came out of the office & asked if there was a problem. I explained the situation & he informed me the till didn't make mistakes. By this point I'm quite embarrassed as there were about 5 people behind me listening to the whole thing. I guess I was also more than a little angry, low blood sugar lol hence the food.
Once again I explained that a 3 buck drink & 2 chilli chicken strips even at full price were only $7.40 & at half price were $5.20.
I reached into my pocket & produced a load of coins & said "Here's $3.00 for the coffee & here's $2.20 for the chicken. How hard can it be for you guys to add 2.20 to 3.00.
The manager then began ranting & asked me to leave. I explained that I had to pay for fuel & handed over my card to the girl. Who then couldn't clear the till from the previous over-ring. Manager swore at me & went to get the till key to over ride the till. I paid & left & as I was leaving he screamed not to f$#@#$ come back.
I've been contemplating reporting his behaviour to the franchise head office as it was not only blatantly trying to rip me off but also bloody embarrassing
It's not the first time I've been blatantly ripped off [well attempted] & it's bloody annoying.

Do it. The only way Australian poor service is going to get better is if these monkeys are kicked out. There is no excuse for this type of thing.

And you're right, there is far too much different pricing at the till, that they only fix if you point it up (maybe).

If you were abusive towards them I sure they would have had no hesitation in ringing the local cops.

Report the manager's behaviour. That is appalling speaking to you like that and he should brought to task over it.

Even for QLD that is pretty poor behaviour, report them.

Deepest sympathies...

I had a run in at the Murray street pharmacy..and will NEVER go in again... Snotty nosed 16 year old was INCREDIBLY rude... If I wanted attitude from a teenager I'd stay at home....

Yes I KNOW the potential effect of combining this simple over the counter medication with my current antihypertensive, I studied pharmacology as part of my practitioner degree... yes, YOU may think I shouldn't be taking them together, but my MEDICALLY QUALIFIED DOCTOR..has recommended I take it... Hence I am buying it.

"I'm just doing my job" .... "yes, but it's the WAY you are doing it... "

To which he continues to arguer the ****ing toss... AFTER I HAVE paid and received the medication.... I walk away to him virtually shouting at my back!

I get to the door and the manager approaches me and asks if I have a problem and I say "yes, I have a problem with the young mans rudeness and lack of people skills".... At which point SHE starts to try and engage me further by explaining he is only doing his job.... YES BUT ITS THE TONE OF VOICE, THE ATTITUDE, THE WAY HE WAS SPEAKING TO ME..... She didn't get it... Evidenced by her trying to continue IT with me just trying to leave....

Honestly I don't need banning I will NEVER go back again... And I will take great pleasure in spreading the word as to what a couple of complete wankers they were....

I NEEDED a simple medication. I had my GPs recommendation I take it, My BIGGEST concern is that if I didnt have the knowledge/education I do have the **** wit might have talked me out of buying/taking it... Now that WOULD have been going against medical advice..

****ing idiots

What got me was the sheer bullheadedness, even with the coins on the counter neither would accept that:
A they had made a mistake
B the till could actually be wrong.
I didn't say above but I left the correct cash on the counter & took the food. I've drafted a whinge to the head office giving the exact time as per my tax invoice, I'll probably not even get a reply.

Complain. Do not otherwise lose any sleep over this.

The duty manager is a prize See you next Tuesday of the higest order.
I hope this is not a QLD thing, (I don't see how it can be) - looks like you lucked out.

I might have waited unti the queue had subsided then really spelt it out, as in take the manager around the store.

I dropped 14 year old girl child at the mall to meet a couple of friends for lunch between classes on the weekend. She went to Maccas and ordered, handing over her money straight up. The girl then asked her where her money was as she was handing over her food, my daughter told her she'd already given it to her. The girl humiliated her and ranted and raved about my child lying and then called for CCTV footage - only to have the manager point the out money sitting on counter next to her money drawer where she'd put it. They didn't even offer an apology and still were really rude to my kid, she was so mortified and embarrassed. We did have a bit of a laugh about it though as we're aware that fast food staff are not known for their high IQ's.

complain, ask for an apology!

not that it will do any good, checkout staff are often abusive to me as I'm deaf it makes them soo cross to have to repeat stuff and if I point out I can't help it I get a mouthful of abuse or 'go home then'!

I complain but just get platitudes, it's so frequent that mostly I have just given up!

good luck in your campaign for civility

Asher thats awful. I'm lost for words. What ignorant f***wits.

not everyone is like it and many people in the queue defend me.

To be honest it's par for the course discrimination to disabled is commonplace and still seen as acceptable to some but is beginning to be dealt with. Deaf societies in Aus don't have a very big influence.

a recent experience below at The Great Provider in St Kilda whilst waiting for a friends daughter to Sky Dive The Beach.

Friend to lady in cafe at about 7.00 am: "Hi, are you open for coffee?"
waitress: "Hi. Shall we start again with this - Good morning, how are you? - I am guessing that you want some coffees?"

Friend so taken back she didn't say anything.

We then went back in after the jump to get breakfast whilst waiting for the video to be made and to save us coming back. No where else in walking distance.
Waitress: "Are you ready to order"
me: "yes"
Waitress " what do you want?
Friends daughter "mmmm - I think I might have .........
waitress "you're obviously not ready so why say you are" and then walked off!!!!!

Never going back there - usually use it after a long run whilst waiting for my husband to pick me up - now run further on and go elsewhere.

Ah, you can't beat quality Aussie customer service! I bought a digital piano two weeks ago and specifically asked if delivery was included, even to our ridiculous on-the-side-of-a-mountain house. The chap assured me that it was included and that the steps up to the front door would be no problem. Lovely says I. Until I call them on delivery day to just double check that they're sending two guys and are aware of the steps etc. The manager flipped out and basically said that none of his staff would have told me delivery would be ok because they'll need a pecialist piano delivery company to take on the steps etc. Long story short (too late for that maybe) I had to pay extra and wait another week and take a morning off work to wait in for my piano. Delivery company don't show up, numerous calls later they finally show up after another two days at 6.30 in the morning, install the piano, don't put the stool together (not included apparently!!) and leave all of the enormous packaging behind.

So i go to JB Hi Fi to get some new headphones for said piano. All of the staff are standing round watching a basketball game and I have to shout at one of them to actually break the gaze and get some service. The headphones i wanted weren't out for demo but there was a pair in the cabinet which I could see so I asked the chap to open the case and get them out. Such huffing and eye rolling over a simple task, he even had the key on him but he just wanted to get back to the game!

You have to wonder if some Aussie businesses are TRYING to lose custom. Is it any wonder I buy as much as possible online...

The reason for it is quite simple.

Shop sales staff are a significant chunk of the costs for a retail shop. Therefore they tend to cut costs by cutting both staff numbers, and staff competence (an 18 year old airhead is cheap). They also don't train them because that costs money and tends to be sunk costs at the beginning, when you don't know if they'll stay.

Upshot is someone untrained, and hired on the basis of cost, it the salesman.

It's a problem of management and the maturity of the business model. Because they aren't really focused on the customer and viewing it from the customer perspective, they don't realise that a useless/offensive salesman is worse than no salesman at all. They have a management mindset that they are entitled to a big percentage of the retail trade, and still, despite the evidence, haven't caught up with people buying online, from overseas.

Whilst you can blame the salesman - the reality is the management and the model are the key factors.

I so envisaged Laurel and Hardy while I read that