Shopping Experiment: A 50 cents social interaction test.
By emptychair
@innertalks (23736)
Australia
March 13, 2020 11:21pm CST
I was shopping at the weekend, and l decided to carry out an experiment.
I bought an item in a shop that cost $5.00.
I paid for it entirely with coins.
I gave the girl on the register $6.00 in coins.
She took it all, and she counted it very carefully, three times.
She looked back and forwards at me several times as she counted them.
She should, of course, have given me back $1.00, but now, still looking at me querulously, she gave me back only fifty cents, or just half of the correct change due to me.
She placed the other $5.50 quickly into the till, before l could dispute her action.
I simply left then, resigned to losing my fifty cents.
I was a bit disappointed by this young shop assistant's manor, though.
She deliberately cheated me of fifty cents.
She must have thought that l was a bit stupid, and by her actually giving me back this change, l would go off thinking to myself, what an honest girl. I paid her too much, and she gave back to me my excess as change.
I would not notice, she thought, that she had actually pocketed fifty cents for herself.
Also, l was surprised at how angry l felt that this was how society mostly is these days.
I was also annoyed at myself for even thinking of carrying out such a stupid experiment, and losing money, by doing so.
It's only fifty cents, l kept telling myself now.
And, in the end, it did teach me something more about human nature, both hers and mine.
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article belongs to me, its author.
How much was my experience really worth, far more than fifty cents of learning?
6 people like this
7 responses
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
Yes, most people try to get away with whatever they can.
It's part of the, "me first" attitude, prevailing everywhere, nowadays.
2 people like this
@Janet357 (75638)
•
14 Mar 20
@innertalks yes.And if one cannot be trusted with small.amount how much more the big one.
it makes me wonder how come she did not return it to you when she could not have it either
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
@Janet357 It was only a small business, so lacking controls, probably. She could take it from the till again, after I left.
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35030)
• Philippines
14 Mar 20
the cents they get from this can accumulate to a substantial amount. I have not noticed this behaviour in my area though.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
Yes, over a whole day, it could amount to a great deal of money, even more, over a week, month, etc. etc.
They might not get away with it every time, but even so, it would soon add up, the ones they did get away with.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
@yoalldudes Yes, I guess everybody has to make up their own minds about these types of things, but at the end of the day, dishonesty is always still dishonesty.
In Australia, people get paid a whole lot more than in the Philippines.
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35030)
• Philippines
14 Mar 20
@innertalks I personally don't mind. i don't approve of dishonesty but they are being apaid minimum wage and barely get by, I don;t mind contributing for them to survive. 50cents in our country doesnt have much value in dollars it is equivalent to 25pesos which is valuable.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
Yes, maybe that is another reason for her actions.
Nobody but her can know the truth about what she did and why.
I saw it as l described it though.
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
15 Mar 20
@Shiva49 Yes, some of the banks here do charge for coin counting nowadays.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
14 Mar 20
@innertalks The cost of counting the coins! By looking at you several times she made a judgement that she could get away with the sleight of hand! siva
2 people like this
@kanuck1 (4424)
•
15 Mar 20
@innertalks Have you ever been extra money. I once received extra money at the bank. I gave it back to her. I thought that she did it on purpose because I was so cute. 
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
15 Mar 20
@kanuck1 Yes, sometimes that has happened to me too.
Some coins look similar and can be confused here too, especially if your eyesight is not the best.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
15 Mar 20
Yes, that's a likely explanation too.
But she counted it so many times, maybe because her maths was so bad, very bad indeed..
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
Ha, ha. There was actually a tip jar on the counter too, but, this was obvious, that this was no tip (after-all, she actually gave me some change back, just not the right amount).
In any case, an honest person would have spoken up, and said something like,
"Oh, you gave me $6 there. It's only $5, the cost. Did you mean to do that, as a tip, or do you want the other $1 back?"
It's always better to clarify issues like this, than to leave bad tastes in people's mouths.
2 people like this
@ZedSmart (19839)
• Philippines
14 Mar 20
@innertalks Apparently she's doing the wrong thing. Obviously, as you described she had this second thought but not able to clarify things out. She should ask you because she knew that you knew you've given her excess amount. That's clear dishonesty.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
@ZedSmart Yes, l think, it was dishonesty too.
Unless, she was just very dumb, and just did not know how to work out the change from the pile of coins l gave her.
2 people like this
@happylife1 (13403)
• Karachi, Pakistan
14 Mar 20
yes there are still honest peoples in the world
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
14 Mar 20
There are some honest people, but there are probably more dishonest ones than honest ones, l think, these days.
Dishonesty is increasing, l think.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
14 Mar 20
I had a different experience at our corner shop. The shop keeper does not count the coins I give. He just puts it into the till after we exchange some pleasantries.
Recently, I realized I had paid a couple of dollars extra. I was a bit annoyed with myself but I just let it pass. I was thinking whether I could set this off the next time but I thought that was not right as that could sour the trust and friendship.
I agree deliberately short changing a customer is less than fair as even fifty cents leaves a bitter taste and tough to forget the experience.
I had lost four dollars another time, long ago, when I slotted in five dollars in a bus instead of one. The driver made a comment but there was no way he could return the excess I had paid unless he dug into his pocket which he did not. - siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
15 Mar 20
Interesting anecdotes. Thanks, siva. Yes, I wouldn't have tried to set it off the next time either.
There was one time l paid my parking fee at the airport machine by cash.
When l got to the barrier gate, they wouldn't let me through, claiming that I hadn't paid it.
I had no legs to stand on, as the machine never spat out receipts.
I had to pay the $37 fee again. So l paid $74, all up.
I chased it up without success.
Apparently, the day before, they had installed a new ticketing system, which had teething problems.
When, l go there now, l pay on credit card, so I have a record of my payment.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
15 Mar 20
@Shiva49 Actually that was only for 1 hour and five minutes, in the short term parking.
I went over into the next hour by five minutes, so I had to pay for the whole next hour.
They are greedy here, for as much as they can gouge out from you.
That was a few years ago, and now, it is actually cheaper, as the second hour is less than the first now.
Public pressure made them adjust their prices.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
15 Mar 20
@innertalks Yes Steve, I too try to cover my back so that I don't ;lose out by not having any proof of payment..
I think $37 dollars is pretty high to park a car but maybe it is for overnight parking - siva
1 person likes this
