Don't Be Mean to My Girls.

We've had a rash of grouchy customers who get offended when, if their credit card is not signed, we ask for ID.
This is standard policy.

First up is Han. Here is her personal account:

Let me preface this particularly mind-boggling bookstore tale with this: I am a lesbian. Let's keep that in mind as we travel through the mind of one particularly deranged customer.

Yesterday, Kate and I were doing a little zone maintenance on the sci-fi section to try to condense it to make room for mystery. I was hot and thirsty, so I went to the counter to grab my tea. A woman came up and placed her books down, which prompted me to walk over and begin the transaction. This always starts with me asking "Do you have any discount cards with us?". This is usually answered with "yes, i'm faculty" or "no, i don't". This woman answered with "yes, you can look it up by my email it's..." I interrupted her

"Oh actually, I can look it up by your phone number."

"No no no no no, I don't know the number. You know, everyone else can look it up by email"

"Oh, i'm really sorry, but we're a college bookstore, so we're on a bit of a different system than everyone else."

"Hah! Your system..."

Oh man, I could tell she was going to be fun to deal with. As I started ringing up her books, she pulls out an american express platinum credit card and said, "Sometimes I get a discount with my platinum card."

"With your card? I'm sorry, we don't offer that discount here." (and might I add that I was being EXTREMELY polite and perky)

When I told her the price of her stuff, I dunno, 40 bucks maybe, she handed me her card, which I noticed was unsigned...this is where it gets good.

"Could I just see your ID please?"

"You didn't ask anyone ELSE for their ID! I'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS WHOLE TIME!"

"I'm sorry, it's just our store policy that if it's unsigned, I need to see a photo I..."

"You know, If I was a man you wouldn't ask for my ID. Women ALWAYS think that other women can't have a PLATINUM credit card, but if a MAAAAAAAAN pulls one out it's FINE."

She showed me her ID, and I ran her card through the machine, placing it inbetween the keys where I always place people's cards. Don't ask me why, it's just where I put it, partially so they don't walk away without signing their slip, partially so I remember to give them their card back with their receipt. It's just how I do it.

"IF YOU'VE RUN MY CARD THROUGH THEN GIVE IT BACK TO ME!"

WHOA PSYCHOTIC BITCH FACE! I handed her card back to her with shaking hands. She scribbled out a signature, snatched her bag, snorted and yelled at me,

"You know, you are a piece of work!" and stormed off.

Analysis:

1)Psychotic feminist with a platinum credit card on a power trip was angry because she has so much money that she can have a platinum card but can't get a $4 discount since she has no affiliation with our store.

2)I am a sexist piece of work for asking for her ID because her card wasn't signed.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. I'M A WOMAN! NOT ONLY AM I A WOMAN, I'M A WOMAN WHO HAS "SEE ID!!!" ON THE BACK OF HER CREDIT CARDS! AND NOT ONLY AM I A WOMAN WHO RESPECTS PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR MY ID, I'M A FUCKING LESBIAN...I DON'T JUST LIKE WOMEN, I LOVE WOMEN!

Dear GOD, I hate the general public!

And then B had another encounter. The woman, when asked to show a picture ID, handed her a Uni ID that had a cartoon figure pasted over her picture. AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GRILL B OVER WHO THE CHARACTER WAS. Which? Not really what we're trying to accomplish when we're asking for photo ID. If you think you're Princess Galaxia-Starry-Dipshit, that's your own business. But until that picture matches you, the person in front of us, you're s.o.l.

What it comes down to is, we're trying to protect YOU. Asking for ID isn't an insult, it's an assurance that we're processing the correct credit card. For some reason people are finding this offensive, when really it should just be reassuring.

Just another day in the controversial bookselling world.