When Couponers and Non-Couponers Collide!

I’ve written before about how to deal with cashiers and store employees who are hostile to you and your coupons.  Most of the time, it is because they simply don’t understand that the store does not lose money when you use coupons, although you will occasionally get the cashier who woke up on the wrong side of the bed and just is in the mood to give you a problem.

But what about the other customers in the store…the ones behind you who roll their eyes when they see you whip out your stack of coupons?  The ones who do the completely annoying exaggerated sigh when you point out to a cashier (because you were paying attention) that 2 of your coupons got stuck together and the cashier didn’t scan one of them?  Or the passive-aggressive not-very-quiet muttering about “these people who have all this time to save $.20 on a bottle of Tide”?

I’ll let you in on a little secret (that may not be a secret to many of you):  I don’t let those people bother me and you shouldn’t either!

Etiquette requires us to live our lives inconveniencing the fewest number of people around us.  It does not, however, require us to pay full price (or even merely the sale price) in order to do so.

So how do you handle the Cranky McCrankerson behind you? Lemme tell you a little story:

Last week I was in Giant (yes – I know) doing the Stock the Freezer Deal.  I had a bunch of BOGO coupons for the SteamFresh meals and it was then that I found out that Giant requires manager approval for any single coupon over $5.00 (the SteamFresh were $5.49).  Unfortunately, at the exact time my cashier needed a manager, it seemed that every other register needed one as well and there was only one available manager (hey – it happens!).  As we stood there for about 5 minutes waiting for our turn, one of the customers in my line said

“Can’t you just suspend her transaction and let the REAL customers check out?  I’ve waited long enough because of her!”

Now, I’ve had my share of looks from other customers in the past, but nobody has yet to be this flat-out RUDE before (at least, not loud enough that I could hear).  “Real Customers???”  What did she think I was?

And so, I put on my Snarky Hat and turned to her with a big smile and said:

“Ma’am, I’m really sorry that this is taking so long, but I am saving about $90 with these coupons.  Of course, if you want to give me that $90, I’ll be happy to have the cashier cancel all my coupons and I’ll be on my way!”

Perhaps not the most Emily Post Approved Response, but it got my point across.

And what is my point? 

My point is simple:  using coupons is nothing to be ashamed of or something for which you should feel the need to apologize. 

I hear and read people describing events at a store when they were given a hard time at a store over their coupons and they talk about being embarassed or humilated in front of the other customers.  Frankly, it’s something that I just can’t understand…

Perhaps because I am 40 and realize that life is too short to spend time worrying about what complete and total strangers think of me.

Perhaps it is because I was raised by a mom who has about 18 different and colorful ways to tell you to “get stuffed” and much of that has rubbed off on me.

Perhaps it is because I look at couponing as not only a way to feed my family for the least amount of money possible, but also as a game that I am winning.

Or perhaps….

It is because I realize that, as long as one is completely organized with their coupons before getting in to line and is using their coupons properly (for the right product, not trying to slip in expired coupons, etc), then there is no reason to be ashamed, no matter what happens.

(insert “if the store is busy and I have a full cart of groceries and 50 coupons, I will let the customer with 4 items who gets behind me in line go in front of me” disclaimer here)

If another customer has a problem with you using your coupons…then that is THEIR problem…not yours.

How do you handle other customers in the store who seem to have a problem with you and your coupons?  Have you stopped being embarrassed?  Or are you still working on it?