Listening Skills Right on Target

A guy wants to use his HSA (Health Savings Account) card to pay for his medication. For those who don't know, this is a Visa card set up by one's employer with funds to pay for prescriptions and medications.

I scan in his prescriptions and tell him the amount. I tell him to press the <CREDIT> button on the point of sale machine. Instead he ignores me and presses the <DEBIT> button. This causes the point of sale machine to ask for the PIN to complete the transaction.

"I don't have a PIN," he says.

I reply... "Press <CANCEL> then press the <CREDIT> button."

"I don't want to cancel the transaction," he replies.

"This is how we get the machine to accept your card," I say.

"I don't want to be charged twice," he says.

"You won't be. Press <CANCEL> then press the <CREDIT> button to pay."

"But it's not a credit card," he argues.

"This is the only way to get the transaction to work unless you have a PIN for this card."

"I don't have a PIN," he says.

We covered that part already, I'm thinking.

So I give up and decide to just wait. He looks at me, then back again at the point of sale machine. A good fifteen seconds passes then he decides to throw the dice. He presses <CANCEL> then <CREDIT>...

Approved! A receipt prints. Another satisfied customer!