Dear Abby: Someone tried to save me money!

[cereta]

DEAR ABBY: I was at the hairdresser yesterday, and when I went to the register to pay, the receptionist asked me if I was over 65 "so I could get the senior discount." Abby, I am only 55! I found her question insulting, and several of my friends have had this same experience. I appreciate the young woman trying to save me a couple of dollars, but I'd rather pay full price than be asked if I want the discount.

Why don't businesses that offer senior citizen discounts just post a notice near the register? That way, if a customer is entitled to it, she or he can ask for it when they check out rather than have to hear that they look older than they are. -- INSULTED IN PEORIA, ARIZ.

DEAR INSULTED: Many businesses do post notices such as the one you suggest. What happened should be discussed privately with the owner or manager of the salon. While I am certain the cashier did not intend to offend you, that's what happened, and "helpful" employees like her have been known to discourage patrons from returning. You will be doing everyone a favor if you speak up.

Comments

[cereta]

Dear LW:

It seems strange to be telling someone ten years my senior to grow up, but: grow up. If age were any easy thing to guess, there wouldn't be carnival attractions about it. Seriously, the girl was trying to save you money. Unclutch the pearls.

[havocthecat]

I was going to say "grow up and try to understand someone else's point of view," you know?

[cereta]

Seriously. I've been offered senior discounts at the same store where I was carded a week before. Oh, noes, someone was mistaken about my age. I'm a lousy judge of age myself. Get over it.

[cereta]

Actually, it suddenly occurred to me: was that directed at me or the LW ;)?

[havocthecat]

It's too cranky-sounding to be directed at you! :) The LW needs to grow up and get over it. You're fine!

[cereta]

I figured, but best to be sure ;).

[redbird]

Am I the only person who answers questions like "senior discount?" or "are you here for senior Tuesday?" with a simple "no" or occasionally "how old would I need to be?" I wonder how upset that woman would have been by the fast-food cashier recently who rang up our order and then said something like "oh, the discount" and took off 10% without asking. I'm fairly sure that was because of my and cattitude's white hair.

Businesses can't win on something like this: if they put a sign near the register and the cashier doesn't say anything, someone will come back later, after her friend or neighbor gets the discount, demanding to know why it wasn't offered, and say something like "but nobody reads signs!"

[cereta]

Seriously. It's like carding for alcohol. Does anyone really think I'm under 21. No. Are they covering all bases just in case? Yes. Is it anything I need to get worked up about? No.

[torachan]

I have also seen people get offended at being carded! Yes, you are clearly a senior citizen, but our store policy is that we must ask for ID for all customers.

[rymenhild]

I once got offered the under-fifteen discount at my local swimming pool a week after I filed my doctoral dissertation. We took it, of course. Who was I to argue?