My daughter and I go to the grocery store regularly and go on autopilot as we stroll down the aisles, selecting our items and paying for them. Queues form in front of the checkout, frustrating because you spend a lot of time in the supermarket instead of with friends or family. One reason for this is: the receipt. I can’t remember how many times I’ve been annoyed by these types of people who block progress just because they read their receipt in front of the clerk.
Typical German behavior. Check the receipt, either because you don’t trust the machines. Or those who serve them. Over the years, I’ve watched customers notice an “additional charge” on their supermarket receipts.
While some people spend their precious time reading through their receipts as if their lives depend on it, others fold up the little paper belts and tuck them in their wallets. It is not uncommon for me to observe people from Munich whose wallets are bulging – of course with money anyway, but sometimes also with purchase receipts. Do these people check their receipts on a quarterly basis?
A few weeks ago this moment came: The weekly shopping with my little Taliah: 137.76 euros? This sum caused me to question the alarming calculation. At that moment, I suddenly found myself in this scenario: I stood right in front of the cash register and read my receipt. Things grew restless behind me.
This can be guessed when people start rustling bags or jingling bottles behind a person. The cashier asked me to step aside and give others space. But there was still my receipt! I wanted to make sure I wasn’t being ripped off here – or rather, the sales line. Even more: I wanted to encourage all customers not to accept this usury.
Since then, I’ve made it a habit to check my receipt before leaving the supermarket. While it may seem trivial, checking your receipt will prevent you from being overcharged at the checkout. Whereby: It is and will probably remain trivial. The reason for the high bill was not the cucumber, which was actually charged twice, but the enormous inflation of that time.
Their escape led three journalists to Munich. In the weekly column “Typically German” write down which peculiarities of the new homeland you have adopted in the meantime.