Yesterday, at the grocery store, I had a coupon for a free item that the self-checkout wouldn't accept. I couldn't track down a store employee to override the system for me, so I finished my checkout and took my coupon to the customer service counter.
Of course, because the service is so great at this particular store, the clerk at the counter walked away just as I showed up, apparently for her 15 minute break. So I waited a few minutes. Bought myself a cup of coffee and continued to wait. I didn't have anywhere to be, and it was pouring.
Someone came over and said that the clerk would be back in five minutes.
I kept waiting.
Finally, one of the store managers took pity on me and asked me what I needed. I told him and he took the money from the register, and I left the store with my money.
How much money?
$3.49.
Was it really worth it to me to wait for that money? Well, to be honest, yes. It was an item I wouldn't have purchased if I had to pay for it (it was one of those "Try our new product promos, and hey, if it's free, I'll try it). Sure, it wasn't a whole lot of money, but those things definitely start to add up after a while.
(Admittedly, my savings was reduced by buying a cup of coffee, but as my coffee maker is broken, it was probably something I would have done anyway.)
Maybe my actions would have been different if I had been in a hurry, but it was a lazy, rainy morning, so waiting for a few bucks seemed like the right thing to do. What would you have done?