Imagine you are counting a customer's deposit and you find a shortage. The customer insists they gave you the full amount. How would you handle this?

Situation

As part of a school cooperative selling supplies, I was handling cash transactions when a member handed me a bundle of coins and bills for a large purchase. After counting, I informed him he was PHP 200 short, but he insisted it was complete.

Task

I needed to verify the count, maintain trust, and resolve the discrepancy politely without accusing the member of dishonesty.

Action

I recounted the money in front of him, calling out the denominations as I went, to make the process transparent. When the shortage remained, I politely said, 'I counted PHP 200 less, sir. Could we please check your wallet or the envelope again, just in case some bills got stuck?' He checked and indeed found the missing PHP 200 bill tucked in a compartment. I then recounted the entire amount with him watching and completed the transaction.

Result

The member appreciated the respectful way I handled it and later told the adviser he liked my approach. The cooperative adopted a policy to always count money in clear view of the customer.