I was at the vid store last night, and when I was checking out, the clerk informed me that I had some late fees. I had no intention of trying to get out of paying them, but simply joked about how much money they make off me and my continuous late fees. Then I cracked a joke about one of the movies that was late, and said that it was now costing me $20 for that horrible movie (Into the Wild, horrible flick).
Next thing you know, she completely waived the $20 bucks or so without me suggesting it or asking for it to be removed.
And again, the other day, I was getting a coffee downtown, and thought I had a five dollar bill in my pocket. Turned out that I did not. So I hand the guy my debit card and say, "Gosh, I hate to use this for such a small purchase, but I thought I had a five on me. Sorry bro."
He says, "No problem dude. It's on me."
And I said, "Thanks man. But I don't even have any money for a tip."
He says, "Don't worry about it. Catch me next time."
That was just plain awesome. A smile and some chit chat can go a long way. Altogether, that is $25 that is still in my bank account. Take things as they come, and you may be surprised at the results.