My first awkward turtle shift moment- the issue of comps

So my second Tunes on Tuesday shift was an interesting one. I got to work on time after my first day interning, which was exciting. Everything was going pretty well, until I encountered a situation that hadn't happened in any of my previous shifts (awkward turtle motion inserted here). A Rutgers staff member came in and asked for a smoothie. I said ok and began to make the smoothie. The recipe for that particular smoothie required vanilla ice cream, and the vanilla ice cream was very hard that night (making it difficult to scoop, and also difficult to blend). I made the smoothie according to the recipe, but was still worried about how it would taste and if the consistency was good. I finished the smoothie and asked the staff member how it tasted. The staff member paused, and then said "good", but not in a really convincing way. I was kinda embarrassed, thinking that the person was just trying to be nice and did not actually like the smoothie, so I kinda joked it off, then went to clean some of the smoothie that had dripped on the machine, still chatting with the staff member. Ashley was behind the bar also, and she also joked a little. I realized I still needed to ring up the smoothie, and went to ask the staff member who had been standing around near the cash register area, but as I went to ask the person, the person walked out. I asked Ashley if she had rung the person up, and she said no. Crap. This was a not an ideal situation because of the idea of comps. Comps are when we as the managers are allowed to give a customer a free item under certain, appropriate circumstances, but this certainly didn't fall under one. So, I weighed my options, and after Tunes on Tuesday was finished, told Ferg of the situation. He was glad that I told him, but also said that I had to go tell the staff member that free smoothies/shakes could not happen during shifts. I am sometimes an awkward person, but this was by far one of the most awkward things I have ever had to do. I found the staff member, and asked how the smoothie was. They replied that it was excellent (again not super-convincing), and we bantered for a few minutes with Ashley, who then tactfully left the conversation. I said something to the effect of how the person had really helped us out tonight, but we couldn't comp the smoothies every shift and that all staff members have to pay, and that we appreciated everything, but I just had to clarify. The person totally understood and offered to pay, but I said it was ok for just once. I then went back to finish closing, feeling really awkward, which was deserved. Moral of the story: always ask for payment upon delivering the item, not in a relaxed way while doing other things. That way, both the customer and cashier are clear on the transaction. I do not think the staff member had any malicious intentions that night, but rather thought that I was "comping" a smoothie. This also made me ponder the concept of comping, and when it was appropriate, and how it affected our budget as a whole. Overall, I now know not to make that mistake again, and how to explain the payment process to the new crew (who will hopefully start soon!!!).

Ali