Chit Chat

Yay for technology and all. . . . .but now we can't even make change!

I just went to a local diner/ice cream shop for the most delicious of Egg Creams.  It was $2.99.  I handed the woman a twenty.  She gave me back 2 singles and 2 fives.  I politely explained that her change was not correct.  She looked at it, and said it was.  When I didn't agree and leave, she called over a second employee who looked and said it was right.  Now I love this shop, and would have no reason to think they'd be dishonest. . . . . I just really don't think they knew how to make change.  I had to stand there and explain in baby steps, the drink was three + one is four + one is five +five is ten + five is fifteen. . . . you still owe me five.  I was pointing to each bill as we went through this until it finally clicked. 

I felt bad, but come on now!  Also, they actually owed my one penny more, which I always find strange, but whatever.  The employee made the decision that I didn't want the last of my change.  I get it when the bill is just over a dollar amount and they decide not to charge you those few cents, but it seems presumptous that they make the decision that the customer doesn't want their change.

«1

Re: Yay for technology and all. . . . .but now we can't even make change!

  • It's not just the making change thing...I ordered a drink the other day - the only thing I ordered.  The young man at the window handed me my drink and turned around.  I waited, and he finally realized I was still there.  He looked confused - "Did you need something else, or.....?"  


    My straw, please?  That'd be great....

    Wedding Countdown Ticker




  • kaos16 said:

    I just went to a local diner/ice cream shop for the most delicious of Egg Creams.  It was $2.99.  I handed the woman a twenty.  She gave me back 2 singles and 2 fives.  I politely explained that her change was not correct.  She looked at it, and said it was.  When I didn't agree and leave, she called over a second employee who looked and said it was right.  Now I love this shop, and would have no reason to think they'd be dishonest. . . . . I just really don't think they knew how to make change.  I had to stand there and explain in baby steps, the drink was three + one is four + one is five +five is ten + five is fifteen. . . . you still owe me five.  I was pointing to each bill as we went through this until it finally clicked. 

    I felt bad, but come on now!  Also, they actually owed my one penny more, which I always find strange, but whatever.  The employee made the decision that I didn't want the last of my change.  I get it when the bill is just over a dollar amount and they decide not to charge you those few cents, but it seems presumptous that they make the decision that the customer doesn't want their change.

    I don't think that is the case. I think they quite simply don't know how to do Math. Or they are stealing, but based on your story it sounds more like a lack of basic Math skills.  
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I worked retail all through high school, which taught me how to quickly make change. I hate when I go to stores that automatically dispense my change - makes me feel like an old geezer who remembers the days where we counted out change and hiked uphill both ways to work. And I'm mid-twenties. 

    But I guess at least you aren't stuck explaining the difficulties of counting with those machines. Geeze. 
    image
  • That sounds like a lack of math skills to me too.

    It's pretty scary though. I wonder how messed up their drawer is every night!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • It's not just the making change thing...I ordered a drink the other day - the only thing I ordered.  The young man at the window handed me my drink and turned around.  I waited, and he finally realized I was still there.  He looked confused - "Did you need something else, or.....?"  


    My straw, please?  That'd be great....

    The one fast food place I would go to where we used to live and I swore anyone who got above a D on the employment test wasn't hired.  They would get my drink wrong all the time.  And when I sent it back to be "fixed" they would bring me back the same wrong drink.  I get that people make mistakes but how do you make the exact same mistake twice in a row and think that I'll be happy with you giving me a free upgrade on the size of the wrong drink?
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I love tripping people up at cash registers. Say my total is $5.52. I'll give them a twenty, they punch it in, then I go, "oh, here, lemme make that even!" and hand them $1.02. I love the blank stares they give me. Honestly, I could probably say "my change is $36 now" instead of $15.50 and they'd believe me.

    image
    image
  • I am forever getting baffled looks about getting change because I try to minimize the number of small bills and/or coins I get back.  For example, if the amount is 10.03 and I only have a $20 and some nickels.. I will give you $20.05, expecting $10.02 back in change vs. just giving the $20 and getting $9.57.

    I try not to be snarky, (I have worked many customer service jobs and am always as nice as possible) but if I am in a rush it is hard to not say, "FFS, just type the amount that I gave you into the machine- it will tell you how much to give me back!"
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    image
  • Agreed, it's terribly sad people cannot make change. Worse, that is basically what they're paid to do! Make change and fetch stuff!

    To be honest, when I was 16 I worked at Dairy Queen (with my BFF, it was awesome) and once on a very busy summer night I made change for a $20 and the dude went on his merry way.  Lo and behold, he'd actually handed me a $50.  I felt terrible!  The manager hung onto the $50 for a couple days in an envelope but the guy never returned. We used it for a pizza party. 
    ________________________________


  • I can't math in my head quickly... so if I got change after entering the total, I'd be fucked :( yay calculators.
    --

    I'm the fuck
    out.

    image
  • Seriously, I worked at a restaurant/ ice cream window when I was 16 and the very first thing they taught me on day one was counting up to give change. Your method of 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10, 20.

    But I'll admit whenever I sign a credit card bill for a restaurant, I do not have time for math so I just give an even tip of $8 or whatever. I don't try to do $8.27 so that my bill comes to $40.00. It drives FI nuts.

                                                                     

    image

  • I taught this to a class of 8th graders when I was substitute teaching, and my plans ran out.  They were amazed.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • jenna8984 said:

    Seriously, I worked at a restaurant/ ice cream window when I was 16 and the very first thing they taught me on day one was counting up to give change. Your method of 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10, 20.

    But I'll admit whenever I sign a credit card bill for a restaurant, I do not have time for math so I just give an even tip of $8 or whatever. I don't try to do $8.27 so that my bill comes to $40.00. It drives FI nuts.

    I don't see the point in making it even anyway. Your bill at any other place probably isn't going to come out even, so why bother?

    image
    image
  • jenna8984 said:

    Seriously, I worked at a restaurant/ ice cream window when I was 16 and the very first thing they taught me on day one was counting up to give change. Your method of 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10, 20.

    But I'll admit whenever I sign a credit card bill for a restaurant, I do not have time for math so I just give an even tip of $8 or whatever. I don't try to do $8.27 so that my bill comes to $40.00. It drives FI nuts.

    I don't see the point in making it even anyway. Your bill at any other place probably isn't going to come out even, so why bother?
    That's how I feel too! I just go online once a week and check my account for any fraudulent charges and make sure everything looks ok. I'm not manually balancing a checkbook where even numbers might come in handy so what's the point.

                                                                     

    image

  • I bused tables all throughout high school at a really small place and the owner didn't allow calculators. I had to learn how to add tax (6% is a bitch, too because it isn't even) and give change. I am amazed at the stupidity of people that can't correctly give change. It's not hard. All you have to do is count.  
    image
  • My grandpa taught me how to count up to give change when I worked with him at his mom and pop type restaurant. It helped when we were at Wal-Mart and a cashier there typed in the wrong amount of money and didn't know how to count back. It's too bad we are the honest type, I could have walked out with more than I walked in with.
  • jenna8984 said:

    Seriously, I worked at a restaurant/ ice cream window when I was 16 and the very first thing they taught me on day one was counting up to give change. Your method of 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10, 20.

    But I'll admit whenever I sign a credit card bill for a restaurant, I do not have time for math so I just give an even tip of $8 or whatever. I don't try to do $8.27 so that my bill comes to $40.00. It drives FI nuts.

    When I was a waitress that was a huge pet peeve of mine. Sometimes guests would round down their tips so the total is to their liking. You know, so if a 15% tip makes the total $42, the guest will give less than 15% to make the total an even $40. Rarely will the guest round up to $45.
    That's an extreme case, though. Usually it's just the change. But, some restaurants round down. So, at the end of a shift, if a server's total credit card tips come out to, say, $50.75, the server actually only gets $50. So it's not that big of a deal, I guess?


    image
  • I used to work at a large department store, and I was amazed at how many of my coworkers didn't know how to count out their drawers at the end of the night. You had to enter in how many dollars you had in each denomination of bills and coins, then the machine would print a copy of each receipt for the day and tell you if you were short/over based on what you counted in. They had to change the system because everyone kept messing up by a lot. Even when they changed it so all you had to do was enter in the number of each denomination you had in the drawer, people were still not doing it right. I know I'm pretty smart, but I felt like a fucking rocket scientist MENSA genius when the drawers I closed were the only ones that were right every night.
    ~*~*~*~*~

  • Seriously, I worked at a restaurant/ ice cream window when I was 16 and the very first thing they taught me on day one was counting up to give change. Your method of 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10, 20.

    But I'll admit whenever I sign a credit card bill for a restaurant, I do not have time for math so I just give an even tip of $8 or whatever. I don't try to do $8.27 so that my bill comes to $40.00. It drives FI nuts.

    When I was a waitress that was a huge pet peeve of mine. Sometimes guests would round down their tips so the total is to their liking. You know, so if a 15% tip makes the total $42, the guest will give less than 15% to make the total an even $40. Rarely will the guest round up to $45. That's an extreme case, though. Usually it's just the change. But, some restaurants round down. So, at the end of a shift, if a server's total credit card tips come out to, say, $50.75, the server actually only gets $50. So it's not that big of a deal, I guess?
    So, the house keeps the $0.75? It's not that much for one day, but it could add up it if was every shift for a year.  Plus the principle that the customer intended that money to go to the server.  
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
  • I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
    Umm, wouldn't it just be easier to give the right people the correct change?

    image


    Not being able to count change is a big pet peeve of mine.  i'm able to count change in my head.  I can also figure out percentages in my head.  






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • lyndausvi said:
    I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
    Umm, wouldn't it just be easier to give the right people the correct change?

    image


    Not being able to count change is a big pet peeve of mine.  i'm able to count change in my head.  I can also figure out percentages in my head.  
    Well most people would prefer to have a dollar bill than to get 99cents. I know that I'd personally rather get one cent less in change to get the dollar bill more often than not.

    Should I do it? Probably not. But I do, because it's easier and quicker.
  • lyndausvi said:
    I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
    Umm, wouldn't it just be easier to give the right people the correct change?

    image


    Not being able to count change is a big pet peeve of mine.  i'm able to count change in my head.  I can also figure out percentages in my head.  
    Well most people would prefer to have a dollar bill than to get 99cents. I know that I'd personally rather get one cent less in change to get the dollar bill more often than not.

    Should I do it? Probably not. But I do, because it's easier and quicker.
    But it doesn't work that way.  There is no guarantee that if I get shorted a penny this time I'll get a dollar next time.  I could just end up being shorted every single time.  

    Don't you get questioned for your drawer being off?
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I once did some shopping at Meijer and paid a $48 bill with a 50. The cashier accidentally typed in $500.00 . Try as I might I couldn't convince her that it was ok to give me $2.00 in change because she was convinced her draw would be over $400.00 short. I had to wait while she got a manager to come over :P
  • lyndausvi said:
    I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
    Umm, wouldn't it just be easier to give the right people the correct change?

    image


    Not being able to count change is a big pet peeve of mine.  i'm able to count change in my head.  I can also figure out percentages in my head.  
    Well most people would prefer to have a dollar bill than to get 99cents. I know that I'd personally rather get one cent less in change to get the dollar bill more often than not.

    Should I do it? Probably not. But I do, because it's easier and quicker.
    Isn't that what "take a penny, leave a penny" is for? I always kept those on top of my register so I didn't have to keep track of how many over or under I was for the day. Always offered people their penny though so nobody ever felt cheated.

    image
    image
  • lyndausvi said:
    I work retail and am guilty of not always giving people their penny with their change. I mainly just do this to compensate for the person that I gave $1 instead of 99cents so that my drawer won't be under.
    Umm, wouldn't it just be easier to give the right people the correct change?

    image


    Not being able to count change is a big pet peeve of mine.  i'm able to count change in my head.  I can also figure out percentages in my head.  
    Well most people would prefer to have a dollar bill than to get 99cents. I know that I'd personally rather get one cent less in change to get the dollar bill more often than not.

    Should I do it? Probably not. But I do, because it's easier and quicker.
    I understand not wanting to give someone 99 cents.  I think it's weird to assume someone doesn't want their penny.

    I get it isn't only a penny, but still.

    Now I admit some of annoyance stems from working the cashier department at Sears.  I had to count all the money the store took in from the night before then re-make up the bags for the staff to take in the next day.  I always got annoyed at people who could not balance their bank. How hard is it to give the correct change? 






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Well, I have a minor learning disability in math, and despite 20 years in various forms of retail, I still depend on the register to tell me what change to give back. Sometimes I can count it up from the total to the denomination given, depending on the situation, but I'm lost if someone wants to change the game in the middle of the transaction. My brain just doesn't work that way. And the scam artists have learned how to exploit those of us who can't make change the old fashioned way, and know they can confuse us enough to get extra change. It's so bad that we've been told to not let a customer add change once the amount has been entered into the register. We are to refuse it or call a manager to count the register and give the change.
  • I hate when I give a 20, and the cashier gives me change for a 10. Um, I gave you a 20. Are you sure. Yes, I'm sure. This has happened a few times, and they always give me the change I requested eventually.

    One time this happened to my grandfather. He was getting a coffee and a muffin for like 5 dollars and gave a 20. They gave him only 5 dollars back. He was like, you owe me another 10. The cashier argued that he had only given a 10. My grandfather said he'd be back tomorrow to get his change when the drawer was over. He ended up getting his correct change. 
    image
    image

    image


  • I was at a McDonald's a couple months back.  Their computer system was down so they could only take cash and they had to do the math by hand.

    Well, I get to the window to pay. The guy said, "What was your amount?"  Good thing I'm honest and I told him.  I give him a $10 on a something like $5.65 order or something.  He didn't add correctly and gave me $4.25.  And he's not confident at all.  He hands it to me and says "$4.25 is your change? right?" and had a real unsure question mark at the end. I said no and told him he owed me more.  He gave it to me.  Dude, you should be able to do basic math.

    Also, re: pennies.  I've worked in retail.  Many of my co-workers would ask people if they wanted their penny before giving it to them.  I feel you should assume they want it unless they specifically say they don't.  It annoyed me a lot.  A penny saved is a penny earned, as they say.
  • You guys can have all my pennies!
    image
    image

    image


  • I would be pissed if someone tried to short me my penny.  Regardless of the amount, that is my money and my decision on whether I want to give it away or not.



This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards