Odd change confuses cashiers

[GreatLakes]

It is sad how bad at math some of these cashiers are. Everyone has a calculator in their pocked along with all the knowledge through the history of the world. At the very least pop open the calculator app and get it right.

 

[NannyBeBe]

My daughter teaches third grade and always teaches her students how to count up. I find that many young clerks and cashiers never learned this. They depend on the cash register to tell them what the change is.

 

[MillauFr]

18+ years later, this problem wouldn’t have been posted here. After all, this is the DIS, where 99.9% of posters haven’t seen cash in at least a decade.

Agreed. Who uses cash anymore now days?

 

[DLgal]

I get what you were doing, but from the cashier's perspective, you were being a pain. Don't do this. They aren't your bank.

 

[MelBoba]

Welcome to the dis, Mel.

Nice to see all this old timers from days gone by. Most are gone now. At least two have passed away.

As to what is happening? Customer is giving cash that is in excess of the purchase, looking for a return of change, generally in simpler denominations than what was given.

Thank you, and I'm sorry to hear that, this seems like a very kind and helpful community so far.
If you don't mind, could you break down an example, and what'd I do? For whatever reason I can't wrap my head around this process. It's like a different language to me, my brain just freaks out.

 

[MelBoba]

Yeah, I am good with math and I can give correct change, but it's indeed a pain in the *** when a customer looks all smiley and cheerful 'Oh, this is a nice moment to get rid of all the coins I have'. Without thinking about the cashier or the people behind you in line.
It slows down the process, it gets you out of your rhythm. It's the little actions, not just the math, but the sorting etc., you have to take with this that make it annoying. When you go to the next customer, the next customer will see a face that says 'Thank God that's over'.

Agreed, it's insanely obnoxious. Especially where I work, it's constantly busy to the point we need all hands on deck. Not to mention, not many people do this (at least I haven't had much experience with it so far) so every time I do experience it, I'm thrown for a loop.

 

[disneychrista]

Thank you, and I'm sorry to hear that, this seems like a very kind and helpful community so far.
If you don't mind, could you break down an example, and what'd I do? For whatever reason I can't wrap my head around this process. It's like a different language to me, my brain just freaks out.

Can't you just punch in the amount they gave you and let the register figure out what change to give back? I know a lot like to give cashiers a hard time for not knowing how to make change but if the computer/register can do it for you, use it.

 

[tvguy]

Agreed. Who uses cash anymore now days?

The 25% of all Americans who have no bank account and no credit cards. I believe the Politically Correct term for them is "unbanked".

 

[sasywtch]

I had a new one a few weeks ago. Went to Walmart which is probably the busiest around here. My total was $7.25 so I gave her a ten. She gives me back $2 and tells me she doesn't have change. She was keeping my 75 cents. No apologizes, nothing. So I hand her a quarter and tell her to give me a dollar bill back. She tells me she can't do that. So I told her the store was stealing from me and if they did that to all customers, they would be gaining quite a bit of extra money and to call her manager. She refused to call the manager and started waiting on the next customer. I told her she knows she owes me money but she won't give it to me and won' call her manager? 75 cents wasn't much but it was the attitude that well, I don't have the change so you aren't getting any. Down to the managers office door, got my 75 cents LOL It was the wierdest thing I've ever come across. I am one that may give 2 cents when something is 37 cents so I get 65 cents back and not 3 pennies. Don't want the pennies weighing down my wallet. For those that say, this isn't a bank.....it's been done for the last 60 years with no problems. Don't know if people are getting lazier or just relying on the register/calculators to do math for you. Take change home and practice, that's what my employees did years ago so they were good at their job.

 

[seshat0120]

Can't you just punch in the amount they gave you and let the register figure out what change to give back? I know a lot like to give cashiers a hard time for not knowing how to make change but if the computer/register can do it for you, use it.

It's been over 30 years since I was a cashier, but the solution isn't just punching it in. Many times, a customer would give me money, I'd punch it in, and then they'd come up with the change...and get irritated that it took a couple of seconds to do the math to know what I had to give them now. And to really irritate them, sometimes my draw was out of a specific coin or bill at that point so either I'd have to give more coins or bills than they wanted (two dimes and a nickel instead of a quarter or five singles instead of a five), or they'd have to wait until could flag down the head cashier or front end manager to "buy" the change I needed. A grocery store cashier is not a bank teller. They don't have an endless supply of every coin and or bill you may wan, nor are they a walking, talking computer that can instantly calculate what the correct amount of change is since you've miraculously come up with those four pennies.

 

[John VN]

This post is from 2003. Pretty sure she’s done with all her change by now. And as a former cashier, don’t do this. And don’t talk down to people either.

I was a *paper boy* 40 years before the post and had customers do the *coin game* with me on "collection day." I had a FOUR-BARREL Money Changer and it was a PITA having to accommodate the "ADULTS" having fun with a kid. IMO, it was not nice then, before then and now.

 

[Communicore1991]

I had a new one a few weeks ago. Went to Walmart which is probably the busiest around here. My total was $7.25 so I gave her a ten. She gives me back $2 and tells me she doesn't have change. She was keeping my 75 cents. No apologizes, nothing. So I hand her a quarter and tell her to give me a dollar bill back. She tells me she can't do that. So I told her the store was stealing from me and if they did that to all customers, they would be gaining quite a bit of extra money and to call her manager. She refused to call the manager and started waiting on the next customer. I told her she knows she owes me money but she won't give it to me and won' call her manager? 75 cents wasn't much but it was the attitude that well, I don't have the change so you aren't getting any. Down to the managers office door, got my 75 cents LOL It was the wierdest thing I've ever come across. I am one that may give 2 cents when something is 37 cents so I get 65 cents back and not 3 pennies. Don't want the pennies weighing down my wallet. For those that say, this isn't a bank.....it's been done for the last 60 years with no problems. Don't know if people are getting lazier or just relying on the register/calculators to do math for you. Take change home and practice, that's what my employees did years ago so they were good at their job.

Good for you! That's absolutely absurd that just because the cashier didn't have any change they felt it was okay not to get you change. And then when they add the attitude on top of it, I would have done exactly what you did and marched right down to the manager's office!

 

[descovy]

It is sad how bad at math some of these cashiers are. Everyone has a calculator in their pocked along with all the knowledge through the history of the world. At the very least pop open the calculator app and get it right.

To be honest, there are plenty of people who are just bad at math.
I’ve been treasurer of a theatre booster club since 2014. Many parent volunteers in our school are highly educated with professional jobs. Put them in our concession stand or box office with a crowd of people and they too freeze with making change.

On the other side of the coin (pun) I work at the returns desk for my real job. A customer due a refund of $19.92, I might ask if they have some change so I can give them a twenty. You’d be surprised how many customers need help figuring it out. I frequently have to help very smart people figure out 25% off sales too. Even when presented with a calculator some still freeze at calculating 10% off.

fact of the matter, I am good with mental math. Plenty of people with degrees and careers far outpacing me just aren’t that good at mental math.

Finally, the OP from 2003… I think giving $5.52 for a $5.47 order (or whatever) is an obnoxious move, just to get a nickel. Even if I can do the math in my head quickly, that’s just “extra”. Just my personal opinion, as a long time cashier who is smarter than some of you would give me credit for.

 

[MillauFr]

The 25% of all Americans who have no bank account and no credit cards. I believe the Politically Correct term for them is "unbanked".

I don't have a bank account either. Banks are ripoff. I just use Fidelity

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I went back and looked at the original scenario... I work in a bank and I find that confusing (granted I do not handle cash anymore, but I used to be a teller)

 

[Moliphino]

Can't you just punch in the amount they gave you and let the register figure out what change to give back? I know a lot like to give cashiers a hard time for not knowing how to make change but if the computer/register can do it for you, use it.

IME, yes. The problem comes in when people come up with more change after you've already punched it in.

 

[DLgal]

I don't have a bank account either. Banks are ripoff. I just use Fidelity

A ripoff? I don't pay anything to my bank to hold onto my money.

 

[luv2cheer92]

A ripoff? I don't pay anything to my bank to hold onto my money.

And it's really even the opposite.
Very puzzled by that post.

 

[DLgal]

And it's really even the opposite.
Very puzzled by that post.

Yeah. My bank pays ME every year. First in interest, but also an annual subscriber savings distribution which is around $200-250 every year.

 

[tvguy]

I don't have a bank account either. Banks are ripoff. I just use Fidelity

Fidelity managed my 401k plan and wanted me to keep my money with them, for a fee. My bank was glad to manage that money rollover for free.