Odd change confuses cashiers

[peg2001]

Whenever I make a purchase, I try to use some of my plentiful change to lighten my purse. When I have exact change, the transaction usually goes smoothly. However, I've noticed definite problems if I try to give inexact change. For example, this morning I offered a $5 bill, 2 quarters, and 2 pennies ($5.52) to pay for a $3.47 purchase. The cashier tried to explain that I had offered the wrong amount. I politely asked if she would just give me change from the amount I had given her. So, I did get my $2 and nickel.

Other occasions, I've had the cashier hand back the change I offered and just make change from the bills, and other assorted odd transactions.

Am I unreasonable and expecting too much "higher" thought from the typical cashier? If so, what can I do with all this change?!?

Peggy

 

[PandyPaws]

I have the same experiences...it seems noone is taught to count back change anymore. Our local McDonald's actually has a sign at the drive-up about not offering change,but let the window cashier MAKE change, I forget exactly how it's worded ( but in other words, give them bills ONLY) Can ya beat that..?

 

[powellrj]

I use to do that until l lost $10. I don't like small bills, so when the order came to $10.89 I gave the cashier $21.00 so I could get a $10 bill back. Well, I got change back for $11. I pointed this out and she said no one would ever do something as stupid as giving $21 for a $10.89 order. I asked to speak to a the manager who agreed with the cashier. I said would you please do a drawer count, and they wouldn't saying that I had to wait until the end of the shift, and I would get it back "if it really happened" Needless to say I lost my $10. Expensive lesson...

 

[pumba]

not only to lighten his pants pockets of change .....but to see the expression on the faces of the cashiers.......it is a riot......he has some people just open their mouths and think....daaaaaaa.....so hubby says...just punch it in ......and they do and then he says....see....I didnt' want to have four more pennies added to my pants pocket...now i only have one coin...or he will say......thanks I needed that quarter for the coffee machine

 

[Desiree]

Powellrj,

I would have insisted that the manager count the register down right then and there. *Most* of the time they will comply.


I had one girl at a McDonalds too, no less, tell me that the Dollar coins you get from the post office we fake. She thought I was giving her a bunch of quarters and when I explained what they were she seemed really confused but took them anyways. Now I'm apprehensive at giving anyone weird money!

 

[Mskanga]

I am a cashier and I know how to count back change...but do you have any idea what a pain that is in some jobs?? My job is very fast paced , and I hate it when you have someone just trying to get rid of two dimes and a nickel , looking for it in their pockets , bottom of purse, asking the person with them....just to get a $1 bill back, but there are 8 people waiting behind her. Do you know what I do? I suspend the transaction and let the people behind her go, then when the customer is ready with all the change in hand , I take it off suspense. I'm sorry but I don't have 5 minutes to wait for change when I have 10 people waiting in line.
But I do agree, a lot of cashiers do not know how to count back change.

 

[Chuck S]

And heaven forbid you give them say $7 for a $6.03 total, they punch it in, you check your pocket as the cash drawer opens and say "Oh, I've got the 3 cents." It just really confuses them that they give you one of your $1 bills back. It's a shame businesses don't spend a little time TRAINING cashiers to count...of course, it's also a shame that they don't learn to count change in elementary school anymore. When I was in 3rd grade, we set up a "store" and had to practice counting back change as part of a math lesson.

 

[peg2001]

Pandypaws - Now that IS absurd! They are essentially saying that your change is no good there.

Powellrj - Yikes. I try to make it a point to verbally tell the cashier what I am giving them: "Here is 52 cents and a five." On the other hand, when the new tens came out, I used one of those, thinking it was a $20. When the cashier gave me change for a $10, I argued. He finally showed me the $10 bill and I realized that it was one of the new ones. I slunk away, embarassed for him to think I was trying to rip them off.

Pumba - Exactly!! Most cashiers don't even have to THINK what change to give, they just need to punch in the amount handed to them and the register will tell them what to give back.

Mskanga - I hate getting behind people like that so I appreciate you trying to work around them! I have change ready in my hand to count out, I don't go digging for it.

Peggy

 

[Serena]

As a cashier, I know how to count back, but I don't have to. I just have to punch in the numbers and it comes back with the right amount.

As a customer, I've ran into that a lot. I don't want the change in my pocket either and it confuses a lot of cashiers. Also, most places don't give the cashier time to think. Some places give them about 30 seconds to take care of your order and get on to the next. If they get behind, they get into trouble.

 

[dianeschlicht]

LOL! and I WANT the change! I usually give paper money so I can get the change back. We save all coins we get and use them for our AP's for WDW! We get about $800-$900 in change in a year!

 

[Cinders]

I'm with dianeschlicht. I want the change for my vacation fund. Although sometimes I have to grrrrr a lil when they try to get out of counting change when the total is something like $5.02 and they hunt around for 2 cents.

We had a port-a-pit chicken fundraiser one year and I couldnt believe that a 14 year old couldnt make change!!! And this just involved quarters and dollars.

Then there was the time at Menards I was returning something DH bought with his debit card.....I have the same card and # but it has my name on it. She couldnt slide it through to credit me since it wasnt purchased with my card. So I told her to manually punch in his card number from the receipt and you'd have thought I was killing her......lil miss of the long nails punch in a debit card #??!!?? Finally a manager came over to see what was taking so long and before the girl could say anything I said "She's too damn lazy to type in my husbands card number and I'm not leaving until its credited." Needless to say she was sent on break and the manager happily punched the numbers in in about 20 seconds.

 

[preshi]

Originally posted by Serena
As a cashier, I know how to count back, but I don't have to. I just have to punch in the numbers and it comes back with the right amount.

Thats exactly what I was going to say... if you just punch in what they give you...it says what to give back...

Yesterday I had a cashier (who happens to also be my friend) give me back 7.30 dollars for a $7.70 purchse when I gave him a 10...

when I handed him the 5 back he looked at me funny and asked to give me my reciept.... hello!!! why would i be giving you money back... goofball....

 

[Keli]

I think something that you guys aren't considering is how many people give cashiers odd change in an attempt to get more money back than they are supposed to get. People know that cashiers have about 30 seconds to give the change back and go on to the next customer and there are several techniques they use that involve wanting particular types of change back when in reality they are just trying to confuse the cashier. When I was a cashier I would take a couple more seconds whenever this happened to make sure the transaction was legit. I'm sure my customers thought I was stupid or something but I was just making certain that they weren't pulling a fast one on me.

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by Keli
I think something that you guys aren't considering is how many people give cashiers odd change in an attempt to get more money back than they are supposed to get. People know that cashiers have about 30 seconds to give the change back and go on to the next customer and there are several techniques they use that involve wanting particular types of change back when in reality they are just trying to confuse the cashier. When I was a cashier I would take a couple more seconds whenever this happened to make sure the transaction was legit. I'm sure my customers thought I was stupid or something but I was just making certain that they weren't pulling a fast one on me.

Keli makes a very good point. This is why I was so embarassed when I mistakenly thought I had given a $20 when I had really given a $10. I knew that the cashier was thinking I was trying to scam him.

However, I don't ask for specific change like "Please give me 3 quarters and 2 fives." I just hand over the money, enumerating what I am giving them, and expect them to punch it in and provide appropriate change.

Peggy

 

[browneyes]

I thought I was the only one that confused people like that. I don't mean to confuse.

 

[StampMom]

Originally posted by PandyPaws
Our local McDonald's actually has a sign at the drive-up about not offering change,but let the window cashier MAKE change, I forget exactly how it's worded ( but in other words, give them bills ONLY) Can ya beat that..?

Actually, this one doesn't bother me. If you've ever been stuck behind someone in the drive-thru line, who has to get out of their car to retrieve change they accidentally dropped on the ground when trying to pay, you'll understand why some drive-thrus have this posted!

 

[disykat]

I see both sides.

I'm irritated that people can't seem to count back change.

I know as a cashier it's part of your training to double check if you have any kind of unusual transaction. When I was in high school we always counted up the change. Then they changed to the cash registers that tell you the amount of change - and now you just count the change. (Though most people just hand it to you - ARGH!) If you try to count back the change and get interrupted you have to look back on the receipt to see the original total so you can continue - the machine just says the change amount. For this reason counting up the change wasn't allowed in my job and we had to just count the amount of change due.

 

[MelBoba]

So here's the thing,
I'm a cashier now and get so CONFUSED when this happens to me. I genuinely don't understand, and horrible with math to begin with. Of course, I don't expect to avoid this all together. Could someone please explain what is going on when this happens??

 

[Dan Murphy]

So here's the thing,
I'm a cashier now and get so CONFUSED when this happens to me. I genuinely don't understand, and horrible with math to begin with. Of course, I don't expect to avoid this all together. Could someone please explain what is going on when this happens??

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.

 

[Karin1984]

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.

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'.