Not even a paying customer, and still....

[aurelemsrealm]

I work in a convenience store. I had a woman come in the other day and ask if we would cash her check. We do not cash checks. We do not have any kind of signage advertising that we cash checks.

She pipes up with this real loud, snotty tone, "Uh, well why not?"

"Because we don't offer check cashing services at this location. You'll have to go to (such and such) location for that."

"Why can't I just do it here?"

"What did I just tell you?" starting to get irritated because we're busy and this twit wants to stand and argue when I've already given her my final answer.

"This is ridiculous! I need this money! Why can't you just cash my check?"

"We're not a bank. We're a convenience store."

"This is bullshit."

"So is your argument," I responded dryly, motioning for the next customer. By this time, I've decided the argument is over. I don't even bother trying to be civil or diplomatic about dismissing her stupidity.

"I'm not done yet. I want to get...."

"You're done because I'm done messing with you." I again motion the customer patiently waiting behind her. She stands there glaring. I ignore her. The customer steps past her up to the counter. She keeps standing there. I ignore her and wait on the next customer. She keeps standing there as if not getting the hint.

I finally glance over at her and point to the door, "Door's that way."

I go back to the line of customers. Clueless check lady finally storms off.

While I'm thinking about such noncustomers who annoy me, I get so sick of those people who expect me to buy change from them or break big bills for them without making a purchase, especially the ones who want to argue or throw a hissy fit. I'm not opening the drawer without you making a purchase. Get the point or get lost. We're a convenience store, not a bank.

[iradney]

Amen. Plus, they're not a customer if they haven't bought anything! According to the dictionary, a customer is a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron. So HA!

[greensinestro]

While I'm thinking about such noncustomers who annoy me, I get so sick of those people who expect me to buy change from them or break big bills for them without making a purchase, especially the ones who want to argue or throw a hissy fit. I'm not opening the drawer without you making a purchase. Get the point or get lost. We're a convenience store, not a bank.

I had this happen once in Miami. I wanted to break a one dollar bill for four quarters, and the clerk there would not do it. No explanation of why, except I figured maybe it's because I'm not making a purchase. So, I went to buy a pack of gum, something like twenty-five cents, and when I went to give him my dollar, he rudely told me he could not that, and that I had to pay for my gum with exactly twenty-five cents! I mean, I could see him refusing me change because I at first would not buy anything, but for him to refuse me this type of service when I was practically giving him my business was downright wrong. And, after I pitched an argument with him that businesses normally provide change upon a purchase, he threatened to call the police on me. I just got in my car and left, upset but I figured OK, if that is how he is going to treat patrons, he'll be out of business in no time at all (which happened later on when I drove that way again months later).

[aurelemsrealm]

Now, that's a different story. I just resent those people who expect me to buy their change or break their big bills just because they don't want to bother with a trip to the bank. If we do that for Joe Blow off the street who is not even gracious enough to do business with us, then we run the risk of creating hassles for actual paying customers in regard to making change. That's a matter of common sense for any retailer, though.

I also hate those people who think they're being clever by making a miniscule token purchase just so they can break a big bill. Now, I have refused a few of those types of sales on grounds that making change for them would break my drawer. For instance, this one woman wanted to break a $100 bill. I told her no. So, she grabbed a 30-cent pack of gum and flung it on the counter. She flashed a triumphant smile, "Now you have no excuse!" Then she stood there strutting like she was the queen of the clever. I looked at her, laughed, and told her to try something like $60 worth of gas to qualify. She got all huffy and informed me that I can't refuse the sale. I informed her that I do, in fact, reserve the right to refuse any sale, and that not being able to make adequate change does qualify as a valid reason. She got mad and stormed off as I laughed and bid her good riddance.

[blas]

I used to get customers like that at the gas station. They'd walk up to me with a third party check, aka, written out for them by someone else. And you can imagine, with the low class caliber of people I dealt with, all those checks were worthless and going to bounce anyway.

I'd look at the check and say, "I'm sorry, we don't cash checks here". Who in their right mind would assume some piss ant little gas station would cash third party checks?!

Customers would try everything. Grasp at straws. Claim that my manager ALWAYS did it for them.

I'd give it back to them. "I don't belive you; my manager doesn't like it when the drawer is short at the end of the day."

I got the triumphant smile from SCs before too. It was this "look", like "Whacha gon do 'bout it, widdle girl?"

I never ever caved in for that stupid crap. No one got away with it. That triumphant smile usually turned into a rage blackout or psychotic outburst. I was laughing hard on the inside at these idiots.

[GayleShy]

We used to have a guy who would come into the store every pay day early in the morning and buy a .25 pack of gum. He'd pay with his card and try to get $100 back, even though we only opened with $100, including change. He got really upset when I told him he had to wait for the CSM to draw me a loan, because I didn't have that sort of money in my till at that time, unless he wanted all my change, ones and fives. Thing is, every time he got paid, he'd do this to us, because he didn't want to pay the $1.50 fee at the ATM.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Most stores probably have rules about breaking bills. We weren't supposed to open the drawer just to break a bill for a customer. Not that I wouldn't do it sometimes, but then I was a supervisor and had an authorization code to do a no sale; and really it depended on the customer and what they wanted. If they wanted to break a dollar to use the pay phone, I would usually do it, but if they were trying to break a big bill I'd just tell them I couldn't open the drawer without a sale. Usually the only exeption to that I would make was around holidays when we had charity gift wrappers; sometimes people would ask for small bills so they could make a donation, in which case I was glad to help them out.

The only time I've ever asked to have a bill broken was in the store I used to work at; usually on payday when I used to cash my checks before I had direct deposit. I did do it once recently, though. I had actually bought something in the music department and wanted to break a hundred because I was meeting my friend for lunch and wanted to have smaller bills for the restaurant. But the music register would have given me a ton of fives, so I paid with a 20 and went up front and asked the head cashier to break my hundred. But then I know her, too. And last time I had a bill broken was last week when I went out to dinner with a bunch of people. While I was waiting for everyone I went to the bar and asked them to break my 20, so I'd have small bills to pay later. But in both cases, the establishment in question still got my money

[greensinestro]

I agree with what everyone is saying about big bills. My point of that was I was trying to break $1 so I could get some quarters I needed to make a phone call (being pay phones were all we had then, and no cellulars). I did not have any quarters on me, and every time I tried to break a small bill like $1, I never was given such awful treatment as what I was given.

[blas]

Yeah, all that over a dollar in quarters was just silly. It's only 4 quarters.

I had the biggest problem with big bills. Absolutely hated them. I have a feeling that all the mechanics and construction worker customers were paid "under the table" or didn't have bank accounts and cashed out their entire check every Friday, because they'd buy little in gas, a pack of smokes, and a pack of beer and show me a big wad of $100 bills. They always flashed it at me on purpose.

Yeah, impressive. All that money and you can't afford a bar of soap and some proper etiquette when it comes to being out in public. Impressive!

[BookstoreEscapee]

I agree with what everyone is saying about big bills. My point of that was I was trying to break $1 so I could get some quarters I needed to make a phone call (being pay phones were all we had then, and no cellulars). I did not have any quarters on me, and every time I tried to break a small bill like $1, I never was given such awful treatment as what I was given.

I know what you mean. I can understand if he really can't open the drawer without a sale, but to refuse to give you change when you buy something...there's no excuse for demanding exact change except that he was being an ass.

[greensinestro]

This is off the topic thread for a moment, but isn't this why they did away with gift certificates? Even I was guilty of this at one time when back in 1989, I won a $25 gift certificate for Publix because I was the best dressed for Halloween. I was the Joker, and it was right after the first "Batman" film came out. I bought a pack of gum and got $24 and some change back, much to the disgust of the store manager. Well, a lot of people did this. It was the same when music stores like Coconuts and Turtles had those metallic coins with a dollar value on them. If it was for $25, one would by a cassette tape for $8 and keep the remaining $17. It was heaven, but now, we certainly cannot be so comfortable with that.

[BookstoreEscapee]

This is off the topic thread for a moment, but isn't this why they did away with gift certificates? Even I was guilty of this at one time when back in 1989, I won a $25 gift certificate for Publix because I was the best dressed for Halloween. I was the Joker, and it was right after the first "Batman" film came out. I bought a pack of gum and got $24 and some change back, much to the disgust of the store manager. Well, a lot of people did this. It was the same when music stores like Coconuts and Turtles had those metallic coins with a dollar value on them. If it was for $25, one would by a cassette tape for $8 and keep the remaining $17. It was heaven, but now, we certainly cannot be so comfortable with that.

Back before gift cards, we used to just issue a new GC for the balance if it was a significant amount (though we didn't actually have to).

[Estil]

I had this happen once in Miami. I wanted to break a one dollar bill for four quarters, and the clerk there would not do it. No explanation of why, except I figured maybe it's because I'm not making a purchase. So, I went to buy a pack of gum, something like twenty-five cents, and when I went to give him my dollar, he rudely told me he could not that, and that I had to pay for my gum with exactly twenty-five cents! I mean, I could see him refusing me change because I at first would not buy anything, but for him to refuse me this type of service when I was practically giving him my business was downright wrong. And, after I pitched an argument with him that businesses normally provide change upon a purchase, he threatened to call the police on me. I just got in my car and left, upset but I figured OK, if that is how he is going to treat patrons, he'll be out of business in no time at all (which happened later on when I drove that way again months later).

And let me guess, he did not have a sign saying "EXACT CHANGE ONLY", right?

[RentalRacer]

So, I went to buy a pack of gum, something like twenty-five cents, and when I went to give him my dollar, he rudely told me he could not that, and that I had to pay for my gum with exactly twenty-five cents! I mean, I could see him refusing me change because I at first would not buy anything, but for him to refuse me this type of service when I was practically giving him my business was downright wrong. And, after I pitched an argument with him that businesses normally provide change upon a purchase, he threatened to call the police on me. I just got in my car and left, upset but I figured OK, if that is how he is going to treat patrons, he'll be out of business in no time at all (which happened later on when I drove that way again months later).

You should have grabbed a bat and re-enacted the scene from "Falling Down". Kidding of course

[aurelemsrealm]

I agree with what everyone is saying about big bills. My point of that was I was trying to break $1 so I could get some quarters I needed to make a phone call (being pay phones were all we had then, and no cellulars). I did not have any quarters on me, and every time I tried to break a small bill like $1, I never was given such awful treatment as what I was given.

That was pretty pathetic. The only time I refuse to break a dollar for four quarters is if my safe and drawer are both running low on quarters, like on a Sunday or a holiday. Our company does kind of monitor the number and ratio of "no sale, error correct, and void" operations per shift. My manager said that she really doesn't care how many we have on our shifts so long as the money matches the sales reports, but I always write down the reasons why on the register receipts and submit them with my paper work. That way, if it ever comes in to question, the explanation is right there in writing. I don't have to try to struggle to remember why I did what I did several days ago.