I don't read signs.

[Victory Sabre]

I'm not in a good mood right now, and it's all because some old bat didn't read a sign.

Our gas station DOESN'T take checks. Why you ask? We've lost thousands of dollars on bad checks. All of our pumps, our front door, and the counter have big signs on them that state this fact in plain English. However we will take checks from established customers. That is also stated in plain English on the signs, and we have a list of customers we will take checks from.

So this old biddy comes in and starts writing out a check. I've never seen her in my life, and all the years I've been involved in this station. It's a BIG check - $260. As you can imagine I'm going to make sure things are good. So I ask her "Are you on our accepted check list?"

Cue problems - and where I need alcohol.

She says "on the bad check list? My checks are good."

Me "Well, I hate to say it, but we don't take checks unless you're on the list. I'm sorry", as I start looking through the list to see if she's on it. She's not.

Her "well, don't be sorry. Where's the nice guy who's usually here?".

Me - WTF in my head!!!!!!!!!!

Frankly, at this point I wanted her to drop over dead at this point. I've been nothing but nice to her, but this is a lot of money and if it's bad, then it's on my ass (well it always is - the joys of ownership).
Me "Ok, you're not on the list, but even though it's against company policy, I'll take the check". "the reason why we stopped taking checks is because we've lost thousands of dollars in bad checks."

All the while another customer was berating me for even questioning her. Well, I'm sorry but this is my ass in the sling. This will come out of my pocket if it's bad, and the amount makes me shit my pants.

I don't know. I caved, and the employee who came back in from helping another customer also said he knows her, but it's not their business. They don't understand. They don't have sleepless nights worrying about how to keep things going. Having months of checks, and thousands of dollars worth, that I can't cash right away to help with cash flow. They don't understand the hundreds of thousands of dollars I've, and my partners, put into this to get it started and keep it going. They don't understand that if this business fails, I'm out a couple hundred K. The frustration when Lazy Ass doesn't do his work, well, because he's lazy, and I've got to do it for him.

I need a vacation.

[earl colby pottinger]

Never

1) I would never have taken the check.

2) For the second customer I would had stated "Then you pay her bill and take a check from her for the amount of money needed."

It would be interesting to see how willing he would be to take the check himself.

[wagegoth]

My dad owned a gas station franchise. He got the first one cheap because previous owners had never been able to operate in the black. He did make it profitable, but the hours he put in, the budget our family lived on (my mom stretched and stretched the food budget; housing was cheap then, which also helped), my mom handled all the bookkeeping, etc., and, just like you, the money that went back into the business, and the fear of losing the business.

It worked out for us, as my dad was able to sell that franchise and buy a better one. But people who have never owned a small business do not have a clue about the costs that go into it, not just money, but time, energy, your personal life.

[Headset Hellion]

I used to work at a gas station/convenience store that had the same policy. No checks unless your name was on the approved list. I was working one day and this guy came through the line and pulled out his checkbook. Before he started writing out the check, I said, "I'm sorry, sir, but I can get your name please to verify that I can accept a check from you?" He got really snotty, looking at me like I'm garbage, and said, "Ugh! You don't know who I am, do you?" I looked him dead in the eye and said, "No sir, I don't, and I can't take a check from you unless your name is on the list."

Turns out he was the owner's husband. Oh well.

[Pixilated]

1) I would never have taken the check.

2) For the second customer I would had stated "Then you pay her bill and take a check from her for the amount of money needed."

It would be interesting to see how willing he would be to take the check himself.

I second this. Either Customer #2 should've coughed up the cash and taken her cheque, or he should STFU. For exactly the reasons you stated.

And hard though it would be, I also agree I would not have taken the cheque. Too bad for her if she's insulted by it. I don't know of ANY businesses anymore that DO take cheques (OK, my vet back in Welland did, but only from long-established and trusted customers. She also let me run a "tab" on occasion.)

I used to work at a gas station/convenience store that had the same policy. No checks unless your name was on the approved list. I was working one day and this guy came through the line and pulled out his checkbook. Before he started writing out the check, I said, "I'm sorry, sir, but I can get your name please to verify that I can accept a check from you?" He got really snotty, looking at me like I'm garbage, and said, "Ugh! You don't know who I am, do you?" I looked him dead in the eye and said, "No sir, I don't, and I can't take a check from you unless your name is on the list."

Turns out he was the owner's husband. Oh well.

Whoops. But then again, you were supposed to know this how ... ?

[EricKei]

Whoops. But then again, you were supposed to know this how ... ?

Why, because he was acting as an arrogant, puffed-up dick, of course! No scammer would ever think to do that, or to pretend to be a relative just to screw the place over, now would they?

[Pagan]

I don't know of ANY businesses anymore that DO take cheques

Lots of places still take checks....

[EricKei]

Where's the nice guy who's usually here?"

Well, ya see, he finally cracked. He figured out where he was working, and it caused a General Protection Fault in his brain. Now he's become just like the rest of us.

Pix - Grocery and c-stores, yeah, it's uncommon. Service-type businesses? It's still quite common. Back at the accountingfirm we generally sold several sets of computer-printable checks a day, and we weren't all that big. I will admit it's mainly business to business, but some storefronts still do it.

[Lady_Foxfire]

My store takes checks, but we have a machine that scans the check and deducts the amount immediately, like a debit card. If there's not enough money in the account, it declines it. I still hate taking checks because it takes so much longer than a credit card, but we don't have to worry about them bouncing.

[bainsidhe]

This is a gas station, right? What on earth cost $260? And is the reason you took the check because gas was already pumped and you didn't have a choice? Otherwise I wouldn't have backed down because you're clearly stressed about taking checks and one irrational customer isn't worth the pain of a potentially bad check. Sorry you're stressing about this.

Her "well, don't be sorry. Where's the nice guy who's usually here?".

Are you saying one of my employees is breaking policy? Because as the owner, I assure you we do NOT take checks from anyone who hasn't been approved and none of my employees have the authority to override that policy. *smiles sweetly* So would you like to pay by cash, credit or debit?

[EricKei]

I still hate taking checks because it takes so much longer than a credit card

...And that is exactly why many businesses use them to pay their own bills. ^_^