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I'm fairly certain I've mentioned the split cash-out system at my work on here before, but because it's an ever existing source of frustration for all of us who work cash, I thought I would share a few of my stories about it.
Background:
At my location, the managers have decided that the most efficient way to get customers through cash is to split the registers by way of payment.
That being, lanes 1-15 will accept all forms of payment, and lanes 16 and beyond (from here on known as "plastic") will accept all forms of payment except cash (so credit, debit and store credit only).
Admittedly at first I thought this was foolish, especially since they refer to these lanes (16 and beyond) as "express", but shortly after implementing this I took notice of how much shorter the plastic lanes are than cash lanes.
Without fail, cash lanes have an average of three more customers in them than plastic lanes.
ALL plastic lanes have the same sign that reads, "EXPRESS LANE - debit and credit card transactions ONLY!".
The signs are magnetically attached to the bottom of the lane signs (the lighted numbers) that are directly above the belt.
The signs are bright yellow, and in perfect contrast to the navy blue lane signs.
In spite of the fact that customers are constantly screaming about signs, and how they saw a sign that said this, there's no sign that says they can't do that and etc., few people actually take notice to the Express Lane signs.
Because of this, I often ask customers how they're paying before ringing in their items, though sometimes I either forget, or our exchange of words takes place at that point.
Now that you have the background, onward to the Sucky Customers.
The "Ridiculous" Man
On a moderately busy day, or a "yellow" day, as Ikea terms it, a man had made his way to the front of my line, or rather, the next closest thing.
The woman ahead of him was intending to pay with cash, and I informed her that I couldn't take any and she apologized and moved to another lane with no complaint. The Ridiculous Man was watching the conversation I had with the woman, and since I noticed he was hip to the jive (that being the words that were exchanged between her and I) I assumed I wouldn't need to ask him how he was paying.
I ring through his items, tell him his total, and watch as he goes to remove several $20 bills from his wallet.
Me: yup
RM: Ridiculous Man
Me: Oh sir, I'm sorry but I can't take cash at this lane. It's express and I don't have a till.
RM: You don't take cash?
Me: No, see we split our lanes up. Lanes 15 and over can take cash.
RM: You're kidding me.
Me: No.
RM: *throws down the item he had picked up from the belt and stares me in the face* THIS IS RIDICULOUS! MY MONEY IS JUST AS GOOD AS ANYONE'S! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
Me: Well actually our express lanes are much fas-
RM: I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SO RIDICULOUS IN MY LIFE! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?
Me: I'm sorry, but only lanes 15 and over can accept cash.
RM: Where's the fucking sign, huh? I don't see no fucking sign.
Me: Well actually it's right there. *points*
RM: THAT SIGN IS RIDICULOUSLY SMALL! HOW CAN ANYONE BE EXPECTED TO SEE IT?
Me: *losing patience* It's two and a half feet wide, a foot in height and bright yellow.
RM: RIDICULOUS! *grabs his items and storms off*
Lady Drop-Off
Me: uh-huh
LD: Lady Drop-Off
Me: *before I ring her items trhough* Hi. Are you using credit or debit?
LD: I... uh... cash.
Me: I'm sorry but I can't take cash. Only lanes 15 and over can.
LD: *puzzled look* Fuck this.
LD now leaves all of her items on the belt, her cart in my lane and walks off, muttering under her breath.
Where's the sign? Here's your sign.
This was another instance in which I told a customer that I could not accept cash, and the customer behind them was clearly listening to our exchange of words.
The first customer realises her mistake and moves over without complaint.
Enter Sign-o-Matic.
Me: ...
SoM: Sign-o-Matic
SoM: You take cash, right?
Me: No, ma'am, I'm sorry but I don't.
SoM: *kisses teeth and shoots me the dirty look of the century* You know you should have a fucking sign telling people shit like this.
Me: I do. It's right in front of you. *points*
SoM: Oh, well I didn't see THAT!
Me: That doesn't mean it's not there.
Sign-o-Matic also leaves in a huff.
I can read, you know!
As mentioned earlier, I typically ask customers beforehand how they intend to pay, so as to avoid ringing through all their stuff only to find they only have a wad of bills for me, leaving me with a voided receipt and an angry customer.
Me: ...
LS: Literary Scholar
Me: Hi. Are you going to be using credit or debit today?
LS: *with an attitude so thick you could cut it with a knife* Yeah. I can read, thanks.
Well pardon me for attempting to make each of your lives a touch simpler. I'll be sure to hone my psychic abilities before next shift so that I may be pre-aware of how you intend to pay for your damn merchandise without asking.
Jebus.
It should be noted that these are not simply isolated incedents, but rather recurring trends in the store. People's reactions to our system can more or less be grouped under one of these four categories.
Now I realise that this is a somewhat unconventional way of doing business, but nonetheless it's our way, and the only responsibility that falls to the customer is that they read one sign.
Now if the sign said, "10% discount on all purple items," you could bet your ass every last one of them would see it, but once it becomes an issue of them making a mistake, suddenly the all important sign has become an invisible object.
Signs: the bane of my retail extistence.
Perhaps sometimes soon a new and interesting plastic related story will emerge, leaving me rushing to the forum to regale you all with the SC-ness of it all.
Background:
At my location, the managers have decided that the most efficient way to get customers through cash is to split the registers by way of payment.
That being, lanes 1-15 will accept all forms of payment, and lanes 16 and beyond (from here on known as "plastic") will accept all forms of payment except cash (so credit, debit and store credit only).
Admittedly at first I thought this was foolish, especially since they refer to these lanes (16 and beyond) as "express", but shortly after implementing this I took notice of how much shorter the plastic lanes are than cash lanes.
Without fail, cash lanes have an average of three more customers in them than plastic lanes.
ALL plastic lanes have the same sign that reads, "EXPRESS LANE - debit and credit card transactions ONLY!".
The signs are magnetically attached to the bottom of the lane signs (the lighted numbers) that are directly above the belt.
The signs are bright yellow, and in perfect contrast to the navy blue lane signs.
In spite of the fact that customers are constantly screaming about signs, and how they saw a sign that said this, there's no sign that says they can't do that and etc., few people actually take notice to the Express Lane signs.
Because of this, I often ask customers how they're paying before ringing in their items, though sometimes I either forget, or our exchange of words takes place at that point.
Now that you have the background, onward to the Sucky Customers.
The "Ridiculous" Man
On a moderately busy day, or a "yellow" day, as Ikea terms it, a man had made his way to the front of my line, or rather, the next closest thing.
The woman ahead of him was intending to pay with cash, and I informed her that I couldn't take any and she apologized and moved to another lane with no complaint. The Ridiculous Man was watching the conversation I had with the woman, and since I noticed he was hip to the jive (that being the words that were exchanged between her and I) I assumed I wouldn't need to ask him how he was paying.
I ring through his items, tell him his total, and watch as he goes to remove several $20 bills from his wallet.
Me: yup
RM: Ridiculous Man
Me: Oh sir, I'm sorry but I can't take cash at this lane. It's express and I don't have a till.
RM: You don't take cash?
Me: No, see we split our lanes up. Lanes 15 and over can take cash.
RM: You're kidding me.
Me: No.
RM: *throws down the item he had picked up from the belt and stares me in the face* THIS IS RIDICULOUS! MY MONEY IS JUST AS GOOD AS ANYONE'S! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
Me: Well actually our express lanes are much fas-
RM: I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SO RIDICULOUS IN MY LIFE! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?
Me: I'm sorry, but only lanes 15 and over can accept cash.
RM: Where's the fucking sign, huh? I don't see no fucking sign.
Me: Well actually it's right there. *points*
RM: THAT SIGN IS RIDICULOUSLY SMALL! HOW CAN ANYONE BE EXPECTED TO SEE IT?
Me: *losing patience* It's two and a half feet wide, a foot in height and bright yellow.
RM: RIDICULOUS! *grabs his items and storms off*
Lady Drop-Off
Me: uh-huh
LD: Lady Drop-Off
Me: *before I ring her items trhough* Hi. Are you using credit or debit?
LD: I... uh... cash.
Me: I'm sorry but I can't take cash. Only lanes 15 and over can.
LD: *puzzled look* Fuck this.
LD now leaves all of her items on the belt, her cart in my lane and walks off, muttering under her breath.
Where's the sign? Here's your sign.
This was another instance in which I told a customer that I could not accept cash, and the customer behind them was clearly listening to our exchange of words.
The first customer realises her mistake and moves over without complaint.
Enter Sign-o-Matic.
Me: ...
SoM: Sign-o-Matic
SoM: You take cash, right?
Me: No, ma'am, I'm sorry but I don't.
SoM: *kisses teeth and shoots me the dirty look of the century* You know you should have a fucking sign telling people shit like this.
Me: I do. It's right in front of you. *points*
SoM: Oh, well I didn't see THAT!
Me: That doesn't mean it's not there.
Sign-o-Matic also leaves in a huff.
I can read, you know!
As mentioned earlier, I typically ask customers beforehand how they intend to pay, so as to avoid ringing through all their stuff only to find they only have a wad of bills for me, leaving me with a voided receipt and an angry customer.
Me: ...
LS: Literary Scholar
Me: Hi. Are you going to be using credit or debit today?
LS: *with an attitude so thick you could cut it with a knife* Yeah. I can read, thanks.
Well pardon me for attempting to make each of your lives a touch simpler. I'll be sure to hone my psychic abilities before next shift so that I may be pre-aware of how you intend to pay for your damn merchandise without asking.
Jebus.
It should be noted that these are not simply isolated incedents, but rather recurring trends in the store. People's reactions to our system can more or less be grouped under one of these four categories.
Now I realise that this is a somewhat unconventional way of doing business, but nonetheless it's our way, and the only responsibility that falls to the customer is that they read one sign.
Now if the sign said, "10% discount on all purple items," you could bet your ass every last one of them would see it, but once it becomes an issue of them making a mistake, suddenly the all important sign has become an invisible object.
Signs: the bane of my retail extistence.
Perhaps sometimes soon a new and interesting plastic related story will emerge, leaving me rushing to the forum to regale you all with the SC-ness of it all.
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