I gave you a Twenty

[sarahj]

Here in Australia, our bills are pretty colors. But when I'm handed money, whether it be a ton of coins and notes or just one note, I always say the amount back to the customer before opening the register. And no matter how much cash I have in my register, I'll always take a $100 bill to a manager so they can confirm it's real. We get fake bills all the time, and I test the others myself, but I feel better asking a manager.

(Also, if you use a $100 bill at Maccas, wtf? Especially if you just get an ice cream cone. Where do you even get a $100 bill, other than the casino or a bank? Where do you get a $100 that you can't request smaller bills?)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, that was an attempt at a very common scam.

Of course she didn't give you her contact info. Because then you'd have her contact info and she knew your register would come up correctly. And while no crime had actually been successfully committed, dishonest people tend to also be paranoid people.

People suck.

[SuperB]

I am actually completely against letting the register tell the amount of change to give back. My son is learning to work the register and he's pretty good at it but I don't let him let the register figure the change for him.
We were in an ice cream shop one evening this last Christmas. 4 small cones and my bottle of water came to $8.26. I pay with a $20 but had no change since my daughter and I dropped any extra coins we had in all the Salvation Army pots that night. As my husband is digging out 26 cents from his change, the clerk had already punched $20.00 into the register. My husband hands him the 26 cents and completely confused him.
Now my son understands why I need him to learn this. I understand not being good with numbers, I'm horrible at math, but counting change is something that should be required learning in any job.

Another thing people will do is hand me a bill and then head off to the bathroom and say they'll get it when they get back. Nope, I make them finish the transaction and I have no problem telling them I'm not in the mood to argue what denomination I was handed.

Something that happened to my mother-in-law at her store, whatever the guys problem was, I'm not all that sure but I think it had to do with having to come in and pre-pay. He was a complete ass. He handed a large bill and huffs out. What he didn't realize was that he handed over two large bills (hundreds). When he came in my mother-in-law said, "Do you realize what you handed me?"
He went absolutely ape saying he knew damn well he handed her a hundred and don't she dare try to tell him otherwise. She, very sweetly, said, "Would you want to know if you gave me 2 hundreds" (although she was tempted to 'not dare tell him otherwise') I don't even think he said thank you. (shocker)

[BookstoreEscapee]

I got scammed out of 10 bucks by a quick change artist. He gave me a 50 for a $5 book, and I counted out a 20 and two 10s because I only had one 20, and he said I shorted him 10. I knew I hadn't but he got me confused, and it was early in my cashier days so I wasn't so sure. Sure enough my drawer was 10 short, as I told the manager it probably would be. I was expecting to get written up the next day, but she told me somehow the safe and deposit all balanced out at the end of the day, so somewhere else they must have been over. But anyway, I didn't get written up, at least. Never let it happen again, either.

[ReverendBSB]

I used to work at a chicken place. One day I had a customer finish eating and come back to the counter and tell me that I gave him the wrong change. He said he hadd given me a twenty. I thought maybe I had made a mistake and given him change for a 10 so I called the manager. The manager asked for the guys receipt, the guy had not taken it when I offered it to him so guess who now had to look in the garbage for it. When I finally found it (lucky we put the customers name on the orders so it was easy to recognize) I handed it to the manager, who then told the customer to get out. When I looked at the receipt I understood. The order had came to 5.45 or so, and the amount I put in that he gave me was 6.00. I might have mistakenly taken a 20 and given change for a 10, but there is not way anyone could take a 20 and mistake it for 6. My register came up perfect at the end of my shift.

[tamezin]

I wonder if she realized her mistake...If she did I know I will never receive an apology from her.

She already new her mistake, this was a scam....it happens to poor unsuspecting clerks all the time.

[Emrld]

Karma

I remember the day the new $20's came out here - at the time only the $100's had that bit of peachy color along with the green and white (US money)
Well I went to my favorite watering hole in the wall and the newest bartender was taking care of me . . .I tabbed out and he handed me my change, they were busy and he didn't count it back. So I start to put it away and realized something wasn't quite right . . . He gave me way too much change. So I called him over and said I gave you a $20 and you gave me too much change - he said no I double checked I gave you correct change. I told him to check his till - sure enough he had it in his head that I had given him a 100 even after stating I gave a 20 . . . .he took the change back and gave me my 20 back (I only had 2 drinks) He said my drinks were on him.
(yes, I still tipped him)

I do firmly agree that placing the bill out of the customers reach but where they can watch it the entire time - is a great idea when it comes to prevent this type of scam.