Maths is hard

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Today was Another Damn Senior Day, and a rather uneventful one. Until I left for the day.

As I was putting away my scanner and holster, the service desk ladies were engaging in a ...policy discussion with one of the many senior citizens passing through today. Apparently she had bought some stuff and used the loyalty coupon from the latest ad good for $10 off an $X purchase (amount varies; the lowest I've seen is $40.). Then she returned and decided she wanted the 15% senior citizen discount.

Problem is, when we have a senior day and a loyalty coupon running at the same time, seniors can choose only the coupon or the 15% discount. They can't have both. A lot of people will choose to use the coupon, as it prevents them from having to do math. She wanted everything re-rung so she could use the 15% discount and get her loyalty coupon back.

Problem was, her coupon had been ripped up, as per store policy.

My guess is they re-rung everything and gave her $10 on a gift card, because the comments on our customer service surveys have been trending negative lately and concerned management is concerned.

Funny thing is, she would've had to buy at least $70 worth of stuff for the senior discount to be a better deal than the coupon, and it didn't appear to me that she did.

But seriously, if it's so important that you get the best deal possible, carry a calculator around.

[Sandiercy]

Maths are for College and University students! How dare you demand that SCs go to school for that?

Of course they are only ever willing to do the maths if it favors them in a big way (you know, if the dove soap is 2 for $1 they will try to get it for the Johnson's soap).

[Racket_Man]

Oh come on IRV you know as well as I do that even 2+2 =4 is hard stuff for some of these brain fogged inDUHviduals.

You should see some of the CC slips I get.

EG.
order $16.58
tip $2.00
Total $16.58

I still wonder about the education system here in Cheeseheadland. I really do sometimes.

[starsinthesky]

Her thinking was probably that 15 is more than 10. Regardless that one is static and the other is variable.

[Ghel]

Before the bank changed hands, we had two different types of checking accounts that customers always wanted to know which was "better." I had to do the math for them, since they never could.

Account type A had a flat 30 cent fee for each withdrawal.

Account type B had a minimum balance, and below that balance, there was a $3 fee plus 15 cents for each withdrawal for the month.

I had to explain to them that if they wrote more than 20 checks for the month, B was better. But if they wrote less than 20 checks for the month, A was better.

Half of the customers that I explained this to responded with a blank stare. Of course, if they were asking this, they were crap customers anyway, unable to either keep a minimum balance in their checking account or pay monthly fees.

[raudf]

[MOD SNIP] Half of the customers that I explained this to responded with a blank stare.

I'm more surprised they didn't ask you what a check was, since plastic is so popular nowadays :P

Of course you could just ask them how many checks they write in a month and give them the answer without showing them the maths. Unless you're like me and love watching people's eyes go all glassy without the help of non-prescription drugs

[Chromatix]

It would seem that many people know *how* to add, subtract and multiply - but have absolutely no idea *when* such skills might be useful. Hooray for teaching to the test.

[Gizmo]

It would seem that many people know *how* to add, subtract and multiply - but have absolutely no idea *when* such skills might be useful.

Yes, hope this isn't too off topic but I astounded a temp agency when I walked in for a pre-meeting for a new job having done full calculations and able to actually say what I'd get paid a day (per the rate I was told), what I'd spend on travel etc. and what I'd have left as a result. Apparently it was the first time they'd had someone able to work it out, let alone bother!

[taxguykarl]

Yes, hope this isn't too off topic but I astounded a temp agency when I walked in for a pre-meeting for a new job having done full calculations and able to actually say what I'd get paid a day (per the rate I was told), what I'd spend on travel etc. and what I'd have left as a result. Apparently it was the first time they'd had someone able to work it out, let alone bother!

I've wowed more than my share of dim bulbs by calcluating their dependents' year of birth by subtracting their ages from this year.

[Ghel]

Of course you could just ask them how many checks they write in a month and give them the answer without showing them the maths.

I try to do this, but most people don't know how many checks they'll be writing each month, when I ask them. I always know it's going to be a bad account when they say, "and what if I go under that minimum balance?"

[PepperElf]

Kinda reminds me of the grocery store a few days ago. My BF found me looking at the onions... cos I was mentally comparing the prices.

Onion 1 was $x a pound, unbagged
Onion 2 was $X a bag, but it was a 2 pound bag. (higher price)

It wasn't our usual grocery store where they post the "price per pound/unit/whatever" below the item. So I had to do the comparison myself in my head. Unbagged onion price x 2... yep the bag was cheaper.


part of me wonders, though, how many people just grab the loose onion thinking it was a better deal cos it looked cheaper at first glance.

[SongsOfDragons]

The JobCentre do a 'Better Off In Work' calculation for you if you ever wonder whether taking a certain job with X hours and Y wage is better than being on benefits.

The last time I had one done, they forgot to factor in my rent and bill expenses and a small rather important thing called income tax. >.<

I think they've improved the calculation machine, but I refused to have one done for me last time as I was able to demonstrate that I had built my own in Excel that took a lot more things into account. They were impressed...but it really didn't take that long!

[ADeMartino]

In school, I was a whiz with regular arithmetic, but bombed badly when it came to anything beyond basic algebra. For this reason, I thought I was a complete idiot.

Not so much, as it turned out once I got to the real world and realized how many people have absolutely no clue how to do simple grade-school arithmetic.

As an example, I was at a convenience store buying a soda pop and a bag of chips (breakfast, mmm-MMMM!). The cashier had given me my total, I'd handed her the money, and just as the drawer popped open, the lights went out.

I was astounded when she couldn't figure out my change from the information she already had - my total ($2.28) and the amount of money I'd just handed her - $5.00. I had to give her the answer - $2.72 - but honestly, that wasn't what disturbed me. LOTS of people can't do the arithmetic in their heads. But she couldn't even do it on PAPER.

I was even more astonished when I realized that her name tag had the word MANAGER on it.

[Primer]

As an example, I was at a convenience store buying a soda pop and a bag of chips (breakfast, mmm-MMMM!). The cashier had given me my total, I'd handed her the money, and just as the drawer popped open, the lights went out.

I was astounded when she couldn't figure out my change from the information she already had - my total ($2.28) and the amount of money I'd just handed her - $5.00. I had to give her the answer - $2.72 - but honestly, that wasn't what disturbed me. LOTS of people can't do the arithmetic in their heads. But she couldn't even do it on PAPER.

Welcome to my world.
Twenty years ago, I did not allow calculators in my college classroom. Today, I BEG my students to use them! Yes, it's that bad. College students cannot add or subtract, much less multiply or divide, and heaven help us if an exponent or a negative number is involved!

[ADeMartino]

Welcome to my world.
Twenty years ago, I did not allow calculators in my college classroom. Today, I BEG my students to use them! Yes, it's that bad. College students cannot add or subtract, much less multiply or divide, and heaven help us if an exponent or a negative number is involved!

I suspect the issue is because they've had calculators onhand their whole lives; heck, today, even a cheapie cell phone has a basic calculator built-in.