The invisible sign

[Lace Neil Singer]

In the petrol station, we don't sell stamps and we don't give out cashback. Yet, for some unknown reason, patrons seem to think that we do both. We never have done cashback, and we haven't done stamps since the refit last year. So my manager put up two signs either side of the tills on bright green card saying that we don't do stamps or cashback... yet on an average day, we STILL get at least 20 people asking for stamps or cashback. Anyone else have the invisible sign problem?

[ShinyGreenApple]

Sometimes at WM and WD, the card readers would die and we'd tape a big sign up either on the back of the price display screen or at the end of the belt, if it was a big lane.

"CASH ONLY"

Yet we'd still end up ringing a big order, and the person would whip out a debit/credit card. Then we'd get grumped out because "You people should put a sign up!" I feel your pain.

[MannersMakethMan]

Sometimes at WM and WD, the card readers would die and we'd tape a big sign up either on the back of the price display screen or at the end of the belt, if it was a big lane.

"CASH ONLY"

Yet we'd still end up ringing a big order, and the person would whip out a debit/credit card. Then we'd get grumped out because "You people should put a sign up!" I feel your pain.

Heck, working in a supermarket on a 'cash only' till that had been cash only since the dinosaurs were in nappies, complete with signs above the checkout and signs on the belt you'd still get people paying with cards. I just kept thinking "it has to be wilful ignorance doesn't it? Surely people aren't that stupid? Out of 24 tills, why pick the only one that won't let you use a card?"

Then you snap back to the real world...

[Katwyld]

When I worked at the Big Pet Store as a manager, I was covering for a manager at a store that was closing in about a month. The signs, neon yellow poster board sized signs with large black type that said 'We're closing!' and then information underneath about the next nearest store and when the last day was and that we had coupons for customers to use at another store to apologize for the inconvenience, etc, etc., were on each door (in and out), on every window along the front of the store, across from the registers (I think there were three of them), and on every bare wall of the store (and we had white walls). They were a little hard to miss and had been up for 2 months or so.

I had a woman come up to me SCREAMING that she didn't know we were closing and how could we not inform our customers and she'd been in the store EVERY day for the past few months and where were the signs and shouldn't we have put signs up... just on and on and on... And I let her, with a smile on my face. Finally when she stopped long enough to take a breath, I turned around and looked behind me (where one of the signs was on the wall, RIGHT behind me), and then looked back at her. She got real red in the face and walked away without another word.

People just never fail to amaze me in their complete lack of observation...

[Ratha]

Not to give people an excuse, but I think I can give at least some explanation as to the invisible sign phenomenon from a customer's standpoint. Some people are just so focused on something the signs don't even register- they see it, but they don't see it. I've done it myself a few times, but thankfully I had enough sense to look around again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

[Danno]

Yeah, during the last month of the season we had signs by the windows marked "Closing November 30th." I can't tell you how many times somebody asked "So when are you closing?" and the instant I replied, "November 30th" they "saw" the sign. Seeing without seeing. I suspect that in today's constant media blitz where we're unconsciously trained to ignore most ads, billboards, pop-ups etc. we develop an assumption that most of the signs out there aren't important or intended for us personally.

Now, I need to make a post about my fun with our "cash only" sign this year, but it'll need some illustrations for full effect. I'll have time to get on that later next week...

[Lace Neil Singer]

I told my manager we ought to make a sign with the following:

!SEX!
Now we've got your attention, we don't do cashback or stamps.

They might see that. XD

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I've always felt that the bigger the sign, the more people will ignore it.

Put a big sign in the door that says "PLEASE USE OTHER DOOR" or "CLOSED" and people will still rattle the door, trying to get in.

Put up a little 4"x4" sign that says "We Do Not Serve Ninjas" behind the till or add the line "$20.00 charge for rewinding DVDs" to the bottom of an existing sign and you will get questions.

[Mister]

One time, during a general inventory (counting everything in the store), we were scheduled to open a few hours later. Thoughtfully, we stuck signs to the windows telling customers outside at which time we would be opening.

It all worked fine until some gentleman actually crouched under the eye-level sign to ask me (in gestures) at which time we would open.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Sometimes at WM and WD, the card readers would die and we'd tape a big sign up either on the back of the price display screen or at the end of the belt, if it was a big lane.

"CASH ONLY"

Yet we'd still end up ringing a big order, and the person would whip out a debit/credit card. Then we'd get grumped out because "You people should put a sign up!" I feel your pain.

This happens at the Litter Box as well. They'll either whip out a debit card or EBT card.

And it doesn't matter if you tape the sign to the register light or the debit card machine - they still don't pay attention.

[Pagan]

I don't know why any of these surprise you. We all know that SCs don't read signs!

[ShinyGreenApple]

Not to give people an excuse, but I think I can give at least some explanation as to the invisible sign phenomenon from a customer's standpoint. Some people are just so focused on something the signs don't even register- they see it, but they don't see it. I've done it myself a few times, but thankfully I had enough sense to look around again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

That's very true, and we've all had 'off' days where we blunder around and would forget our own heads if they weren't attached. However, that still doesn't excuse people from making the 'You should have a sign up!!!11!' statement in a very rude and condescending manner. When I've made a dumb mistake, I'll apologize for said dumb mistake, and probably make a comment to the clerk about how silly I feel because of it. Sure, the clerk might still roll their eyes after you leave, but I'd much rather them think of me as a bumbling dumbass than a raging, self-important bitch.

Oh, and to a fellow Floridian!

[caitsith2]

Yeah, I have seen cases of the invisible sign problem myself. At a gas station, Sign right on the door pointing directions of washrooms, Big sign right above main door for the washrooms, and customers ask "Where is the washroom?".

It has been suggested to have a big bright flashing sign pointing the way to the washrooms, except that it would also be invisible to these very same people.

[I_Hate_SCs]

I told my manager we ought to make a sign with the following:

!SEX!
Now we've got your attention, we don't do cashback or stamps.

They might see that. XD

You could put SALE! instead of SEX! and that would attract them as much! I think some customers have x-ray vision that causes them to see the word 'sale' even if it is on an old sale sign stuffed behind a shelf-full of items. They always seem to find them and then haggle to get the year-old sale price.

My store was remodeled a few years ago, and we had signs everywhere hanging from the ceiling as well as on the doors saying something like "Please excuse the mess, we are remodeling the store to provide a better shopping experience for you." Mind you, these signs were neon-colored and you had to be blind to miss them because they were huge. There was also the obvious construction and products being moved everywhere to back the signs up. This didn't matter, as every day I got at least 5-6 customers totally in the blue, looking around in awe, asking what is going on and wondering why things are in different places!

[snugglegirl05]

The Visitor Parking garage where I work at has a sign in front of the entrance gate stating Visitor Parking $5.00 per vehicle, & there are 3 signs inside the garage stating Visitor Parking $5.00 per entry. Two of those signs are posted on concrete pillars near the entrance gate which can be easily seen if you notice them, & the third one is posted on the side of the garage before you get to the main building of the university. Whenever I have to leave the booth for any reason, I have to leave both gates up at the booth because the city's public transportation system has vehicles that drop off handicapped customers, & the drop off area is inside Visitor Parking.

There have been times when someone rings the call button at the exit gate, the call is transferred to dispatch, which transfers the call to me. The person at the gate tells me that the gates were up when they arrived & that there was no one inside the booth. I inform them that there are 4 signs stating Visitor Parking is $5.00. When I inform the customer of this, they usually do not argue, & they ask me where to pay for their parking.

One time a faculty member working at one of the buildings located at the campus asked me if she had to pay since she works for the university. She dropped of some information to Student Activities. I told her that a $5.00 token is needed to exit the garage. She could either go back to Student Activities & ask if that dept. has one to give her, but if that dept. did not have one, she had to buy one for $5.00. She backed up & went back to Student Activities.