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  • #1

    Computer says what?

    Not terribly long ago while I was in the mall, I went into a clothing store to wander around a bit. Near to the cashier's desk I was standing and looking at some shirts when a rather happy lady walked up. Apparently she had a gift card for quite a large bit of money that had been a gift from her sister and she was finally getting some new outfits. She was a teacher from what I heard correctly.

    Well, she gave her gift card to the woman at the desk and the woman scanned it once. When it wouldn't work, she didn't even attempt to retry. Instead, she simply put it down and the conversation followed as thus:

    T - Teacher
    OC - Ornery Cashier
    M - Manager

    OC: *brusquely* You must have already used it.
    T: *mildly* I...I couldn't have. I haven't been to the mall since I've gotten it and it's been in my purse the whole time.
    OC: Well it doesn't work.
    T: Please...it was a gift from my sister. Can you try one more time?
    OC: *refusing to* It doesn't work. You must have already used it.
    T: *beginning to get frustrated, but not yelling* I just know it's not used yet.

    At this point a much younger manager walked up and inquired about the problem. The teacher told her in slightly exhasperated terms and the manager smiled and tried scanning it again. When that didn't work she turned the card over and typed in the numbers from the barcode. That simple act was enough to show that YES the card had never been used. From there, the manager checked the woman out and the OC gave both of them assorted nasty looks.

    I guess the moral of the story is that, yes, sometimes customers can be a hassle, but if they're not being rude to you PLEASE at least be kind and indulge them. There may really be an honest problem. After all, this Cashier did CHOOSE the service industry which does mean serving (at least, serving the polite customers who follow the rules).
    Why did Darwin bother giving us hope?
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Sounds to me like OC wanted a gift card.
    "I don't want any part of your crazy cult! I'm already a member of the public library and that's good enough for me, thanks!"

    ~TechSmith 314
    HellGate: London

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    • #3


      I'd never decline a gift-card from a NC (Nice Customer) without swiping it at LEAST twice and trying the numbers manually. Too many things can go wrong with a magnetic strip to rule a card out just because it won't swipe.

      Sounds like the OC was either scamming, or needed 10ccs of Bitch-B-Gone STAT.
      ...WHY DO YOU TEMPT WHAT LITTLE FAITH IN HUMANITY I HAVE!?! -- Kalga
      And I want a pony for Christmas but neither of us is getting what we want OK! What you are asking is impossible. -- Wicked Lexi

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      • #4
        OK, presumably any place that uses electronic gift cards will have some kind of indication that the card has been declined...if it just doesn't scan that in no way indicates that the card has been used; the computer will still read it and it will either put through the amount or tell the cashier it's declined... Any time I had any kind of card not work when swiped I'd type in the number. Even when credit cards declined I'd try them twice before I even told the customer because sometimes it's a momentary computer glitch and it works fine the second time...
        I don't go in for ancient wisdom
        I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
        It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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        • #5
          the strip on gift cards can be crap! and she had it in her purse the whole time? with her license (which has a strip sometimes for some reason) credit cards/debit cards, and god knows what? And that cashier didnt swip twice?

          God good i rarely wish a cashier to get a talking to but that one needs it.

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          • #6
            I would always slide the gc through twice, and sometimes even key in the number twice if it didnt work.

            I wonder if that cashier still has a job? If she was at my store, she wouldn't

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            • #7
              Yet another cashier that gives us all a bad rep. I hate people like that.

              Unseen but seeing
              oh dear, now they're masquerading as sane-KiaKat
              There isn't enough interpretive dance in the workplace these days-Irv
              3rd shift needs love, too
              RIP, mo bhrionglóid

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              • #8
                If a customer insists it hasn't been used they need to look into it. That happened with a Home Depot gift card we had around Christmas. Whole blocks of gift card numbers were stolen and when they pulled up where it was used it was obvious it wasn't us and that it was not swiped. It was manually input somehow. Luckily they didn't tell us we were screwed, they put the amount back on the card and we made sure we used it up that day so it wouldn't happen again.

                "You'd feel a Hell of a lot better if you'd just rip into the occasional customer."
                ~Clerks

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                • #9
                  Quoth SuperB View Post
                  If a customer insists it hasn't been used they need to look into it. That happened with a Home Depot gift card we had around Christmas. Whole blocks of gift card numbers were stolen and when they pulled up where it was used it was obvious it wasn't us and that it was not swiped. It was manually input somehow. Luckily they didn't tell us we were screwed, they put the amount back on the card and we made sure we used it up that day so it wouldn't happen again.
                  They probably got the GC numbers, then kept checking the balance and waited until they were loaded, then used them online. That was one scam I heard about around Christmas time last year.
                  I don't go in for ancient wisdom
                  I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious
                  It means that they're worthy - Tim Minchin, "White Wine in the Sun"

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                  • #10
                    Computer says what?



                    Computer says no.

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