Credit cards, great big signs, and great big lies

[EricKei]

Marge: W! A! T!
BT: B! E! E!

M! O! U! S! E!

Sorry, couldn't resist

It seems that customers these days are just selectively aliterate >_>

[wolfie]

The only decal we have on the front door at the moment is one saying we participate in the state's anti-ORC (organized retail crime, not those things from Tolkien) initiative.

Organized Retail Crime - would that be "steal to order" shoplifting gangs? As for the Tolkien creatures, they'd probably be more polite than some of your customers.

[Smapti]

Organized Retail Crime - would that be "steal to order" shoplifting gangs?

Pretty much, yes. During orientation we were shown security footage of four guys working together to surreptitiously clear several thousand dollars worth of razors off of a shelf while the shoppers around them were unawares. (The LP crew did catch them at the door, happily.)

[EricKei]

Smapti -- I'm glad you work in a store where LP is actually allowed to do their job >_> I have seen a number of stories here where employees would get in trouble for even *trying* to shadow someone who was a known shoplifter....Back when I worked in BoutiqueGrocery, we were told to just alert management, and stay out of the way. About the biggest result we got was whens some shady dude in a trenchcoat almost got busted trying to steal wine one day -- The ASM chased after him on foot the second he reached the door. We all pretty much figured that said ASM was lucky he did NOT catch the guy.

[JarethsPet]

A number of years ago my boss decided that we were no longer going to accept credit cards. People to this day insist we took them the week before. I work 6 days a week, they have an off chance of not getting me but the other cashier knows better.

Signs signs no one reads the damn signs. We have an ATM now for those people who want to use it but even then they bitch. No one has to take credit cards, it's a privilege for us to even accept them. People seem to have it in their head that just because they have a card, everyone has to take it.

[smileyeagle1021]

Signs signs no one reads the damn signs. We have an ATM now for those people who want to use it but even then they bitch. No one has to take credit cards, it's a privilege for us to even accept them. People seem to have it in their head that just because they have a card, everyone has to take it.

There is only one form of tender businesses are required to accept... and that is cashy money... and even then, they are only required to accept it to settle a debt, there is no rule that says that they must agree to enter a contract with you if all you have is cash (that is why a lot of hotels will allow you to pay with cash when you check out, because at that time if your card hasn't been used to prepay it, they owe you a debt and you must accept cash, but won't allow you to check in with just cash).

[MadMike]

I can still remember when no grocery stores took credit cards. I didn't start seeing them taking plastic until the early 90s or so. And it wasn't all that long ago that fast food places finally started taking them.

[EricKei]

MM -- It still surprises me that fast food joints take them at all, at least for purchases under ten bucks or so...The merchant fees would kill them (often 25-35 cents plus a % per transaction, or more). Their profit margins must be razor-thin-- except for drinks. Even the "$1 large Coke" makes a huge amount of profit; the cup costs more than what's in it.

[Silent-Hunter]

What about debit cards? I have a card, but it's debit. Do they get charged fees for those too?

[EricKei]

Yes. If you see a credit card company logo on there, a fee is charged somewhere along the line. They can vary wildly, but it's often a 15~50 cent fee per transaction (which is why many stores refuse to accept them for transactions under a certain amount) plus a percentage of the grand total, another 1.5~4%, iirc. Generally, if one fee is low (or, in some cases, nonexistent), the other will be at the higher end to make up for it. Naturally, if a charge is disputed, those fees are not refunded.

iirc -- For Credit: Having the code from the back of the card often reduces the rate, but this is uncommon for non-online purchases. A ZIP/postal code may do so, as well.

[MoonCat]

Hell, it's part of Customer Standard Time. "I just did it last week!"

We stopped billing for ads in 2002. I still get people insisting they placed an ad last week/lastmonth/last year and didn't have to prepay.

[Tama]

Your orc customers are going to be so pissed off. They might even protest!

[fireheart]

Reminds me of a Simpson's epsiode where Marge is trying to order water in a pub in Australia...

Marge: Water please.
BT: One beer coming up.
Marge: No! Water!
BT: Beer!
Marge: W! A! T!
BT: B! E! E!

ALC: No Credit Cards!
SC: VISA!
ALC: N! O! C!
SC: V! I! S!

It's actually coffee, not water. She goes "c-o" and the barman goes "b-e"

And despite what that episode says, you can actually get coffee in a number of pubs in Australia

[dalesys]

And despite what that episode says, you can actually get coffee in a number of pubs in Australia

Or Vegemite water...

[Moosenogger]

SCs never ever read signs unless it contains the words Free, Sale, Discount, or % off

Even this isn't true. When Subway was having their Buy One Get One Free sale on sandwiches, I'd watch customer after customer order a 6 inch sub, pay, and walk out without saying a word. I asked the employees about it, and they simply said, "No one reads signs."