Safety Issue = Ridiculous in SC mind

[cinema guy]

2. Guy buys a pack of gum. Hands me whatever bill he's paying with. As soon as the drawer pops open, he reaches over and grabs as much as he can and takes off.

We had a robbery like that. Guy shoves the chier backwards and grabs what he can from the till and runs. Cashier was shaken but okay.

We now have perspex till guards and can't open the till except for a sale.

[Wembley]

Also, the cashier has only a limited amount of cash in the till. Once there is more than a set amount, s/he has to perform a cash drop to avoid theft. If someone comes up wanting to break $100 (without buying anything), that means she has less change for the other (paying) customers.

Someone comes up with a $10 item and a $100 bill to pay for it, they always say "but it's all I have" when I decline the $100. My reply? "Wow, I wish I had that problem!"

[Bella_Vixen]

If the register is opened for change purposes, someone could potentially reach over and grab the cash drawer or anything in it.

Wow. That covered both of my robberies.

1. Guy came in. Asked for change for the payphone. Me, being the trusting sort, popped open the drawer and gave him the change. Sometime later, guy comes back with a friend and a gun.

2. Guy buys a pack of gum. Hands me whatever bill he's paying with. As soon as the drawer pops open, he reaches over and grabs as much as he can and takes off.

After the secone robbery, we switched the drawers so instead of being $20, $10, $5, $1 it was empty, $1, $5, $10.

Where I work now, we don't keep anything larger then a $10. Everything else gets dropped IMMEDIATELY. If needed, we can vend $20s. I my new store.

[Ree]

I'm thinking the better choice of word would be "security" issue, rather than "safety" issue.

Opening the drawer for anything but legitimate sales just leaves too much room for funny business by the cashier, or accusations of such, should a register turn up short and there are a bunch of unaccounted for "No Sales".

[Tito]

Another reason they might not want cashiers making change, is that you might get the occasional scammer (like my store did a few times) who'll attempt to get the cashier all confused, so that the cashier will give them more than they should. I had a lady do that to me once, I ended up calling the manager over to help me. The customer behind her commented to me after the would be scammer left that she did not blame me for what I did, that the lady was clearly trying to confuse me. She said she would have called a manager, too.

[AirHostess]

Even if you explain things to SC's they still don't understand or comply.

example:

me: Excuse me, your bag will need to go up in the overhead locker for take off as you are sat by an emergency exit.
Stupid passenger: Why can't I keep it under the seat in front?
me: In case we need to evacuate the aircraft. Your bag may impede people's evacuation from the aircraft, everything needs to go up in the overhead.
Stupid passenger: So I can't keep it on my lap?

In training they told us that passengers will comply and understand if you explain why you need them to do things. HA HA HA.

[Shengirl]

At the grocery store, any cashier can open her till at any time. This lets them give change to people, fix it when they give people wrong change, see what bills/coins they need me to fetch for them, and organize the bottom of their tills for me. There has never been a problem with this. However, the registers are all secured when not being used, so one needs a passcode to get it running. Maybe that's the difference?

[Bright_Star]

Just direct her to a change machine OR a bank!

[SpyOne]

If the register is opened for change purposes, someone could potentially reach over and grab the cash drawer or anything in it.

Actually, it's that if the cashier can open the drawer to make change, he can also open the drawer to pocket a bill occasionally. If you can't open your drawer, they don't have to wonder why you opened your drawer.

[SpyOne]

A customer comes up to the register, and asks for change. I tell her that I can't open the register unless she makes a cash purchase. Simple enough right?

SC: "You can't open the register? That's Ridiculous!"
Me: "No, it's a safety issue."

She leaves pissed, walking to another store to get change.

I've known that "safety issue" was a crock ever since they fed me that line at McDonalds.
They told us that, if a robber came in, we should tell him that we couldn't open the cash drawer without ringing a purchase. At the time, I said aloud, "like the robber isn't going to be smart enough to say, 'Then give me a small coffee, and all the money in the register."

Of course, now I know that apparently most folks who can't come up with a better plan than robbing a McDonalds also aren't smart enough to just buy something random to get the drawer open.

[earl colby pottinger]

No Sale

EDIT: Also, I'm guessing by /safety issue/, they mean that if someone asks for say, change for a dollar, and see lots of money, they could potently rob that clerk if they feel its worth it. Someone who looks like they only have a five and some ones wouldn't be worth it, as compared to someone who sees a til that is filled with 20's, tens, fives etc...

Also think about the 'NO SALE' button. On drawers that have it if your back is turn or you have move away to get something all a thief has to do is hit *ONE* button then grab the cash. On systems that require you to enter a purchase then you usually have to hit at-least three buttons (maybe two) before the drawer will open.

'NO SALE' button make access to the money too easy.

[Plaidman]

Also, the cashier has only a limited amount of cash in the till. Once there is more than a set amount, s/he has to perform a cash drop to avoid theft. If someone comes up wanting to break $100 (without buying anything), that means she has less change for the other (paying) customers.

Exactly why we don't make change. You can bet people would start complaing that we let X make change for a dollar, why can't we do it for five, and so on and so on, til people who wanted five pennies for a nickle can't do it, because the guy who wanted 10,000 pennies for his 100 dollar bill can't.


Also, you can bet that if certain people saw we made change for a dollar, and they didn't, they'd call the corporate office stating sexism, racism, ageism, smartism, etc etc etc.


EDIT: Also, I'm guessing by /safety issue/, they mean that if someone asks for say, change for a dollar, and see lots of money, they could potently rob that clerk if they feel its worth it. Someone who looks like they only have a five and some ones wouldn't be worth it, as compared to someone who sees a til that is filled with 20's, tens, fives etc...

[Tigress]

Also, the cashier has only a limited amount of cash in the till. Once there is more than a set amount, s/he has to perform a cash drop to avoid theft. If someone comes up wanting to break $100 (without buying anything), that means she has less change for the other (paying) customers.

Really, people. If you need change, go to a bank. Don't harrass the poor overworked and underpaid cashier because she's the lowest on the food chain and can't do anything about your laziness.

[Becks]

If the register is opened for change purposes, someone could potentially reach over and grab the cash drawer or anything in it.

EXACTLY.

Why do people think that cashiers in lots of places have to hide the $20 (and higher) bills UNDER the cash drawer?

[South Texan]

Even if you said it, the customer will still not listen!

True, but it would be better than giving her fuel to start an argument like "HOW is that a safety issue?"