The nastiest, most vile customer I've yet encountered

[Despina83]

I'm a cashier, and as I've mentioned before in a post, I am just about retarded when it comes to math. If it weren't for the computer telling me the correct change to give back, I'd be having a lot of problems.

Today this woman wants to pay part of the total in cash and the rest in credit. Okay, no problem. Well, she hands me a 100 dollar bill and wants to pay only a certain portion of that, like 30 something. Er, okay. I've never had that happen before. So I'm going to have to count back the difference in my head, no help from the big grey box. So she's busy with the card machine and I'm waiting for her to finish so the drawer will open and I can count out her cash. Apparently she thinks I can just open the register whenever I want when she's using the card machine, in the middle of the transaction. A couple times she says impatiently ith her eye on the drawer, "Okay...", like she wanted me to magically open the drawer in the middle of the transaction. Like she just couldn't wait until she was finished to have the cash thrust into her hand.

Anyway, when she's finished and the drawer pops open, I (predictably) have some trouble counting the change back in my head. I get nervous and flustered and I stand there for a couple seconds, trying to think. Now if I was at home, this would be one thing, but I guess I just froze up. I'm already really self conscious about my lack of math ability, and I'm also a little social phobic. I tend to be pretty nervous around people. Suddenly, she says, in a very snotty tone, as though speaking to a very slow person, and with her hand held out,: "Do you know how to count?? I'm waiting for YOU."









What a horrible bitch. I felt like a huge dumbass after that. Unfortunately, she's already spawned. I can't believe someone would act like that. It boggles my mind. I wouldn't dream of doing anything in that situation other than standing there in patient, polite silence (without sighing or raised eyebrows, mind you) or giving the cashier help. Is there any way that we can have these people exterminated?

[MrDelirious]

I do this, too. I'm actually okay at math, but when I've already rung up the person, said "XX.XX out of YY.YY," counted their change and handed their change back to them, they THEN decide that they need to unload 3 pennies on me. Which means that I have to remember how much they owed and the corresponding impact of the pennies upon the change I am trying oh so hard to give them. Luckily, we have calculators in every drawer for such occasions.

[AnqeiicDemise]

MOD EDIT:
No need to quote entire post- we just read it.



That sounds like the wench I almost went off on today during a call.

I'm normally VERY good at being able to find reservations/options and doing the whole 'split week' thing (i.e. our weeks ONLY start F. S &Sun. and ONLY end F.S &Sun.. and when they want to go for something like "3 days' vs '7 days' in a week, we have to split it accordingly i.e. starting only in a combo that will let the person check in or out on F/S/Sun.

and YOU think you're confused? It took me a month and a half to get that right.)...

So I give her an option, then have to retract it because the week I was looking was wrong-- i.e. I was looking the right numerical date, wrong month... so when I thought I was going to get her in Monday to Friday, I was actually splitting a Sunday week and leaving one odd day out--which 1: is a no no and 2: the system won't let you.

I'm in the middle of saying "wait, this week, i.e the Sunday week won't work, but let me go back two days and find the Friday week and all will be good."

She just called me stupid.

I mean, LITERALLY called me stupid and began to TALK. REALLY.
LOUD.AND.SLOW.WITH.CONDENSENDING.PITCH.

I would have hung up on her and gotten even more pissed off (thus ruining all my other calls) when the girl next to me turns to me and says

"Dumb bitch THINKS she knows what SHE's doing, but she can't even get the right cue right. Ignore her. " [when our owners call, they have menu that says:

Thank you for calling [company] reservation hotline. VIP MEMBERS PLEASE PRESS 1, all other members, please press 2.

Meaning: I'm not supposed to be handling VIP members but since they're on my cue, I have no choice as there's no way for me to transfer them to the other cue without dumping back at the end of the line. ]

[Sparkticus]

I'm actually okay at math<snip>Luckily, we have calculators in every drawer for such occasions.

I'm terrible at maths, especially under time pressure, and we don't have any easily accessable calculators (certainly none I could grab while the till is still open) so my policy is, once I've counted the change, that's your change... Especially lately, where we've known of criminals doing the rounds not that long ago with the change scam/till grabs and so on. I get that change drawer shut as quick as I can!

[cheese]

Is there no way you can do it, that you put through the card for a certain amount first? Then you could put that through, it would say how much is remaining and you could put the $100 through and it'd tell you the correct change like normal.

That being said she was a complete bitch, however in that situation would you prefer that someone helped you work it out or might that have made you feel just as bad? I'd probably have just waited patiently, especially if you were literally only being a few seconds

[UK Worker]

*MOD EDIT - As above...No need to quote the entire post. We just read it.


I get that quite alot.

Can I just ask - can you not open the till at any point or does it only open at the very end because what I would of done is:

Take then $100 note, open the draw, put the note in the draw and take out $30 (since she wanted to pay $70 cash).. put the $70 cash through the till that should of then reduced the sub-Total by that amount and then put the rest through as CARD.

[Lady Heather]

Lie.
Usually I do not promote lying. However when there is a long line or a SC is involved, go for it. Repeat after me:
"I'm sorry, the computer will not let me do that."
"Sorry, it's a new system/program/process we are still getting the bugs out."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that I'll have to call my Manager."
I use these rarely but #1 allways seems to work. Maybe it's because SCs are to stupid to use there own computers?

[MiloMorai]

Is there no way you can do it, that you put through the card for a certain amount first? Then you could put that through, it would say how much is remaining and you could put the $100 through and it'd tell you the correct change like normal.

Most of the programs have it set so you can split it cash/credit but you HAVE to put cash in then credit. I know it's stupid but that's how the programs are written, at least in my experience.

[Bright_Star]

You could always have a calculator with you whenever that happens. OR in a pinch, just use the calculator feature in your cell phone...lol.

[edible_hat]

Lie.
Usually I do not promote lying.

SCs lie to us, why shouldn't we lie to them? Lying about what is and isn't possible has saved me from many a situation when the SC wanted something that was possible but not allowed.

[Shengirl]

Is there any way that we can have these people exterminated?

[Tito]

SCs lie to us, why shouldn't we lie to them? Lying about what is and isn't possible has saved me from many a situation when the SC wanted something that was possible but not allowed.

Back in my retail days, I had absolutely no problem with lying to a SC. If someone was nice to me, I did all I could to help them, but if they were a jerk to me, then you know where they can go.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I second the calculator option. When I was head cashier I always made sure every register had a calculator in the supply drawer (not that they always stayed there, but ). Ask your manager if they can order some extras, or get a small one you can keep in your pocket. Aside from situations where the customer makes it difficult (splitting cash/credit, giving you change after the fact) there's always times where you accidentally hit the wrong key when entering the amount so the register then shows the wrong change and you have to figure it out yourself. I'm fairly good at figuring it out, but I have to think and the calculator is a lot faster. (Actually, I bought a few things the other night and the cashier did just that...my total was $27.xx and I gave her $40.XX and she accidentally put in $42.00. She used a calcualtor and then verified with me that she was giving me the right change (I was trying to avoid a handful of coins). She has the disadvantage of the customer being able to see her screen...if I was a more unreasonable type it could have been less pleasant. At least customers couldn't see my screen to know I had made a mistake.)

Our registers allowed you to split cash/credit (or 2 different cards), and you could put in either one first, but the drawer would not open for the cash until the transaction was completed. If they were paying the cash part with a larger bill requiring change, I could put the card through first for a specific amount, but I would have to type in the card number, rather than swiping it, for some reason. Same thing if you are using 2 different cards. If you aren't doing it for the full amount, it won't let you swipe the card.

[Rapscallion]

SCs lie to us, why shouldn't we lie to them? Lying about what is and isn't possible has saved me from many a situation when the SC wanted something that was possible but not allowed.

It's an easier way out, but sometimes you need to train people not to ask for some things, and at others you like to have the moral high ground.

Rapscallion

[BaristaGirl]

I am so lucky that we don't accept 50s or 100s at TD's. The register does all the math, thankfully, but the actual counting the bills takes me FOREVER...