I've Noticed This a lot.

[NateTheChops]

I shouldn't be surprised. But yesterday it happened again and I'm sure it's happened to others on this board.

Yesterday my very last customer paid close attention to everything I did. She called me out on every incorrect price and of course the front end supervisors always tell me to just go ahead and change the price. No need to verify that anything is actually on sale or that the customer found the product in the right spot, just go ahead and let them name their price so long as the register doesn't specifically require a suprevisor's password to do the change.

So this woman kept calling me out and then she handed me a coupon for antacids. It was one of those coupons that could be for multiple items made by the same company. And I think she was counting on me not looking at it closely enough.

Alas I was not so easily cowed and I noticed that A: The coupon specifically says TWO items and, B: The one item she bought wasn't even one of the items listed on the coupon.

She shrugged it off and took the coupon back. Maybe she wasn't trying to scam me, but I've had instances where I felt that the only reason the customer was needling me so hard was so that I would be too skittish to notice when they did try to pull a fast one.

[barainga]

Had a similar thing happen at the Mal-Wart, except it was a couple of older guys trying to get my attention away from my till.

One was trying to keep my attention while the other one walked down the other lane and tried to get his hands in my till. It failed, miserably.

I only ever had my till open exactly as long as needed. When I went to close my till I saw him try to reach into before it closed. All I had to do was give him the 'stare' and they both ran out of the store only to get picked up by store detective since he had them on video doing it before. They were already caught, but it was stupid to try it simply because of the way I stood and guarded my till. I trained myself early to always keep my eye on it when opened.

I wont notice a new set of curtains for months unless told, but I keep a sharp eye on money.

[XCashier]

Good job, barainga! Nabbed those creeps! Let's hope they cool their heels at the Greybar Hotel for quite a while.

Don't know if Nate's customer is of the same ilk; perhaps she's just anal-retentive. Either way, also a good job.

[Food Lady]

I have been in both these situations. Nate, wait 'til you have someone with 20 of each item and 2 coupons for each.

[Teefies2]

I have been in both these situations. Nate, wait 'til you have someone with 20 of each item and 2 coupons for each.

Or like the person we had the other night, granted it was a LARGE purchase, but she had 87 (yes eighty-seven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) coupons. I mean, on the one hand, props to her for saving that much money. But, on the other hand, who the hell takes 87 coupons into a drugstore??????

[Pharm Girl]

We have to write the register number and our operator number on every coupon so I am happy it wasn't me, sorry for your luck though.

[cashierbex]

Had a similar thing happen at the Mal-Wart, except it was a couple of older guys trying to get my attention away from my till.

One was trying to keep my attention while the other one walked down the other lane and tried to get his hands in my till. It failed, miserably.

I only ever had my till open exactly as long as needed. When I went to close my till I saw him try to reach into before it closed. All I had to do was give him the 'stare' and they both ran out of the store only to get picked up by store detective since he had them on video doing it before. They were already caught, but it was stupid to try it simply because of the way I stood and guarded my till. I trained myself early to always keep my eye on it when opened.

I wont notice a new set of curtains for months unless told, but I keep a sharp eye on money.

I am lucky enough to be able to put money in the register and still have it closed enough to where people can't get to it. I never leave it open when I am getting a customer something.

[NateTheChops]

I have been in both these situations. Nate, wait 'til you have someone with 20 of each item and 2 coupons for each.

But, on the other hand, who the hell takes 87 coupons into a drugstore??????

Oh I've had this person all ready. And it was on one of the busiest days and the thing I hated the most was that whenever she was "generous" enough to let someone behind her go, she would always come back to my line to continue her extreme couponing.

One was trying to keep my attention while the other one walked down the other lane and tried to get his hands in my till. It failed, miserably.

I'm surprised Smiley Face doesn't include till tapping in your cashier training. The Bullseye is the one place where they haven't told me to keep an eye out for that, but because of previous experience I'm always alert when my drawer is opened.

It's why it gets under my skin when I get that one persistant customer who needs change for a five and she insists that I leave the drawer open when I get another customer paying cash.

[EricKei]

Maybe she wasn't trying to scam me, but I've had instances where I felt that the only reason the customer was needling me so hard was so that I would be too skittish to notice when they did try to pull a fast one.

It IS a known scammer tactic, so kudos on you for keeping your guard up!

As for til thieves -- just slam the drawer the instant they get near. If they try to complain that they could have gotten hurt, (a) it means they WERE trying to steal, as nobody but the cashier or a manager has any business with their fingers that close to the money, and (b) feel free to respond with something like "Well, it's a good thing you have such good reflexes, then". If they are then stupid enough to whine to a manager, see (a) ^_^

[NateTheChops]

Another thing I've noticed is the "passive agressive" approach.

Now, when something rings up and I know it's different from the price on the shelf, I'll say so right away. Most customers are very vocal about it and won't waste time saying so. Myself, I always know what information to read to verify that this is in fact the correct price, and I also know that if it is not a sale's item then the store has to honor it. And I've been empowered by my current place of employment to make the alteration if it's a few dollars difference.

I ring this lady up. And she's just staring at the screen. She nonchalantly asks me if I have a fllier, which I produce for her. She doesn't ask me to stop ringing. She doesn't say, "Oh, that's not the right price." She just goes about flipping through the flier.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask, simply.

"No. I just think the coffee is supposed to be on sale."

A: That's something wrong.
B: You could have told me this anytime.

Now, when it comes to anyone using the word "sale" and it isn't in the flier, which it wasn't, I always ask a supervisor. Because there's a history of people trying to get rather enormous chunks of change off by either misreading a sale sign or simply trying to get a lower price using sneaky and underhanded means.

Not saying this woman was doing the same thing. But then she waffled when the supervisor offered to check to see if it was on sale. There was a customer waiting behind her and she just kept insisting, "No, that's okay. I'll just pay for it and then say something afterwards if I find it's the wrong price."

I never heard from her again, so I guess it was the right price.

[Merriweather]

I do try to watch the prices as they ring up. In a grocery, I usually don't say anything til the end since at some stores discounts don't always show up til the end (wish they'd all show up immediately, much easier that way). At somewhere like a craft store, I'll say something right away though. IMO, it's not a reflection on the cashier - they scan, they don't type in the price, and they can't be expected to know the current correct price of everything in the store - craft stores especially have so many tiny items, and so many discount/sale prices, even discounts good only certain times of day. If I do say something, I try to say it very nicely, prefaced with "I think" or "I believe" (not being an SC, I actually admit that I can be wrong ). I just figure it's usually easier for them if it's caught during the transaction, when it's a correction, rather than after,when it means a refund. Plus better to let them make the correction right there, rather than come back in later and go to customer service, calling their attention to the cashier's mistake. Am I wrong on this? I usually do also state that I figure it's easier to change the earlier it's caught, with some sort of comment about data entry are only human and have to miss something now and then, and they (the cashier) can't possibly know every little price change.

[Cat Herder]

she just kept insisting, "No, that's okay. I'll just pay for it and then say something afterwards if I find it's the wrong price."

Q: How many SCs does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: "That's okay, we'll just sit here in the dark until you give us last week's sale price for the bulbs." *sulk*

And hey, I see that the CS ranking system has promoted me from Bagger to Cashier! I am arriving!

[raudf]

The one thing I learned after talking to the LP people was how to handle the till, which is something that was not covered under the training I got at the Mall of Wart. It was an education and probably that alertness prevented me from dealing with the idjits my co-workers put up with.

1. Always make sure you fan out the cash for the camera (the remodel had working cameras above all the registers) and count it before entering the amount in the register. Gives the customer time to change their mind and allows you to focus on the transaction.

2. Once the amount is entered, if the customer wishes to change their mind on payment options, tell them they MUST go to the service desk to do it. This prevents the "I gave you X, not Y!" bills issue.

3. If possible avoid turning away from the till while counting. If you have to, close it until it's a slit and keep a hip against it. Keeps hands out of till or at least alerts you if someone does try to get at the till.

4. And I quote, "For the love of all that is holy, do NOT put the bills larger than 20 under the till. Put them under the 20's or under the rolls of coin or even under the coupons, but NEVER under the till!" I put them under the coupons, because those were less of a target than the 20s.

5. They need to go to the service desk for change. These registers do not open for just change. (If someone was robbing us, we grab a pack of gum and hit cash. They were very adamant that our life was NOT worth the cash in the drawer.)

I'd love to know why the hell these weren't in the training, given that not only did LP approve them, but the store manager and the regional did too!

[dragon_wings]

4. And I quote, "For the love of all that is holy, do NOT put the bills larger than 20 under the till. Put them under the 20's or under the rolls of coin or even under the coupons, but NEVER under the till!" I put them under the coupons, because those were less of a target than the 20s.

At my old store we were required at the main register and the back up register to put not only $50's and $100's under the register but $20's as well.
All I can guess is that in a high theft area they wanted to eliminate the chances someone would see big bills and try to rob the cashiers.

[EricKei]

They were very adamant that our life was NOT worth the cash in the drawer.)

I'd love to know why the hell these weren't in the training, given that not only did LP approve them, but the store manager and the regional did too!

Simple. Corporate wants as few people as possible to think that they value your lives more than the money in the till >_> Even if they don't always act like it. Besides, if they don't train you properly, they can just claim that you were incompetent/it's your fault if you get hurt. Bunch of s.