Possible Misconception

[symposes]

I know alot of us talk about customers that dont hand us money when paying for goods, instead they place it on the counter.

A few weeks ago, my father and I were at walmart. Anyway when the cashier finished ringing up the groceries, my father gets out his bills, sets them on the counter, and starts digging for change. Before he can finish the cashier has picked up the bills and the coins, then sets his change down on the counter.

I wonder if this was one of those times when the cashier misconstrued what my father was doing? I know for a fact he was going to dig out correct coin change, and then pick it all up and hand it to the cashier.

Oh well. hehe

How many times does this kind of thing happen that you guys notice?
Things we normal construe as sucky behavior, but is all a misunderstanding?

[marty]

Probably just a misunderstanding on the part of the cashier, because I know that I get a lot of people that just set the money down and expect me to pick it up.

My way of figuring that out is waiting until the lazy ones set it on the counter and then stare at me in an annoyed fashion, as if I am inconveniencing them by not immediately snatching the bills off the counter.

Sometimes I stare back with my hand out and repeat the total.

[Aramika]

I do think that the cashier misconstrued what your father was thinking. As marty said, many people set down their money and expect the cashier to pick it up.

I've had the same problem at my store. The customer will put the cash down on the counter and I don't know whether or not s/he is getting out change. Sometimes I ask, "Out of [dollar amount]?" though I do watch sometimes if the person seems to be digging into his/her pockets.

[ArcticChicken]

What I hate is when the person looks like they're digging for change, but they aren't. I wait a few minutes, then they look at men and say "out of $20" or whatever, in the snootiest voice imaginable.
Listen dickwad, you put the bills as far away from me as they could be while still being on my counter, then started rummaging through your pockets. What did you expect me to think?!

[Triscuitty]

I've actually had a few customers who habitually throw their money on the counter. Not just set it down, but give it a little toss. And I noticed that while some of them were indeed being sucky, there were a couple who were otherwise nice and polite and didn't realize that their action was coming off as very rude. The nice ones, I'd feel comfortable enough to jokingly say "Geeze, just throw it at me why don't you!" and they'd laugh or smile (but still do the same thing next time).

[Primer]

If I'm digging for change, I always tell the cashier that I know have (whatever) in my pocket!

[Anakah]

With me, it freaks me out when I have to hand anything to the cashier or if the cashier puts money in my hand or anything. It could have to do with where the person works or has worked. Or maybe they have a phobia.

See my situation is a bit weird though, it's required for me to put all the money on the counter so that the cameras can see my transaction. Sometimes out of habit, I may lay the money on the counter. I'll catch myself and feel really bad. I don't do it to be an ass rather that's how my work has trained me.

[powerboy]

If I'm digging for change, I always tell the cashier that I know have (whatever) in my pocket!

Thats what I do also

[wagegoth]

If I'm digging for change, I always tell the cashier that I know have (whatever) in my pocket!

I do something similar. I'll say, "I have the ___ cents. Just a second."

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I do that, too. I'm a regular at the little lunch joint down the hall (we share a building with a couple other business). If the cashier has her hand out right away, I put the money in right away and say, "hang on, I got change" as I rummage. If she doesn't, I set the paper money down, say the same thing, rummage, and then put the change into her hand. I never set the change down anyplace but her hand, because there's no reason to and it's hard to pick up. If she hasn't picked up the paper money already, I collect it and hand it all to her at once.

Either way, I make it clear what I'm doing, because I know how annoying it is trying to figure out what people are going to hand you when you are running a register.

[Lingering Grin]

People do this all the time where I work.

Now, I don't mind it when the parents come in and they have to put the money down on the counter instead of handed it to me because the 3 year old is screaming "Pick me up! Pick me up!". That's understandable.

I also didn't mind when the group of teenage girls came in and spread a crap-load of single across the counter when they we trying to figure out who was paying what.


but everyone else... come on. Is it really so hard? It's polite and requires no extra work on your part.


Only time I ever lay something on the counter is with credit cards. We have to hand them 2 receipts (one they keep, one they sign). I just put the card down on top of the receipts when I ask them to sign. This serves two purposes: It allows them to sign right away, rather than fiddle with their card, and it weighs down the receipt so it doesn't curl up or fly away.

[Sableonblonde]

What I hate is when the person looks like they're digging for change, but they aren't. I wait a few minutes, then they look at men and say "out of $20" or whatever, in the snootiest voice imaginable.

Oh boy I HATED that too. I always made sure the person was done handing me all the money they wanted to hand me before I entered the amount into the register, as I got tired of people proclaiming "Oh wait, I have a nickle/dime/whatever!" after I already completed the transaction. So I'd get those people who'd hand me a bill and then go about digging into their purse and then glance up ten seconds later and give me a "what are you, stupid?" look as I continue to stand there patiently waiting.

[Pagan]

See my situation is a bit weird though, it's required for me to put all the money on the counter so that the cameras can see my transaction. Sometimes out of habit, I may lay the money on the counter. I'll catch myself and feel really bad. I don't do it to be an ass rather that's how my work has trained me.

I understand completely. Hell, I still clear my hands and it's been years since I worked in a casino!