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This is something that I don't know the whole story to. I've only heard bits and pieces of it, and much I've had to figure out based on some facts I've picked up along the way. It's one heck of a story though, that begins some two or three years ago.
2004/5:
Having nothing else better to do, and having just moved into the area, I decided to head down to this local gas station to see if I could get a job. Managed to get myself hired right away, working the four pm to eleven pm shift. Nice shift if I do say so myself. Plus, all the free fried chicken you could eat from the deli.
During my training days, the ASM walked me through some of the company policies, especially those dealing with the lottery (which Ga. has). At one point she turns to me and says quote "Ok, the lotto says we have to pay anything from five hundred dollars and less to the customer, but we don't do that. You're not authorized by the company to do that, so you just find a reason. Make an excuse to a customer and just get them to leave. You can only pay out one hundred dollars or less."
Ok...boss says so, so I do it. Now I didn't think that much of this at the time, though it did strike me as curious that the lottery commission said one thing and the company said another. I needed the job though, so that was it.
Fast Forward to last year:
About November or early December I go into one of my local stores, (of the company I worked with) only to find this huge sign on their lottery machine that reads something to the effect of "SORRY! WE DO NOT HAVE LOTTERY" It doesn't give a reason though, making me think that the machine was down or something. Like I siad, It didn't mean that much to me. What did later strike me as odd, was the fact that every one of those stores I went in while doing sales for MJ12, would have the same sign on their machines. Now dear friends THAT was odd. Again, I didn't think too much of it though, since it didn't really affect me. It was just curious was all.
Fast Forward again, this time to last week.
Remember I had won that scratch off? Well being the intrepid fellow I am, I decided to cash it in. Ok, not intrepid. Just reasonable. Besides, I kinda could use the money. (couldn't we all?) Heading down to a store I know, but one not in that other company's system, I slid the ticket over. The girl smiled and said nicely that while she didn't have enough to cover me in the register, if I wanted, she could issue me a money order for the bulk. I agreed, and asked to be given part of it in a full tank of gas, and then the bulk in the money order. The manager and she thought this was fine, and off I went.
Coming back inside, I began to chat up the manager, someone I had remembered working at the other store for so long. Eventually our discussion came back to why the other store didn't have lottery. What I discovered shocked me, and yet, I think kharma had a hand in it.
There's some facts you should know first, I've rather glossed over them, but here they are.
1.) In the state of Georgia, any retailer that sells lottery tickets of any kind signs an agreement with the commission that states they will pay out in cash, or money order, any ticket valued from five hundred dollars or less.
2.) On that same agreement, the retailer signs that they understand that sanctions can occur if they fail to pay out on a ticket.
SO what happened? Well this is the bits and pieces of it, taken some from my personal suspicions and a bit from what I was told.
A man came into the gas station with a ticket similar to mine. Approaching the cashier, he slid the ticket over; only to be told she didn't have enough in the register. The man offered to come back later, and the cashier agreed. At some point, maybe a few hours later, the man came back and again tried to present the ticket. Again the cashier declined him. This time, the man asked for it on a money order and the cashier declined again. Being a smart fellow, he asked to talk to the manager, only to be told by her that quote "They don't cash anything that high." The man then turned around and called the lottery commission right then and there. The lottery commission turned around and flat out ordered the store to pay the ticket, to which the store refused. Because of that, the whole company, some three hundred gas stations, all lost their lottery for six months and were forced to pay a rather hefty fine for breech of contract. The manager supposedly lost her job, as did the cashier and a whole host of other people in the company. My friend was one of them, her only crime being that she worked at the station. (the higher ups fired EVERYONE that worked there.)
It just goes to show you. The boss isn't always right.
2004/5:
Having nothing else better to do, and having just moved into the area, I decided to head down to this local gas station to see if I could get a job. Managed to get myself hired right away, working the four pm to eleven pm shift. Nice shift if I do say so myself. Plus, all the free fried chicken you could eat from the deli.
During my training days, the ASM walked me through some of the company policies, especially those dealing with the lottery (which Ga. has). At one point she turns to me and says quote "Ok, the lotto says we have to pay anything from five hundred dollars and less to the customer, but we don't do that. You're not authorized by the company to do that, so you just find a reason. Make an excuse to a customer and just get them to leave. You can only pay out one hundred dollars or less."
Ok...boss says so, so I do it. Now I didn't think that much of this at the time, though it did strike me as curious that the lottery commission said one thing and the company said another. I needed the job though, so that was it.
Fast Forward to last year:
About November or early December I go into one of my local stores, (of the company I worked with) only to find this huge sign on their lottery machine that reads something to the effect of "SORRY! WE DO NOT HAVE LOTTERY" It doesn't give a reason though, making me think that the machine was down or something. Like I siad, It didn't mean that much to me. What did later strike me as odd, was the fact that every one of those stores I went in while doing sales for MJ12, would have the same sign on their machines. Now dear friends THAT was odd. Again, I didn't think too much of it though, since it didn't really affect me. It was just curious was all.
Fast Forward again, this time to last week.
Remember I had won that scratch off? Well being the intrepid fellow I am, I decided to cash it in. Ok, not intrepid. Just reasonable. Besides, I kinda could use the money. (couldn't we all?) Heading down to a store I know, but one not in that other company's system, I slid the ticket over. The girl smiled and said nicely that while she didn't have enough to cover me in the register, if I wanted, she could issue me a money order for the bulk. I agreed, and asked to be given part of it in a full tank of gas, and then the bulk in the money order. The manager and she thought this was fine, and off I went.
Coming back inside, I began to chat up the manager, someone I had remembered working at the other store for so long. Eventually our discussion came back to why the other store didn't have lottery. What I discovered shocked me, and yet, I think kharma had a hand in it.
There's some facts you should know first, I've rather glossed over them, but here they are.
1.) In the state of Georgia, any retailer that sells lottery tickets of any kind signs an agreement with the commission that states they will pay out in cash, or money order, any ticket valued from five hundred dollars or less.
2.) On that same agreement, the retailer signs that they understand that sanctions can occur if they fail to pay out on a ticket.
SO what happened? Well this is the bits and pieces of it, taken some from my personal suspicions and a bit from what I was told.
A man came into the gas station with a ticket similar to mine. Approaching the cashier, he slid the ticket over; only to be told she didn't have enough in the register. The man offered to come back later, and the cashier agreed. At some point, maybe a few hours later, the man came back and again tried to present the ticket. Again the cashier declined him. This time, the man asked for it on a money order and the cashier declined again. Being a smart fellow, he asked to talk to the manager, only to be told by her that quote "They don't cash anything that high." The man then turned around and called the lottery commission right then and there. The lottery commission turned around and flat out ordered the store to pay the ticket, to which the store refused. Because of that, the whole company, some three hundred gas stations, all lost their lottery for six months and were forced to pay a rather hefty fine for breech of contract. The manager supposedly lost her job, as did the cashier and a whole host of other people in the company. My friend was one of them, her only crime being that she worked at the station. (the higher ups fired EVERYONE that worked there.)
It just goes to show you. The boss isn't always right.
"You'd feel a Hell of a lot better if you'd just rip into the occasional customer."
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