Who's the Bigger SC Here?

[BrenDAnn]

I worked ten hour shifts Tues. and Weds., opening the store both days. Tuesday went fine. I should've known better than to think the entire week would be the same. Wednesday was hell. Things on the computer wouldn't work, etc. The worst though, were two SCs who, though they came in hours apart, made me wonder who the bigger asshole was. The first came in bright and early, wanting an energy drink. He got to the counter, I scanned his drink, gave him his total. $3.90. He handed me nine dimes, then proudly flourished a plastic baggy, containing three dollars worth of pennies. After some irritated twitching, I asked if he had any other way to pay. Of course he didn't, and to boot, he had hoped the manager would be working. Boo hoo. I counted his pennies, and he threw a fit about that, too. Well too fucking bad, asshole. Luckily, all three dollars worth was there, and, despite my really wanting to tell him where to go, he went on his jolly way.

Later, I had a guy come in and pull the classic break a $100 for a small purchase. *twitch* *twitch* No other way to pay, of course. He seemed to be all proud of himself, too. After he left, I had to think for a moment about which was worse. I ask you, fellow SC sufferers... which is worse? Someone brandishing an insane amount of change, or someone breaking a $100 for a small purchase? Also, before anyone suggests it, yes, I did consider giving the three dollars in pennies to the guy with the $100. I'm not that mean, and wasn't in the mood for the SC explosion I'm sure would've happened, or I might have done it.

[EricKei]

Well...

The first SC sounded like he came in, not only intending to pull that crap on someone, but specifically on your manager. Are you guys allowed to refuse those types of payments? In most areas, you can refuse, if the management allows you to. You can always count them out r-e-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y....

The second SC, on the other hand -- if experience is any guide -- was probably lying to you about not having anything smaller. The fact that he seemed proud of himself means that he is likely one of those SC's who thinks that handing you the hundred was impressive in some way, to anyone but himself (or any would-be muggers who might be watching him...)

They're both assholes, just in different ways. I think it's too close to call. We'll have to send it up to the booth for review

[Hermione]

Too close to call.

Please tell me you gave the guy with the $100 bill the $3 in pennies as change.

[Trixie]

If either one didn't seem the least bit apologetic for their payment option I'd say it's a tie. But personally for me, the guy with the pennies is worse though I've only had one guy pay one dollar and I made him count it out. If I have enough $20's in my drawer I don't mind the big bill/little purchase. Now getting a few of those is a row without the person even asking if it's okay? Yeah, that sucks.

[Opalin]

Personally I dislike counting change out more, (mainly because I know it'll mean a slightly longer time counting down the tills in the evening) because late in the day I can usually break a hundred with ease. I suspect it'd be the other way around if I worked at a convince store though.

[RealUnimportant]

At least the guy with the big bill wasn't your first customer of the day, so in that respect alone I'd say the 300 pennies guy is the bigger asshole.

[Racket_Man]

Both customers are the same in my world.

ASSHOLE trying to pay for a $13 order with a $100 bill
ASSHOLE trying to pay for a $13 order with a baggie full of change. (if it was all quarters I am not too pissed off but most of the time they have ALL coins denominations and most likely they will short change me anyway so I do count it on the spot)

[Skarredmind]

Yeah, 50/50... I'd probably hate on penny-boy more though.

Of course, when I have this happen I do count really slowly, and "lose track" of where I am every they whine about how long its taking. I've drawn it out to 15 minutes of them starting at me pissed while I count and recount the pennies.

The $100 bill thing is a pet peeve though. When I worked in a video rental store back in the day we had $.50 rental days, and I had someone break a $100 on me first transaction of the day, my till started with $75 in it, so no way to break the bill either. To make matters better I had JUST returned from the bank with change so I had *NOTHING* to break his bill with. I told him I couldn't break it, he got mad, raged a little and I caved. I went back to the safe with his $100, grabbed a pack of singles, and gave him 99 $1 bills and 2 quarters change. When he whined about that, I just looked at him and said, "What part of I can't break that this early in the day was hard to understand? I now have to go to the bank again to replace the singles you just MADE me give you..."

Fortunately my boss loved that story as much as I did

[Jester]

There is no question in my mind who is the bigger asshole here. People paying with $100 bills for small purchases happens all the time. And while it can be very annoying, it does not automatically make someone an asshole or an SC.

But paying for a purchase with a bag full of pennies? Not penny rolls, but a Baggie full of loose pennies? And apparently hoping a specific person would be there to receive it? AND having the nerve to get pissy when the cashier actually counts said loose change? You know, since cashiers should always count the money they're proffered, and not merely trust someone's word on how much money they just handed the cashier?

Yeah, the penny thing takes a special kind of asshole. He wins, hands, feet, and rectum down.

[sirwired]

Personally, I'm not quite sure why anybody carries around $100 bills. If you are poor and don't have a checking account, you likely don't have so much money that $20's will be a problem. If you have a proper bank account, there's also never any need to worry about needing bulky quantities of cash, as more is just a quick ATM trip away.

I could understand $100's before ubiquitous ATMs, but not now.

[BrenDAnn]

Jester, you seem to be the tie-breaker vote here. As I said, I did really think about giving the pennies to Mr. $100 bill, but... Well, you know, being management, have to "lead by example" and all that other bs. Of course, the example I'd LIKE to lead by would be kicking the guy to the curb, but I do suspect the area supervisor and the higher-ups might frown on that. About people carrying about $100 bills... Is it just me, or do a lot of people who come in with them proceed to bitch about having them? It's odd. If you "don't know why the hell the bank gave you $100s" then maybe perhaps say something to the nice people at the bank. Not me. I can do fuck all about it.

[XCashier]

If you "don't know why the hell the bank gave you $100s" then maybe perhaps say something to the nice people at the bank.

That's a BS excuse from a SC. Every bank I've ever banked with has automatically given out $20s unless the customer requests otherwise. Or the teller will ask you how you want your cash. I think the SC there thinks waving around a C-note makes him look like Mister Big Shot or something.

Back to the original question: they both suck equally.

[MelindaJoy77]

I think it might be paycheck cashing places that are more likely to give out hundreds instead of twenties. This happens to me a lot as well. If there happens to be a $50 in my drawer, I will give them that with the change so that hopefully some of their smugness (if that's the case) will be smacked away. I'd vote for the pennies guy as the bigger SC since he complained about you counting it (I ALWAYS count the money I'm given, even if the customer counts it out onto the counter in front of me). Also, that many pennies might weigh down the drawer and that is a pain. I had a lady once who paid me a $30 purchase in quarters and yes they were all loose. I had to put most of them under the cash drawer that lifts out and after that the drawer was really heavy for a while.

What bothers me more than hundreds is the people who think your cash drawer is an ATM and they try to make four separate transactions to withdraw $400 at eight in the morning. I had to tell one lady that I couldn't do that because I didn't have that much money in the drawer, so she proceeded to go to the register behind me even though we all start out with the same amount.

[Yournotimportant]

I have actually had to pay £20 worth of petrol with 5ps before, unfortunately that's all I had in my piggy bank... So I would say the second one, I would have just said, sorry I don't have enough change in my till.... With a big old smile

[Brojekk]

Yeah, the penny thing takes a special kind of asshole. He wins, hands, feet, and rectum down.

They do that because technically the cashier HAS to accept it since it's legal currency. They're deliberatly being a complete dick when they do that. There should be a special place in hell reserved for assholes like that.