Well, it is to us cashiers. To customers, and especially, SCs, it's another thing entirely. A few weeks ago, there was a mega till crash. We have three tills; the first one committed tillicide in the afternoon. Since we can function with just two, we left it. However, at around eight, another till crashed, and it was the master till so I called IT. They advised a master swap later on, about ten minutes to closing so we'd have to close early. Since the manager was unlikely to allow us to close cuz of the tillicides, we figured that we wouldn't bother calling over.
Then, an hour later, the third till crashed. Oh dear. Luckily, at the time, we were dead and had no customers. I called up the manager and informed him that all our tills were down, he told us to close up and phone IT. My colleague phoned IT while I went out and put the cones across the entrance. Remember I said we were dead? Well, we were til I put the cones across, which must have sent out a signal to every single customer in the area, saying, "Get petrol now this instant!"
Most people just drove up, saw the cones, then drove off. Four didn't, instead, driving in thru the back. I told the first two that we were closed cuz all the tills crashed; they accepted this and drove off. The second were SCs. And how.
SC1: Why are you closing early? It's not closing time yet.
Me: (thinking, "I know, arsehole.") I'm sorry, but all our tills have crashed so we have to close.
SC1: Bullshit. You just want to go home early.
As if. Even if we were allowed to leave, I still wouldn't want to cuz I'd lose one hour's pay.
SC1: Look, I really need petrol right now. Can't I just fill my car, then fill out a form and come back to pay?
Me: I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to let you get petrol when there's no way for you to pay.
SC1: Oh, for fuck's sake.
He eventually drove off with a screech of tires when it finally got thru his thick skull that I wasn't going to let him get petrol. SC2 drove in while I was dealing with SC1, went to a pump and started trying to get petrol. My colleague inside had no intention of authorising the pump, so it wasn't long before she called over to me, a little while after SC1 had left.
SC2: Excuse me, but this pump isn't working.
Me: (thinking, "Didn't you see the cones across the entrance, you stupid cow?) I'm sorry, but all our tills crashed so we're closed.
SC2: What?
Me: We can't allow anyone to get fuel when there's no way for them to pay.
SC2: Where's your sign?
Me: I haven't put it out yet. (Cuz I have to close off the entrance first, moron! Wouldn't be any point in sticking a sign out if the forecourt was full of idiots like you!)
SC2: So you're not going to let me fill up? My car's bone dry!
Me: I'm sorry, but we're not allowed to let people fill up when the tills are broken.
SC2: I'm going to complain about this.
She then got back into her car and drove off. Bring it, bitch. I am simply obeying the manager, who told me to close and if you don't like it, tough. I went inside, got the sign and put it outside. We kept the lights on for the moment, just in case of a reprieve but none was forecoming. My colleague got off the phone and told me that IT had told him that cuz by now it was 9:30pm, that we would not be able to reopen as the tills would not be fixed in time.
I called over the manager and told him this; he said to just stack shelves til our finishing time and to fully close the petrol station. We did so. Would you believe that while we were waiting out the time til we could go home, a steady stream of customers kept trying to get into the petrol station? I'd locked up the pumps and turned the lights off, but still they kept trying. And we had loads of window bangers walking up to the doors and knocking. We didn't bother to go out and tell them that the petrol station was closed, as we had cones across the entrance and a sign up. Also, we didn't want to risk anyone darting inside as we opened the door so we ignored them til it was finally time for us to go.
Then, an hour later, the third till crashed. Oh dear. Luckily, at the time, we were dead and had no customers. I called up the manager and informed him that all our tills were down, he told us to close up and phone IT. My colleague phoned IT while I went out and put the cones across the entrance. Remember I said we were dead? Well, we were til I put the cones across, which must have sent out a signal to every single customer in the area, saying, "Get petrol now this instant!"
Most people just drove up, saw the cones, then drove off. Four didn't, instead, driving in thru the back. I told the first two that we were closed cuz all the tills crashed; they accepted this and drove off. The second were SCs. And how.
SC1: Why are you closing early? It's not closing time yet.
Me: (thinking, "I know, arsehole.") I'm sorry, but all our tills have crashed so we have to close.
SC1: Bullshit. You just want to go home early.
As if. Even if we were allowed to leave, I still wouldn't want to cuz I'd lose one hour's pay.
SC1: Look, I really need petrol right now. Can't I just fill my car, then fill out a form and come back to pay?
Me: I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to let you get petrol when there's no way for you to pay.
SC1: Oh, for fuck's sake.
He eventually drove off with a screech of tires when it finally got thru his thick skull that I wasn't going to let him get petrol. SC2 drove in while I was dealing with SC1, went to a pump and started trying to get petrol. My colleague inside had no intention of authorising the pump, so it wasn't long before she called over to me, a little while after SC1 had left.
SC2: Excuse me, but this pump isn't working.
Me: (thinking, "Didn't you see the cones across the entrance, you stupid cow?) I'm sorry, but all our tills crashed so we're closed.
SC2: What?
Me: We can't allow anyone to get fuel when there's no way for them to pay.
SC2: Where's your sign?
Me: I haven't put it out yet. (Cuz I have to close off the entrance first, moron! Wouldn't be any point in sticking a sign out if the forecourt was full of idiots like you!)
SC2: So you're not going to let me fill up? My car's bone dry!
Me: I'm sorry, but we're not allowed to let people fill up when the tills are broken.
SC2: I'm going to complain about this.
She then got back into her car and drove off. Bring it, bitch. I am simply obeying the manager, who told me to close and if you don't like it, tough. I went inside, got the sign and put it outside. We kept the lights on for the moment, just in case of a reprieve but none was forecoming. My colleague got off the phone and told me that IT had told him that cuz by now it was 9:30pm, that we would not be able to reopen as the tills would not be fixed in time.
I called over the manager and told him this; he said to just stack shelves til our finishing time and to fully close the petrol station. We did so. Would you believe that while we were waiting out the time til we could go home, a steady stream of customers kept trying to get into the petrol station? I'd locked up the pumps and turned the lights off, but still they kept trying. And we had loads of window bangers walking up to the doors and knocking. We didn't bother to go out and tell them that the petrol station was closed, as we had cones across the entrance and a sign up. Also, we didn't want to risk anyone darting inside as we opened the door so we ignored them til it was finally time for us to go.
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