I can hear you!

[Anakah]

Ever had a customer talk infront of you about YOU in a mean way and thought somehow you couldn't magically hear them? Yeah...

There was this couple who came to my window wanting change. The old lady was sweet as pie and later was apologizing and making excuses for her miserable husband.

OM: Old man
OL: Old lady

Me: Your total is 500, how would you like it?

OM: Now listen carefully. I want one large, fourty in fives and the rest in twenties.

I start gathering the money.

OM to OL: I sure hope she gets it right...

I was thinking: Not hard to do... Easiest transaction ever.

I repeated back what he said just so that I didn't have to recount.

OM: I want two bills.

Me: Two large?

OM: NO! I said ONE large and then twenties! And don't forget the fives!



So I count out their money, the woman looks happy and asks me for some fives from her twenty. Okay.

OM to OL: She got it wrong. Its not that hard! I wanted her to split it up!

OL: I think you explained it funny.

Me: Sir, I have to count it out like that. It's for the cameras.

OM: Whatever. I didn't realize it was that complicated.

OL: Oh, don't listen to him. He's just grumpy.

Me: I got the fake retail grin: and told him to have a great day while I was hoping he lost all his money.

Besides its not my job to split their money. They can do that. I don't know what they want or who gets what. Surveillance prefers if we keep it simple and we have a certain way we're supposed to count out. Besides I prefer not to confuse myself!

[Boozy]

Besides its not my job to split their money. They can do that.

I'm thinking that's a little too complicated for them.

[Sparky]

And I'm wondering if they made it complicated on purpose, trying to scam you.

[Anakah]

Possible. You wouldn't believe what people do to try and confuse you. My co-worker over paid someone because one of the customer's friends was counting like 1, 2, 6, 7 while she was counting and screwed her up.

I've had customers who count with me. It's irriating and does throw you off.

[greensinestro]

And I'm wondering if they made it complicated on purpose, trying to scam you.

I'm pretty sure they did, or perhaps he did, but usually the husband and wife work together. I've worked enough jobs where customers purposely confuse the hell out of you in the hope of getting something for nothing, or making it look like you made the mistake and now owe them for it.

[mattm04]

I have had SC try to scam me bu counting out rnadom numbers, changing the specific bills mid count, etc. I politley tell them to let me count, put all the money back in the drawer and start again. I repeat this as necessary. It always works when they see that you will not be fooled by their tricks.

[blas]

Well of course, if you are just a robot, you aren't supposed to be that great at hearing! Duh!

Customers did that to me a lot, too. I'd card someone and under their breath they'd call me a "bitch" or a "whore" or a...rhymes with runt and another that rhymes with rot......or the funniest was "That little rotten brat, who the hell does she think she is?"

[digilight]

Perhaps I can help on this one. See I have kids who like to talk, and they always like to talk. My daughter couldn't talk until just recently and now that she can talk she is a talking machine. You have to learn how to tune out certain noises and such. If you have a friend or a child who is a talkative screaming machine borrow them for practice. If you can then count out a semi complicated transaction while they keep babbling and such then you got it. If not then keep practicing.

It's not so much that you are blocking out everything, you just need to train your mind to separate whats not important at that moment. Now if they babbling went from "Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, I wanna watch Calliou, Calliou, Calliou, Cookie....AAAAACCCCKKKKKKKK I just cut off my finger..." then you're brain will filter out the blah blah blah blah and catch the "oh shit immediate attention required now mode". Thats what you are going for, being able to filter out whats not important and ignore it while still being able to catch the important stuff.

And lets face it....SC's are like little whiney Kids

[Boozy]

It's not so much that you are blocking out everything, you just need to train your mind to separate whats not important at that moment. Now if they babbling went from "Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, I wanna watch Calliou, Calliou, Calliou, Cookie....AAAAACCCCKKKKKKKK I just cut off my finger..." then you're brain will filter out the blah blah blah blah and catch the "oh shit immediate attention required now mode".

According to my brother-in-law, he can come home from work at 1 am, make himself a sandwich in the kitchen, shower in the bathroom adjoining the master bedroom, turn on all the lights, read for a bit, and get into bed, all with his wife (my sister) blissfully snoring away. She won't wake up for a second during all this.

But if their toddler in the bedroom down the hall opens his door a crack during the night, her eyes fly open and she's out of bed to see what he's doing immediately.

You're so right - the parent-filter is an impressive thing. If only we could all harness its power to deal with SC's flapping gums...

[pyxee]

According to my brother-in-law, he can come home from work at 1 am, make himself a sandwich in the kitchen, shower in the bathroom adjoining the master bedroom, turn on all the lights, read for a bit, and get into bed, all with his wife (my sister) blissfully snoring away. She won't wake up for a second during all this.

But if their toddler in the bedroom down the hall opens his door a crack during the night, her eyes fly open and she's out of bed to see what he's doing immediately.

You're so right - the parent-filter is an impressive thing. If only we could all harness its power to deal with SC's flapping gums...

Heh I am the same way.... I can sleep through my hubby playing the playstation right next to our bed with volume turned way up, but if the springs of one of the beds across the hall so much as squeak I am wide awake. I guess I am lucky though cause I have no problem tuning out SCs when I need to focus on counting or some other important task

[MadMike]

Heh I am the same way.... I can sleep through my hubby playing the playstation right next to our bed with volume turned way up, but if the springs of one of the beds across the hall so much as squeak I am wide awake. I guess I am lucky though cause I have no problem tuning out SCs when I need to focus on counting or some other important task

Going somewhat OT from the original post, this one reminds me of something that happened just this past week. My brother was having an early Christmas party, and asked everyone to bring something, so I decided to make some Chex Mix.

My wife was already asleep, so I was trying not to make too much noise, but wouldn't you know it? While I was looking for a pan big enough (you need a big pan), I accidently spilled every single pot and pan that we had, which made a loud and ongoing racket, until everything finally settled. And then every time I tried to pick one up to put it back, it would make even more racket.

I thought for sure that would have woke her up, but I listened, and didn't hear her get up and walk around, didn't hear her yelling or even groaning, didn't hear a peep from her.

The next day, she told me I woke her up when I was making the stuff, not by spilling all the pots and pans, but because the smell made its way upstairs and woke her up. I asked her if she even heard all the noise, and she said she didn't hear a thing. Go figure.