Random Goodies *longish*

[Buzzy]

Well, since I have been gone for a while, I figured I'd talk a bit about some of the suckies I've had since my last visit. Oh, and I should probably say that I work at a grocery store... still.

Because it's SUCH a dirty job.
TTB: Trailer Trash Bitch, probably no older than 15
BM: Big mama
Me: Apparently works in filth

Me: *checking out a typical order, and overhears the following conversation*
TTB: *heaves a puffy, angry souding sigh* I would really hate to work here.
BM: Why's that?
TTB: Well, look! They do all the dirty jobs! Ugh, I'd never do this in a million years!
Me: *finishes their order and slaps on a fake smile* Have a good night!
Really... so standing behind a register, or bagging groceries, is dirty? I don't see how that is. There wasn't anything spilled anywhere. I guess the only nasty crap laying around was her. (yeah, that was lame) I wonder what she does for a living. I doubt she even works at all. When you're young, in high school, or trying to make your way through college like I am, you really can't be too picky about where you work.

Not everyone can be a freakin' mathematician like you! Happened last night, so it's right fresh in my mind!
Me: Sucks at math.
SC: Snobby, uppity, rude skank

As I've stated before, I completely suck at math. I just don't get it. No amount of teaching is ever going to get it through my head. And when I'm under stress, it's hard for me to figure even simple math out (whereas normally I usually can). In this situation, I really would have liked a calculator. And perhaps a mallet.
Me: OK, your total is $10.03 ma'am.
SC: *hands me a 20* Sorry, I don't have any pennies.
Me: That's OK, I've got more than enough change. *is dreading counting out 97 cents, but does it anyways*
SC: Oh wait! I found a quarter! Will that work?
Me: *holding a handful of coins and a 10* Sure! *Begins to grab the right amount of change, and is starting to get a little pressured*
SC: Wait up, I also have a 10. Here, take this. I want my twenty back.
Me: *Officially confused.* Wait, wouldn't that make me 10 dollars short, or wouldn't I owe you $10?
SC: No! I know what I'm talking about!
Me: OK, so how much do I owe you then?
SC: *forgot what she told me. she tells me something, still sounds off though*
Me: *Still confused* ok... *grabs change* But aren't we still off by 10? I'm no good at math.
SC: Well, I can see that! Good lord! *Goes on some spiel about how her math is right and I'm wrong. I don't get any of it as I'm getting upset now* How 'bout I write my phone number for you in case you're off. Will that make you happy?!
Me: *gritting my teeth but somehow keeping a level head* It would help, ma'am. I already said that I'm bad at math, and I'm confused right now. The last thing I want is for my register to be off.
SC: You won't be! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm right?! Damn it, you need to go back to school, girl! You obviously didn't learn shit in math, did you?! *She hands me a paper with her name and number on it, flashes a god-awful fake sweet smile, and walks away*
Me: (My bad half wants to leap over the register and clobber her, but my good side holds me back. Good and bad come to a compromise.) *looks around for signs of a manager, and shouts after her* You don't have to be so bitchy about it!

My bagger overheard the whole thing and agreed that she was unnecessarily rude. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone behind Ms. Mathematician, and no customers in the lane behind me. I ended up telling the shift manager about the ordeal, and she agreed that she would have been confused as well and would have needed a calculator. She also said that if that lady were to call/come in and complain on me, that she would put her in her place because "nobody talks shit about my cashiers!"

After I calmed down, I thought about it, and yep... she WAS right... and my register was only a penny off (lol) But really, was it necessary to tell me in so many words that I'm stupid? I'm never going to get math. Especially when I'm confused and upset. She never did call and complain, thank God.

The Forgotten Drive-Up
Last one, I promise. Quite a bit of swearing.
AM: Awesome manager (from the last incident)
SC: Impatient, loud, asshole
SBB: Scared Bag Boy
Me: Standing back, laughing

SC storms in and sees AM. I'd seen this guy maybe four-five minutes ago checking out at the lane in front of me. His cart was sent to drive-up (in case you're unfamiliar, when you have a lot of stuff, are elderly or disabled, or are just plain lazy, you can have a bagger load your groceries into your vehicle). SC is yelling the whole time, so just imagine his words are in all caps. I, thankfully, was not involved.

SC: Are you the manager?!!
AM: I am, how can I-
SC: What the f**k is WRONG with this place?
AM: What's the problem?
SC: I'll tell you your f**king problem! Your employees are a bunch of f**king lazy bastards! I waited out there for 15 minutes and nobody helped me, God damn it! (no, sir, you were in here five minutes ago. Could your watch be a little fast?)
AM: Out at drive-up?
SC: Yes! I f**king drove up and nobody was there! I honked my horn and nobody came over to help me! What the f**k are your cart boys doing that they can't help a customer?!
AM: *smiles in a "Someone kick this guy's ass" manner*
SC: Yeah, nice shitty smile there! Is this some sick f**king game you guys play? *talks as if he was an employee* Hey guys, lets see how long a customer can wait outside before they come in and BITCH AT US!!
AM: Calm down, sir. I'll -
SC: Don't f**king tell me to calm down! I need help here! Don't you tell me what to do!
AM: I'll send somebody out to help you.
SC storms out of the building, still shouting about how we're worthless, lazy bastards, etc etc. AM proceeds to bitch about him to the rest of us. It was a slow night, and I don't think there were any other customers around. She then went to call the store manager to warn them about this guy.
I don't know what exactly SBB was doing. I think he had gone to the bathroom or something, thinking he had enough time before the guy pulled up. I wasn't paying all that much attention after that since I got a customer.
SBB was the only bagger that night anyways, and when he came back in to bag for me after dealing with SC, he looked pretty scared.
Me: You had to help that asshole, didn't you?
SBB: Holy shit, yes! He was a total jerk to me and he threatened to punch me! (AM overheard this and told the store manager that he was not only a jackass, but violent)

eh.... so that guy needed to pull the cactus out of his ass. I just wondered, if he was in such a hurry, why did he do drive up in the first place? I don't remember him having that much anyways. What a douche.

[PepperElf]

SBB: Holy shit, yes! He was a total jerk to me and he threatened to punch me!

In my opinion that's when you put the groceries on the ground and walk away. Then you ring the police.

People who threaten violence because they're having a hissy fit don't deserve service. they deserve the chance to explain to the cops why they have the "right to threaten" people. Then they have the right to remain silent.

[Dips]

Wow. Swearing, name-calling and then threatening to punch the bagger?

I'm actually more shocked that the manager allowed you guys to continue serving him after the first outburst and then sent the bagger out there alone!

[Happy Otter Lover]

I don't mean to be horrendously offensive, but if you know you're bad at math and realize that you're unable to learn it, maybe being a cashier isn't the best choice of jobs for you. It in no way excuses how rude that customer was to you, but I just think it would decrease stress on your part to have a job that didn't require you to do something that upsets you so much.

[Jbball]

The lady with the money from your first story sounds like a quick change artists. They're no fun.

[calstateworker]

Don't feel bad, I'm an accountant by trade and I would have found it hard to follow all that without a calculator. It sounds like she was deliberately trying to confuse you.

[karma_gypsy]

I don't mean to be horrendously offensive, but if you know you're bad at math and realize that you're unable to learn it, maybe being a cashier isn't the best choice of jobs for you.

Well, I'm the same way. I'm bad at math -- under stressful situations... I can get confused when people start handing me extra money and such after I have their change all counted out.... it's kind of like derailing your train of thought.



Perhaps purchasing a cheap small calculator for your own personal use and keeping it behind the counter or in a pocket for rare situations as these?




And, as for the Bitch Girl...

When I was 15, I had a paper route .... that was pretty dirty job too, but then, of course, I wasn't prissy either ....

[marasbaras]

I'm really good at math ... then again, I write software for $$$ and was a math major in college. I've pulled what that lady did in the OP before, but without the suck. When the cashier looks at me stunned, I just explain quietly.

Regarding Mr. Violence ... I agree. SBB should've put down the bags and walked away.

On a brighter note, I love those drive-in loading docks. I usually hate going to the store, so I insist that we go as few times as possible ... which means like two or three _loaded_ carts. I don't ask for help loading. I just have my wife drive the car into the place. It's much easier and safer to get the wrangle the carts to there and load quickly than to try to get through the parking lot with 3 carts and a toddler.

Of course, now that we're in the Philippines, we just have the bag boys take the boxes to the car for us. It's store policy. Darn. (we, of course, tip the standard P5)

[RetailWorkhorse]

Poor Bagger Boy! *Pets SBB*

*Clips a leash on him and drags him home*

I got me a new puppy!


*Ahem* So sorry.

Math Suckage is the WORSE. I suck royally, sometimes I suck so hard I can't even use a flipping calculator. I am that bad. So instead of having to try to remember what sequence my numbers go in, I just memorized the price of everything. Working in a dollar store...really helped, oddly enough. Crike.

[bainsidhe]

The lady with the money from your first story sounds like a quick change artists. They're no fun.

I agree. Once the transaction started becoming more complicated, you should have immediately closed your drawer and asked for management to come assist you. It appears this was just a case of random suck, but others use their skills at conning and your earnest efforts to help the customer to steal from you.

And don't feel bad about the not-real-good at math thing. Our registers are so automated now that it requires little math skills to operetate. I used to make change in my head no problem, because I was used to it. Now it throws me for a loop because those skills have gone to waste. There really is something in the whole keep your brain active thing.

[BookstoreEscapee]

The lady with the money from your first story sounds like a quick change artists. They're no fun.

That's what I was thinking. Glad she was just an SC and not a thief, too.

I'm not so good at math, myself. My stores always kept a calculator at every register. They come in handy in such situations, and a lot of others. Personally I think every store should do the same.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I don't mean to be horrendously offensive, but if you know you're bad at math and realize that you're unable to learn it, maybe being a cashier isn't the best choice of jobs for you. It in no way excuses how rude that customer was to you, but I just think it would decrease stress on your part to have a job that didn't require you to do something that upsets you so much.

I used to run a register for years and I don't have a math brain either. I usually followed whatever the computer display read and that, combined with a good speed (I was pretty good about getting lines down in a short period of time back in my day) I didn't have many complaints at all.

Of course, even the best of us have had those customers who will try to pull one over by confusing us. And, where I worked at then, we cashiers were trained that when the customer started changing how they wanted their change back or wanted to change demoninations that they were going to give us, to simply close the drawer and page for a supervisor or MOD to handle it - as that was a simple way for quick change artists to try to get over.

So it's quite possible that Ms. Mathematician was trying to pull a fast one . . . there again she could have just been a rude, condescending bitch. Or a combination of both.

However, that said, just because one doesn't have a brain for math doesn't necessarily mean that there are certain jobs that they shouldn't be doing. If otherwise they're good at it and there's generally no problems arising from that, then all is well.

At least in my book anyways.

[Gerrinson]

Ah, see, I fall at the other end of the math spectrum, as in, during the summer after 4th grade I bought a used geometry book at a tag sale and spent the summer learning geometry. Yes, I'm sick and my teachers loved me. It was extremely handy when I was cashiering, though, and I caught several quick change artists because they couldn't confuse me, despite their best efforts.

I've been in the customers shoes a few times and had similar situations. I normally handle it calmly and if the cashier can't handle it, I'll just take the extra change back home to the change jar. I'm familiar with the frustration of being really good at math and trying to move quickly with people who aren't. I've also learned when to back off because I realize my natural aptitude is not normal. What kills me is that some of the people I work with are bad at math too, yet they want to work in the Accounting department. Maybe it makes me a math snob, but honestly, if you're not good at math, you don't belong in Accounting.

[mattm04]

I have had Customers try the, "oh, I have a X dollars and XX cents" after I have started to count out change. If the customer asks if I can do it, I will evaluate the situation and if the possibility for a scam is low I will. If it seems fishy or they change the amount over and over I will just hand them the change I was going to count and politely to buzz off. If they complain, the MOD won't do anything unless the Clerk was rude because we have been burned by these scams before.

[CanadaGirl]

SC: *hands me a 20* Sorry, I don't have any pennies.
Me: That's OK, I've got more than enough change. *is dreading counting out 97 cents, but does it anyways*
SC: Oh wait! I found a quarter! Will that work?
Me: *holding a handful of coins and a 10* Sure! *Begins to grab the right amount of change, and is starting to get a little pressured*
SC: Wait up, I also have a 10. Here, take this. I want my twenty back.
Me: *Officially confused.* Wait, wouldn't that make me 10 dollars short, or wouldn't I owe you $10?
SC: No! I know what I'm talking about!
Me: OK, so how much do I owe you then?
SC: *forgot what she told me. she tells me something, still sounds off though*
Me: *Still confused* ok... *grabs change* But aren't we still off by 10? I'm no good at math.

These kinds of transactions I get wary of, since people can cheat a cashier out of money in their till by confusing them. I usually tell them once they hand me their payment and I've imputed it into my till (and my drawer has popped open to give them their change) the transaction is over and I will not be taking other bills in place of the one you gave me. And no, I can't give change.