I am not directory assistance!

[ZumZum]

Ok, so this has happened to everyone (and it happened to me tonight).
The mall where I work has a movie theatre behind it, not attached, it is in it's own separate building. So our mall directory doesn't have it's phone number on it.

Phone rings, I answer and give my spiel:
Caller: Do you have the phone number for the movie theatre?
Me: No, I don't
Caller: Do you know what time it's open till
Me: (????) No, I don't know. Sorry
Caller: You sure you don't have the number?
Me: Yes, I am sure. You can call 411 for the number.
Caller: (very aggitated) THANKS A LOT

Like it's my fault I don't have the number?


On a more frustrating note, while cashing out the registers I noticed that one of the associates took a counterfeit $100. Ugh.

[CanadaGirl]

We have a little blue-light machine next to our tills at the liquor store I work at. When you run the money under it, the security features light up. It's nifty, and I've only found one counterfeit bill. But that was from someone who came in asking me to scan it, because it appeared to be a newer $10, but didn't have the hallogram line on the left of it. Turned out to be a fake.

[ZumZum]

I have seen those machines before. Don't think corporate would get one for every store. Besides, our lights are bright enough to show all the features.
On US bills, there is a security strip that repeats USA and the denomination, that was missing on this bill. The coloring was off and the hologram was "wishy-washy" (for lack of better words).
I can see how one of my inexperienced cashiers would take it. It was a decent fake. I am just such a stickler for cash and credit cards that I would have noticed it. I am hoping to keep it in my store to show my employees since the bank would just kick it back anyway, and most likely pass it off to an unsuspecting customer so they wouldn't have to deal with it.

[jb17kx]

Ugh, fake notes. Hate the things, saw a coworker get dragged over hot coals after accepting one. In Australia they are fortunatley very rare though, because the complexity of our notes discourages even attempting it. The notes are made on polymer (ie, plastic), and each demonination is a different colour and length. They also have various strange patterns, watermarks, etc. Quite interesting, actually.

[friendofjimmyk]

In some of the restaurants I've worked at as well as my mom's kiosk - we had a pen that when marked on a bill - if it were counterfeit, the mark would turn black.

[Ree]

At the old store, we used to get customers all the time who called up asking about special events in our town, or names and phone numbers of other businesses, as if we were information. We were usually helpful and accommodating, and I think that's why it happened. We got a rep for being one of the friendliest, most helpful stores in twon, which can either be a blessing or a curse.

I don't know what it's like at our new store, as I am no longer in a position to answer the phones. It's probably eased off a bit because we are so much bigger now.

[pbmods]

In some of the restaurants I've worked at as well as my mom's kiosk - we had a pen that when marked on a bill - if it were counterfeit, the mark would turn black.

That worked really well, until gangs in Chicago would bleach $5 bills and reprint them as twenties. Since it was still printed on money paper, the counterfeit-detecting pens would be useless.

[symposes]

That worked really well, until gangs in Chicago would bleach $5 bills and reprint them as twenties. Since it was still printed on money paper, the counterfeit-detecting pens would be useless.

It was my understanding those pens dont work on paper without starch in it, such as very high quality printer paper.
not just money paper, which is a cotton blend....

[Imogene]

Back OT:
I have a story from back before the Chesterfield store closed. One night, it was old SM, Nice AM, and myself, like, ten minutes to close, no one in the store, old SM is standing outside the gate, apparently bored. Phone rings, I answer it.
M: "Store, this is Juwl, how may I help you?"
P: "What time does Mrs. Field's close?"
M: *blink* "I'd assume 9:30, just like the rest of the mall."
P: "Give me their number."
M: *thinking* 'Not without the magic word, jackass.' *said* "I don't know their number, as we're on entirely different levels on entirely different wings."
P: "Well, where can I get their number?"
M: *thinking* 'Ah, phone boook?" *said* "I can get the number for the mall directory..." *do so, relay*
P: *relays the number to someone else in the room on her end*
M: "Anything else?"
P: *click*

[Anakah]

In some of the restaurants I've worked at as well as my mom's kiosk - we had a pen that when marked on a bill - if it were counterfeit, the mark would turn black.

Unfortunately that method isn't as secure as we all think it is. I accidentally took a counterfeit 20 from some old woman (who I think got it by accident) because she said the slot machine wouldn't take her money.
There are a few other ways to tell. I only realized it after she left and I felt the bill a bit. The paper felt funny. You'd think working in a cage they'd have a better system of telling these things. We aren't even trained on how to tell if they're fake! It was my first one and they treated ME like the criminal.
I wish we had those blue like scannable things. That would be handy.

[ZumZum]

Our LP auditor called the store today. Turns out I should have deposited the damn thing. (sorry for the curse word, I am frustrated). So, I am going to take a hit on it and the bank is just going to pass it off to someone.

The LP auditor had my assistant manager run a few more tests on it. One of them being: she had her rub a tissue on it. Black ink should smear off the money onto the tissue. Of course in this case, it didn't.

Oh yeah, those pens are useless unfortuntely. This was a $100 printed on a bleached bill (which denomination, I have no idea). Looking at the watermark, my guess is a $1 because it resembled Washington.

[blaubent]

Our LP auditor called the store today. Turns out I should have deposited the damn thing. (sorry for the curse word, I am frustrated). So, I am going to take a hit on it and the bank is just going to pass it off to someone.

The LP auditor had my assistant manager run a few more tests on it. One of them being: she had her rub a tissue on it. Black ink should smear off the money onto the tissue. Of course in this case, it didn't.

Oh yeah, those pens are useless unfortuntely. This was a $100 printed on a bleached bill (which denomination, I have no idea). Looking at the watermark, my guess is a $1 because it resembled Washington.

Probably a five dollar bill. We recieved an email at work saying how these people are passing a $5 bill as a $100 bill.

Sorry to hear that. So the cycle continues...

[ZumZum]

It just pisses me off either way. My asst said the LP auditor wasn't very nice to her. She can be very intimidating, but that is her job. I told her not to worry about it. The bill wasn't on our list of bad $100s that corporate sends us and it was a decent fake. Any inexperienced cashier would have taken it. I have all new staff, lessons learned. I wanted to keep it in the store since the bank is going to kick it back anyway. This way I will have a learning tool, but no, we had to deposit it.

I think they are hoping the bank doesn't notice. Doubtful.

[pbmods]

I can't remember what she was asking for, but I remember one customer asked me where to find some kind of shop, and being new to that area of the city, I had no idea.

She got all playful and pretended to be annoyed; "Well, you should know these things."

And I was all playful back; "Hey, I don't LIVE here."

I don't think she was expecting me to be a smartass back to her. But then, you know, customers think they're SO clever....

[Luna]

I can't remember what she was asking for, but I remember one customer asked me where to find some kind of shop, and being new to that area of the city, I had no idea.

She got all playful and pretended to be annoyed; "Well, you should know these things."

And I was all playful back; "Hey, I don't LIVE here."

I don't think she was expecting me to be a smartass back to her. But then, you know, customers think they're SO clever....

I got that a lot when I worked 2 hours away from where I lived. After they argued with me as if I were holding back the info just for kicks - I would tell them where I live. Most of the time they'd never even heard of where I live or have never been there at all and then they'd softly mutter a half-ars apology and walk away.

Yeah, unfortunately you are required by law to deposit counterfeit bills to the bank/and or notify the secret service immediately. You could get into serious federal trouble for keeping it, even to use as a training tool. I found out just like you did once in exactly the same way. Counting a newbie till down and finding the fake bill and keeping it to teach the other newbies. It was not a fun time and LP was royally pissed off at me. Ah well.


How about the customers (if you are in a mall) walk by your store - stand at the entrace and just BARK the name of the store they want directions to? I get that all the time, and I'll be assisting customers, running around, ringing register, on the phone...someone will walk by and bark "NORDSTROM!!!" I stop and just give them a look, and continue helping the person in front of me. But the barker will just bark louder "NORRRDD-STRROOM!!"..until I wave my arm in a direction so they go away. They won't actually come into your store and ask like a normal human, they just stand at the very front, lean in and shout at you. Maybe it's just a NJ thing.