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A customer came in the other day to pay up and get her cell phone service restored. She’d defaulted on another account, they transferred that balance to her current account, she didn’t pay that. So, service interrupted. She and her mother? Older relative? Came to the kiosk. She had $120 in cash and would write a check for the balance. Okay, she’s never given us a bad check, so we’re fine.
I rang up the cash part, started the check portion on the same receipt. Asked for the check number, which we’re required to enter.
C: Customer
Me: Obvious
R: Customer’s relative
C: 95
Me: (sensing trouble) Is that a starter check?
C: Yes, it is.
I’d glanced briefly at the check as she was writing it out about six feet away from me on the counter with her hand obscuring part of it, name and address appeared to be on it. I now looked closer – they very neatly and in an artistic almost typeset hand had written the information. Very easy to mistake.
Me: I’m sorry, we can’t take starter checks.
C: Oh, I’m sorry.
R: What do you mean, you don’t take starter checks?
Me: Sorry, it’s company policy. We can’t take starter checks.
R: Well, she needs to have her phone turned back on.
Me: Sorry, we can’t take starter checks.
(Some brief discussion between C and R ensues about cashing the check at the bank.)
C: (to R) Can you write a check and then I’ll write one to you?
R: I don’t have any checks with me. They should take this check.
C: Maybe we can cross out the company name, I can initial it and we can cash it.
R: Yes, we can do that, but then we have to go to the bank and come back here. (Turns to me.) Do you have any white-out?
Me: (Huh?)
R: (escalating volume) We need white-out. Now I have to go to the bank to cash the check.
(Lady, it’s Saturday, 6 p.m., the banks are closed. And white-out ain’t gonna cut it at any bank I know of.)
R: You should have told her you didn’t take starter checks before she wrote the check. WHY didn’t you TELL her before she started WRITING it? It’s the only check she has with her, now we have to go all the way home to get another check and go to the bank to cash it.
(Why, yes, I believe you do.)
R: I can’t believe this! How can she get her service turned back on if you won’t take a check? She NEEDS her phone. We have to go home and then to the bank and back here. I think this is ridiculous. I want you to tell me how you justify making us go home and to the bank and back here.
Me: Well, at first glance the check looked okay, but when I looked closer….(then, having had enough) I’m sorry, we can’t take starter checks. It’s company policy.
C: (to R, and obviously embarrassed) They can’t take starter checks. Let’s just put the cash on the account, go back and sort this out. It’s okay. They can’t take starter checks.
(Thank you!!!!)
R: Okay, but this is b******t. I’m glad I don’t use this company’s service.
(So am I…..)
I rang up the cash part, started the check portion on the same receipt. Asked for the check number, which we’re required to enter.
C: Customer
Me: Obvious
R: Customer’s relative
C: 95
Me: (sensing trouble) Is that a starter check?
C: Yes, it is.
I’d glanced briefly at the check as she was writing it out about six feet away from me on the counter with her hand obscuring part of it, name and address appeared to be on it. I now looked closer – they very neatly and in an artistic almost typeset hand had written the information. Very easy to mistake.
Me: I’m sorry, we can’t take starter checks.
C: Oh, I’m sorry.
R: What do you mean, you don’t take starter checks?
Me: Sorry, it’s company policy. We can’t take starter checks.
R: Well, she needs to have her phone turned back on.
Me: Sorry, we can’t take starter checks.
(Some brief discussion between C and R ensues about cashing the check at the bank.)
C: (to R) Can you write a check and then I’ll write one to you?
R: I don’t have any checks with me. They should take this check.
C: Maybe we can cross out the company name, I can initial it and we can cash it.
R: Yes, we can do that, but then we have to go to the bank and come back here. (Turns to me.) Do you have any white-out?
Me: (Huh?)
R: (escalating volume) We need white-out. Now I have to go to the bank to cash the check.
(Lady, it’s Saturday, 6 p.m., the banks are closed. And white-out ain’t gonna cut it at any bank I know of.)
R: You should have told her you didn’t take starter checks before she wrote the check. WHY didn’t you TELL her before she started WRITING it? It’s the only check she has with her, now we have to go all the way home to get another check and go to the bank to cash it.
(Why, yes, I believe you do.)
R: I can’t believe this! How can she get her service turned back on if you won’t take a check? She NEEDS her phone. We have to go home and then to the bank and back here. I think this is ridiculous. I want you to tell me how you justify making us go home and to the bank and back here.
Me: Well, at first glance the check looked okay, but when I looked closer….(then, having had enough) I’m sorry, we can’t take starter checks. It’s company policy.
C: (to R, and obviously embarrassed) They can’t take starter checks. Let’s just put the cash on the account, go back and sort this out. It’s okay. They can’t take starter checks.
(Thank you!!!!)
R: Okay, but this is b******t. I’m glad I don’t use this company’s service.
(So am I…..)
)
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