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With Black Friday rapidly approaching, our store's electronics decided to revolt. By Wed., the 26th, one of our credit card machines attached to the register was down and was promptly boxed up to be sent in for repairs later. While the registers will accept credit card info that is typed in, it won't process the transaction until a signature or pin is typed in and the customer presses the "Accept" button. Plus, the chain that I work for, in their infinite wisdom, decided to take away our junky and broken embossers and send us new ones, which we still haven't got as of the current holiday season. Good plan, boys! 
On Black Friday, the opening manager opened all of the registers, but since the credit card machine was kaput on Reg. 5, the manager made a nice sign saying "Cash Only" (in hot pink nonetheless) and taped it to the register itself.
Our store's BF setup is probably familiar to a lot of you: one main line that is staffed ('corralled' would be a better word) by a manager.
During the initial blockbuster rush, I staffed the 'cash only' register to thin the line a bit.
At one point, the manager asked the crowd if anyone was paying in cash. A woman, about 10 or so back, thrust her hand into the air and hopped to catch the manager's attention. The lady was led out of line to my register, replete with hot pink signage. Once the lady put her overflowing basket down, I was immediately suspicious since it contained about $250 worth of merchandise. Call me odd, perhaps, but I personally am hesitant to believe people carry that much cash around anymore.
Me:
SC: unable to listen, or read, apparently.
Me (As I ring her up): Did you find everything ok?
SC: Yes, but the store is too crowded...I'm in a hurry, blah blah blah...
Me: And you'll be paying in cash today?
SC: Yes (rooting around in her purse)
I finished ringing and read her the total (it was like $320-$330). After digging for a few minutes, the SC pulls out...a credit card!
Me: (in my head) I knew it!
SC: (
) begins to look for the credit card machine to swipe her card.
Me: Ma'am, this register is cash only, I can't take your card.
SC: Well, you can scan this on your register (holds the card out to me)
Me: No ma'am, I can't. The machine can't accept them.
SC: (blinks stupidly) But I didn't bring cash. (holds out card again)
Me:
In the end, we had to void out the whole huge transaction and pass her off to another cashier. Sadly, in the forty minutes I was ringing, this same dance happened many, many more times.
Luckily, my Black Friday wasn't too bad after that. Since I work on the floor in a cosmetics store, I mainly have to deal with men that think I am a personal shopper and shove lists at me. I have no problem helping clueless menfolk, but when they demand that I do their shopping for them, I get a bit peeved, especially when they wave the ad in my face to catch my attention while I'm helping another person...or snap their fingers at me...
We also had our yearly pervert sighting; a creepy older guy came in, wandered around aimlessly and chatted to the associates about nothing in particular. He then, told me (when he meandered over to my dept.) that I have never truly seen our region until I've been two miles out on the lake...in the dark...on his boat. Then he leered at me, and asked "how about it, 'honey'"
On the plus side, once it got really slow (after 7 pm) we turned off the Xmas music and there was an impromptu karaoke session in the deserted store. There may have been some singing of "Wonderwall" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go" by me, but I will not confirm those rumors...
On Black Friday, the opening manager opened all of the registers, but since the credit card machine was kaput on Reg. 5, the manager made a nice sign saying "Cash Only" (in hot pink nonetheless) and taped it to the register itself.
Our store's BF setup is probably familiar to a lot of you: one main line that is staffed ('corralled' would be a better word) by a manager.
During the initial blockbuster rush, I staffed the 'cash only' register to thin the line a bit.
At one point, the manager asked the crowd if anyone was paying in cash. A woman, about 10 or so back, thrust her hand into the air and hopped to catch the manager's attention. The lady was led out of line to my register, replete with hot pink signage. Once the lady put her overflowing basket down, I was immediately suspicious since it contained about $250 worth of merchandise. Call me odd, perhaps, but I personally am hesitant to believe people carry that much cash around anymore.
Me:
SC: unable to listen, or read, apparently.
Me (As I ring her up): Did you find everything ok?
SC: Yes, but the store is too crowded...I'm in a hurry, blah blah blah...
Me: And you'll be paying in cash today?
SC: Yes (rooting around in her purse)
I finished ringing and read her the total (it was like $320-$330). After digging for a few minutes, the SC pulls out...a credit card!
Me: (in my head) I knew it!
SC: (
) begins to look for the credit card machine to swipe her card.Me: Ma'am, this register is cash only, I can't take your card.
SC: Well, you can scan this on your register (holds the card out to me)
Me: No ma'am, I can't. The machine can't accept them.
SC: (blinks stupidly) But I didn't bring cash. (holds out card again)
Me:
In the end, we had to void out the whole huge transaction and pass her off to another cashier. Sadly, in the forty minutes I was ringing, this same dance happened many, many more times.
Luckily, my Black Friday wasn't too bad after that. Since I work on the floor in a cosmetics store, I mainly have to deal with men that think I am a personal shopper and shove lists at me. I have no problem helping clueless menfolk, but when they demand that I do their shopping for them, I get a bit peeved, especially when they wave the ad in my face to catch my attention while I'm helping another person...or snap their fingers at me...
We also had our yearly pervert sighting; a creepy older guy came in, wandered around aimlessly and chatted to the associates about nothing in particular. He then, told me (when he meandered over to my dept.) that I have never truly seen our region until I've been two miles out on the lake...in the dark...on his boat. Then he leered at me, and asked "how about it, 'honey'"
On the plus side, once it got really slow (after 7 pm) we turned off the Xmas music and there was an impromptu karaoke session in the deserted store. There may have been some singing of "Wonderwall" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go" by me, but I will not confirm those rumors...
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