Thank you... now please LEAVE! (long and ranty)

[Becks]

Am I the only person in retail that doesn't mind when a customer pays by check?

[Pagan]

And why do they never, ever have everything but the amount filled out? And why do they have such a damned hard time finding their drivers license? I know exactly where mine is at all times. But no, here they are rootling around through their purse, or guys digging through their pockets. (And now I need a wet wipe 'cause what the hell is all over your license? )

I was sooooo happy when ye olde grocery shoppe got check printers. Customers sign, hand the check over, and the printer does the rest. Easier, faster, less confusion.

If you can get them to do it. At work, not only do we have auto-fill, but it's actually an electronic transfer and we give them their check back. All they have to do is tear the check out and give it to me, don't even have to sign it!

[Nyoibo]

Why does it seem that store owners have a problem with accepting ALL forms of payment: You can't use a debit/credit card because the merchant pays a fee, you can't write a check because it's too cumbersome, you can't use CASH because you're using too many coins. When it does it end???

Now accepting payment in the form of either your everlasting soul or your first born child.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

It seems that at my store, some of the cashiers have taken to entering checks as cash or gift certificates if they don't go through the first time. It happened 38 times last month alone, according to the sternly-worded memo from the front end manager posted by the checkouts and also in the break room.

This of course results in shortages and headaches for the cash office people and makes them sad pandas.

Seems like people on both sides of the register are making checks a PITA.

[elysia]

lmao this thread is full of win and makes me happy. I feel your pain about the checks.

My personal favorite part of the scenario is when they wont clear off so that the next person can come up but stand there writing in the record the amount and date and check # and shit for 45 seconds.

[ralerin]

Am I the only person in retail that doesn't mind when a customer pays by check?

Nope.

[johnb1]

Ahh...so true

CHIP cards are almost as bad. We had one old farmer guy come in and buy gas, and
oh....I can't remember my PIN number, and....oh.... I can't remember my wife's phone number...and Oh, I can't remember the banks' phone number to get it from them and..well lookey here...you have a wallet full of cash which you won't use to pay for your stuff....F**k me are you ever a waste of time and breath. He kept 5 customers waiting. We were almost ready to pay for his gas just to get him the hell out of there

Oh and this is a true story, well as much as I can verify it. One day, one of my friend's coworkers had a heart attack at the gas station, which sucks, and most people were patient and understanding and pumped their own gas, except for one lady. Now, people aren't really supposed to come into the booth, unless it's to put in their PIN number, but
there she was taking money, making change and running through credit cards on the machine, and she wasn't even an employee. We asked her "What the hell are you doing here, lady?" and she said "Oh, I've left the money right there. " You mean you're such a lowlife that you wouldn't wait while some person is getting bundled into the ambulance, you just HAD to get your gas/smokes/whatever and you JUST COULDN'T WAIT a few minutes. You should have been dragged out behind the back of the station and shot

just my opinion

John B

it's rather unfortunate that giving someone a CHIP card/ Checkbook doesn't come with a test for smarts.. I wish it was mandatory. If you couldn't handle remembering your PIN or writing a cheque, then you get to pay cash, now get the heck out of here
SIR

[DGoddessChardonnay]

lmao this thread is full of win and makes me happy. I feel your pain about the checks.

My personal favorite part of the scenario is when they wont clear off so that the next person can come up but stand there writing in the record the amount and date and check # and shit for 45 seconds.

And you're standing there, check card in your hand and waiting to reach the machine that's on the OTHER side of the Pursasaurus??

Worse still is when you can't reach around them because they've got a shopping cart blocking the rest of the counter.

It's been (on rare occasion) where I have to restrain myself from screaming at them.

[Pagan]

My personal favorite part of the scenario is when they wont clear off so that the next person can come up but stand there writing in the record the amount and date and check # and shit for 45 seconds.

Oh, I had so forgotten about that part of it!

And you're standing there, check card in your hand and waiting to reach the machine that's on the OTHER side of the Pursasaurus??

Worse still is when you can't reach around them because they've got a shopping cart blocking the rest of the counter.

It's been (on rare occasion) where I have to restrain myself from screaming at them.

Hey, you were at where I work and didn't stop and say "Hi"? Of course, this happens on a daily basis. I often feel like asking them what it's like to be the only person on the planet?

[Chattyaholic]

I'm sorry that some of you cashiers don't like checks. And I know it's frustrating to deal with older folks who are slower than you would like them to be, but you know what? You too will be an old person someday.

I do not have a debit card. Don't want one. I didn't like using my ATM card because many times I would forget to write the withdrawal in the checkbook, and I know I would be the same way with a debit card.

I love stores where you don't have to fill out the check, their machine does it for you. Takes no longer than a credit card transaction.

If I do have to fill out the check, I try to do it while I'm waiting for the person ahead of me to finish their transaction.

[Mara-chan]

most of the customers who write checks in my store don't even bother to have their checkbook OUT let alone ready to go.

The check process at Staples:
1. Customer fills it out completely
2. We check the information, write phone number on check if it's not already on it. If it's a large check we have to have the CSL (me) or manager double check the info and sign off on it.
3. Enter check amount in register and hit 'Check'
4. Run check through machine
5. Type in phone number and if it's personal or business
6. Run the check through the printer again
7. Slide it in the drawer.

If they haven't written a check with us we may also have to type in their information from their ID.

The process for a check card?

1. Cashier presses CAT key
2. Customer slides card
3. Customer types in PIN, selects if they want cash back and if amount is ok.

That's it! No ID needed. Customer can get cash back (can't do that with a check). No other typing for the cashier, no other writing for the customer.

Even entering it as a credit card is just as easy:

1. Cashier presses CAT and customer swipes card -OR- cashier swipes card
2. Cashier types in security number from card & checks ID
3. Customer signs pad and clicks 'done'
4. Cashier presses OK to accept signature.

you can see how much faster this is when you have a long line of customers.

[Pagan]

I'm sorry that some of you cashiers don't like checks. And I know it's frustrating to deal with older folks who are slower than you would like them to be, but you know what? You too will be an old person someday.

We don't have a problem with the checks themselves. We have a problem with the people who wait until their whole order is rung up before they start rummaging around for their checkbook.

And this isn't directed solely at old people. I've seen this behavior across the whole age spectrum as I'm sure many of the rest of us can attest to.

[gerund]

There are many things I hate. One of them is the old lady who buys $11.25 worth of cat food and waits until the cashier says "$11.25" to her to start rummaging through her handbag. She gets out $20 and I will think to myself that it's going to be quick, but wait!

She says "Oh! wait! I think I have some change." Then the suck starts. All she needs is $1.25, but the first coin she pulls out is $2. That's no good because there is lots more in her purse. So, 5 cents at a time she starts to count. It goes on and on, and all the while the cashier has enough to pay for the cat food.

However the worst display of suckage I was forced to sit through was in a casino. The dealer was new and had no idea. She went along with this.

Here is a grown man at 2:00AM playing blackjack.

I sat down at the table and he had one $5 chip in front of him which he bet. He then got a pair of eights which he split. He waited until the dealer asked him for his action. So he stood up, pulled out his wallet. Opened the wallet and got out a little zippered bag. Something like a coin purse. He unzipped it and got out a $25 chip. He zippered the bag. Put it back in his wallet. Put the wallet back in his pocket. Sat down. Gave the dealer the $25 chip. She changed it for $5 and split the eights.

He won one hand and lost one hand. So he put out the five $5 chips and got them changed back to a $25 chip. Stood up. Got his wallet. Opened the wallet. Got the little bag. Opened it and put the $25 chip in it. Zipped the bag. Put it back into his wallet. Sat down. Put his bet out. The dealer started dealing.

He lost the next hand. So he stood up. Got his wallet. Opened his wallet and got the bag out. Unzipped the bag. Got out a $25 chip and gave it to the dealer. She gave him back five $5 chips. He zipped the bag. Put it back in his wallet. Put the wallet back in his pocket. Made his bet.

He won that bet. He changed the chips back. He stood up. Got the wallet. (Are you sick of reading this now?) I started looking for the floor manager. He was at a roulette table some distance away. Ignoring the whole debacle.

I politely suggested that the man stop changing the chips back to $25 every time and putting it away, so we could get on with the game. He looked at me like I had kicked his dog. We went through one more round of change chips put away get back out change again before I cracked up.

I started shouting and the floor manager came running. I stood up and walked away, went around the casino but there were no other tables working. Came back to this one and the guy doing that had been sorted out by the floor manager. He had been told that he either stopped holding up the game or he left the table.

I think it was a full moon that night too.

[Pagan]

I think it was a full moon that night too.

I was going to ask if that was tonight, but then looked at the time you posted....man, people have been inordinately strange with this full moon today!

[Peppergirl]

We don't have a problem with the checks themselves. We have a problem with the people who wait until their whole order is rung up before they start rummaging around for their checkbook.

And this isn't directed solely at old people. I've seen this behavior across the whole age spectrum as I'm sure many of the rest of us can attest to.

A-freakin-men and thank you.

I personally have no problem with people who are still hooked on their checks. It seems a bit silly in this day and age, but to each his own.

But for CHRIST'S sake, if you're going to insist on using your dinosaur checkbook, have it ready and KNOW how to properly write a check without holding up the fucking line for 4 hours.

OH!!! And don't even get me STARTED on the assholes at the ATM who insist on reading their receipt, placing EVERYTHING back in its proper little spot, checking their makeup or WHATEVER in the mirror, and adjusting their seatbelt BEFORE pulling forward 20 fucking feet so that I can do my transaction.