It's the store's policy.

[cinnamaniac]

Hi, I'm new. I've been lurking for a while now, enjoying all of your stories, but today I actually got my own very first customer that really annoyed me.

Me = Me
AG = Annoying Girl
HD = Her Dad

Me: "Your total is 48.52."
HD: "Here you go." *hands me a 50 dollar bill*

Now in the grocery store where I work, it is policy to take 50's and 100's to the front end for them to check and mark the bills. If an unsigned bill goes into that register, you get written up.

Me: *brings the 50 to the front end*
AG: *mutters something* Her and her dad look at me and she scoffs and gives me the evil eye. I hear her say on my way back "Yeah, because something is OBVIOUSLY wrong with us. Our money is fake."
Me: *smiles at her* "What was that? You know, our policy here is that the front end must sign all 50's and 100's before we put them in our tills. It wasn't 'just you'."
AG: *looks at her dad and they both laugh* I have worked as a cashier and we would hold up the 50's to the light to see if they were counterfeit or not. Do you NOT know how to do that?"
Me: "Yes, I do, but as I stated.. this is our store's policy."
AG: "Yes, and as I just stated I've worked as a cashier before and we did not do that, so obviously you chose to single us out."
Me: *has the urge to say so many evil things to her, but doesn't give in* "That's nice, here is your change sir, have a nice day."
AG: "Unbelievable."
HD: "It figures."

and they exit. Oh, I was so mad. I hate condescending people like that. Sometimes I wish I could just say whatever I want to, but unfortunately I can't.

[Imogene]

I love *note sarcasm* the people who get pissy at me when I go to check their large bills/older versions of bills/torn, faded, etc. And then, they whip out the stunner joke:
"Should be fine, just made it this morning."
M: "Really? Would you mind saying that again into *this* end of the pen, which is obviously not a recording device that I will then use to transmit the information on your counterfeiting ring to the FBI?"
Alternately,
"Yeah, now I'm definitely going to be looking hard for all the security features on this bill. You just admitted you counterfeit money to me, how should I trust that this one's real?"

On topic:
Yes, cause it's impossible to put a watermark into a faked bill. Hell, I mean, it's not like I can't just whip out a photoshop document and place a watermark in the printing nowadays, now, is it? And, if you can do a watermark, you can just as easily fake a security strip.
There are no bullet proof security features on any bills, someone has/will find a way around it, eventually. And today, when you handed me this bill, do you really think I want to be that 1 out of a hundred milliard who drew the short end of the straw?

[Pezzle]

For some reason all the polish people who shop at our store (I am not a racist mind you but it's the god's honest truth) shop with WADS OF CASH. They buy like 1600 worth of equipment in hundreds, fifties, and twenties.

Which means I have to mark it and all that. The best part is they always seem to understand.

[powerboy]

AHhhhhhh, I just realized, that a couple of days ago, I didn't mark a $100.00

[Pezzle]

AHhhhhhh, I just realized, that a couple of days ago, I didn't mark a $100.00

And I just realized I forgot to put the wad of hundreds in the drop box before I left.

crap.

[Nick]

I don't bother checking them anymore. Honestly, if it's fake, our Cash Office isn't going to know about it. All they do is take slips from the register, add them up, and put all the money into a bag and deliver it to a bank. When they count it, they don't check them either, so they are not going to know who it was.

[Cvstos]

I love *note sarcasm* the people who get pissy at me when I go to check their large bills/older versions of bills/torn, faded, etc. And then, they whip out the stunner joke:
"Should be fine, just made it this morning."
M: "Really? Would you mind saying that again into *this* end of the pen, which is obviously not a recording device that I will then use to transmit the information on your counterfeiting ring to the FBI?"
Alternately,
"Yeah, now I'm definitely going to be looking hard for all the security features on this bill. You just admitted you counterfeit money to me, how should I trust that this one's real?"

On topic:
Yes, cause it's impossible to put a watermark into a faked bill. Hell, I mean, it's not like I can't just whip out a photoshop document and place a watermark in the printing nowadays, now, is it? And, if you can do a watermark, you can just as easily fake a security strip.
There are no bullet proof security features on any bills, someone has/will find a way around it, eventually. And today, when you handed me this bill, do you really think I want to be that 1 out of a hundred milliard who drew the short end of the straw?

Actually, it's the US Treasury Dept. and the Secret Service that handle counterfeit notes, not the FBI. And as much as you don't want to mess with the FBI, you really, REALLY don't want to mess with the Secret Service.

But yeah, next time someone makes that little joke I'm going to start taking it seriously. Maybe that will help put the joke out of circulation, permanently. [/bad joke]

[Sofar]

I don't see why people aren't used to this yet. Cashiers check my bills all the time. There's a popular burger joint around here where apparently policy is to check every bill except ones against the light upon reciept, and the cashiers do quite religiously. I haven't heard anyone put up a fuss about it yet. More often I hear people put up a fuss about the restaurant's miserly distribution of catsup. (A nickel a cup, and you have to wait in line.)

[DGoddessChardonnay]

AG: *looks at her dad and they both laugh* I have worked as a cashier and we would hold up the 50's to the light to see if they were counterfeit or not. Do you NOT know how to do that?"
Me: "Yes, I do, but as I stated.. this is our store's policy."

I guess this chick once worked at "Everywhere Else" store and they did whatever over there.

Isn't it lovely when you get one of those who tell you "Where I work at/worked at, we did this . . ."

Makes me want to hand them an application seeing as they are such "experienced" help and all

[Becks]

Ahhhh, the memories of checking big bills. I almost miss doing that sometimes.


And if the customer was being an asshat, if they have me a five, I'd check that, too.

[Rahmota]

cinnamaniac is quoted as:Now in the grocery store where I work, it is policy to take 50's and 100's to the front end for them to check and mark the bills. If an unsigned bill goes into that register, you get written up.

Umm forgive me for being dense but why couldn't they give you one of those detector pens? Seems like thats just baiting the SCs not to mention innefficient by having you stop everythign walk over to the front and have them check it. Not having worked as a cashier I don't see why you couldn't check the bills yourself instead of the front desk. Or do they actually log who paid and with how much? I think I'd be a bit bothered by the way your store does thigns too. Not to say I would go off on the cashier's or anything just might politely question it and not shop there again with big bills is all.

I've paid cash for several thigns with big bills before and the clerk's have been sporadic in their checking of the bills. Also I've handed over a brand new hundred before and had the cashier make the joke about the fresh printing.

Cashier: Hey good job on this one.
me: Um thanks.

[powerboy]

I guess this chick once worked at "Everywhere Else" store and they did whatever over there.

Isn't it lovely when you get one of those who tell you "Where I work at/worked at, we did this . . ."

Makes me want to hand them an application seeing as they are such "experienced" help and all

Aww yes, the Everywhere Else Store. Where they have no policies at all.

Seriously, Customers need to understand that stores does have certain ways to do somethings. Just because it has not happened to them before that time, does not mean that the cashier is targeting just them. So far, only my owner got offended when I marked the $100 that he had. I only done that, so that we would not hand out a fake $100. It turns out, that he just came from the bank with a brand new one.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I had a customer today scrutinize the tenner I gave him in his change... all cuz I marked his twenty with a marker pen. Idiot. He was doing it purely to annoy; cuz surely anyone with a grain of sense would know that if it comes out of the till, it's been marker penned... so it's going to be real!

[cinnamaniac]

Umm forgive me for being dense but why couldn't they give you one of those detector pens? Seems like thats just baiting the SCs not to mention innefficient by having you stop everythign walk over to the front and have them check it. Not having worked as a cashier I don't see why you couldn't check the bills yourself instead of the front desk. Or do they actually log who paid and with how much? I think I'd be a bit bothered by the way your store does thigns too. Not to say I would go off on the cashier's or anything just might politely question it and not shop there again with big bills is all.

I've paid cash for several thigns with big bills before and the clerk's have been sporadic in their checking of the bills. Also I've handed over a brand new hundred before and had the cashier make the joke about the fresh printing.

Cashier: Hey good job on this one.
me: Um thanks.

Well, that's not the way they do things at our store. Not to mention the fact that the front end desk is about, let's see, 10 seconds away from the registers and the whole bill check thing takes no longer than 30 seconds. Sure, having a pen would be convenient or doing it ourselves might be, but our store just isn't run that way. Still, anyone who gets that annoyed for a 30 second or less wait has some serious issues.

edit: i re-read this and realized it sounded snarky. It really wasn't meant to be at all. It's more directed toward the customer. Your point does make sense, but like, they just don't do it and the front end is rather close. Sorry about that.

[Pagan]

Me: "Yes, I do, but as I stated.. this is our store's policy."
AG: "Yes, and as I just stated I've worked as a cashier before and we did not do that, so obviously you chose to single us out."

An-n-n-d this has what to do with our store policy?

- OR -

Well, if I don't do this, I'll get fired. Would you be willing to pay my bills?