Stupid Scammers (semi long)

[NightmareishRain]

HAH! I finally figured out how to use this website. well, Hello all, I'm Niko and this will be my first time posting a rant about one of my many "joyous" adventures/encounters at my place of employment. I am a cashier at "insert name of grocery store here" and I tend to enjoy it. For some reason.

First story ever!

SC: Sucky Customer (duh...)

N: is me. Niko.

Well I have delt with scam artists before in my time, but this one really surprised me about the idiocy of some of them.

It was around 9 am, when our customer service laddies Paddie and Pat had just come in and I was running register since 6:30am. The flow of customers was slow, but it was steady.

Then I am approached by this big burly man at my register. He looks a bit dirty, wearing a horrid blue parka and fiflthy jeans. He looks to be around 50 years old.

I automatically dont like the unpleasant look on his face, but I smile and greet him.

N: Good morning, how may I help you?

SC: I need Marlboro Lights 100's.

He just demands them, his voice is unpleasant and angry, like I'm beneath him for being a cashier, it's rediculous. I just keep smiling and take the keys from the drawer of my register.

N: How many packs?

SC: One.

I nod and griping the keys walk around my register and the thirty some odd feet it is to the ciggarette case against the wall. After unlocking it I must search for the desired item. Being as non-smoker, I always have a difficult time finding the different brands of cigs.

Suddenly he appears behind me and I jump a foot in the air.

SC: What's taking so long? They're right there!

He is standing way too close and I'm trying to not turn around and punch him in the face. He smells like dog crap.

N: Sorry sir... I just saw them..

SC: Well you better get them!

He turns around and goes back to my register. I lock up the case and make my way over. Type my password into the computer and scan the cigarettes.

N: What is your date of birth please?

I am required to input anyone's birthday for tobacco and alcoholic products, seeing as the computer records them and if I just insert a random birthday and use the same one too many times, I will get in trouble... again.

SC: Why does it matter?

N: It's a formality sir.

I twitch. A gentleman behind SC is calmly piling his groceries onto the belt so he can be rung out, he looks at us when SC asks this question. He looks nervouse. Another woman brings her red basket up and waits behind the gentleman.

SC grumbles his birthday to me and I type it in. He then tosses his store points card at me(it gives sales and allows you to write checks.) It lands on my scanner. Then a pack of gum. I scan that too. getting more annoyed.

N: Will that be all sir?

I have to grit my teeth, he keeps making me more nervous. I feel an urge to call my manager up.

SC: Yes.

N: That's $7.03 please.

He thrusts a wrinkles ten dollar bill at me and I subtotal to order, type $10.00 and press cash. A moment later the till opens and I place the 10 in and then take his change of $2.97 out and close the drawer then take his receipt and bagged merchandise and hand it to him.

He looks at his change and yells out.

SC: I GAVE YOU A TWENTY!

I freeze, shaking a bit, his voice scared the shit out of me.

N: Excuse me?

SC: I gave you a twenty! I only got this back.

N: N-no, you gave me a ten sir.

I open my till and pull out the wrinkled ten, showing it to him, he moves to grab it and I put it back. I'm confused and nervous, I almost never mess up orders or change. If I do, I catch it before they do, and correct it.

N: see, you payed me with this.

SC: NO! I gave you a twenty.

I look to the other customers confused. I was scared I was going to get in trouble for some reason. they frown and look to their own things.

N: I- I'd better call my manager.

So I flash my register light and SC is getting angrier by the second and then no one comes so I grab the mic that is only by my register and ask for the manager to come to the front end for customer assitance.

Our Grocery manger looks up from way on the other side of the store and yells

GC: WHAT? What do you need?

(I love that man, he's just awsome.)

N: I need help please!

He comes over and looks at the man, he is confused.

SC: I GAVE HER A TWENTY! SHE'S CHEATING ME OUT OF MY MONEY!

I shake my head.

N: No he gave me a ten, I swear!

GC: Ok, well, we'll need to reset the computer and count the till down to check.

SC: Just give me my money I need to get going!

GC: We cant do that Sir.

I call for Paddie, who peaks around the customer service desk and looks at me weird.

Paddie: Yes?

N: I need a till change, to see if I shorted this man.

She doesnt reply just goes into the back room to get the back up till.

SC: What's all this? I have to go! I'm in a hurry.

GC: Please just wait sir, it wont take too long.

SC: I'm in a hurry.

N: Um, excuse me.

I say to the other customers.

N: We'll help you on another register while we sort this out.

SC glares at them and then me. They pack their groceries and scurry away to a different register.

He grows to be more and more annoyed and I back away from my register and stand beside my manger. He glares at us.

Paddie comes over and begins to do her work, protecting the spare till carefully.

SC: I heard things like this. Stores scamming thier customers out of their money.

Paddie: Oh no sir. Not us. It wont take two minutes to check the till.

I love Paddie, her reply is cool and smart. She isn't taking his bullshit. She just continues doing her work, printing the sales from my register out and the used till.

SC: Come on, cant you just give me my change?

Paddie: No sir, I cant, I will be back in a moment to let you know if she messed up.

SC: But I gotta go!

My gocery manager rolls his eyes, sharing an annoyed look with me.

SC: I want my change!

N: She said it will take her two minutes sir, please be patient.

SC: I need to leave.

He begins walking away and I look at him confused. If I really messed up, wouldn't he want his money?

GC: Want to leave your number so we can call you about it?

SC: I dont have a phone.

He's nearing the exit.

GC: How about a name?

He mumbles something that sounded like Richard to us and walks out. I stand bewildered, realizing he was trying to scam me at this point.

N: Um....

My manager shrugs and I stand at my register again, wondering if I should take a customer or not.

A minute goes by and Paddie comes back out. She's smirking.

Paddie: Your till was perfect to the cent you didnt mess up.

I smile, he really was scamming me. What an idiot.

He must have left because he realized he got caught.

WOW

I hate people like that. Customers Suck. They really do.

Who tries to rob me over ten dollars? Like really? go steal some little kids milk money or beat up a cripple. Gawd.

(Dont really dont beat up cripples or small childern, I like them.)

[Whiskey]

"I gave you a 20" is the oldest trick there is. Make a habit out of saying "Out of $x.xx?" and wait for them to say "yes." It at least partially covers your butt. Of course, scammers will happen regardless.

[ZedOmega]

"I gave you a 20" is the oldest trick there is. Make a habit out of saying "Out of $x.xx?" and wait for them to say "yes." It at least partially covers your butt. Of course, scammers will happen regardless.

Beat me to it. It actually frustrates me to know that there's some people who have the audacity to try to scam $10 out of a cashier. The fact that they usually end up in a holding cell sooner or later cheers me up, though.

I don't know what the laws are up there, but I'm pretty sure it counts as a type of petty theft, doesn't it?

[Whiskey]

You really think a manager is going to do ALL THAT PAPERWORK + the "Bad Press" of prosecuting a "customer." Too much hassle for ten bucks.

[ZedOmega]

Good point.

[EricKei]

First, to !

Plenty of cookies, bacon, and brain bleach to go around, help yourself.

I always hated people trying to pull this garbage. There's a nice little trick you can do to avoid it, tho -- When taking their $$, place it crosswise on the til, not in a slot, until you give them their change. That way, you can show them exactly what they paid, and hopefully cut down on attempts like this. He was pressuring you and trying to intimidate you from the get-go.

[Marmalady]

That's what I always do when taking a note - say aloud '20' or '10' or whatever and put it crosswise under the holding tab while I make the change. Then I give them the change with their receipt, then if there's any query it's obvious straight away that I've done it right.
I know it's horrible when customers try to pull that one - you start to doubt yourself and think, just maybe I did do it wrong...

[gaspode]

[QUOTE

He mumbles something that sounded like Richard to us and walks out.

[/QUOTE]

Maybe he mumbled his real name "Dickhead"

[tollbaby]

Never let them get you flustered. That's when they try their tricks. If they're trying to confuse you, just take a step back, look at what's been done, and sort it out slowly and carefully (with management, if necessary).

I once had a quick change artist get me that way because I was a petrified fifteen year old who had never handled money before. It's when they're trying to rush you that you need to slow right down and do things so that they're clear in your head. Because when they're trying to rush you, there's a reason.

[smileyeagle1021]

Yeah, add me to the list of people who will announce the amount out loud and will also avoid putting the money in the til until after the change has been given... I keep it in plain sight of both me and the customer (though in a place they cannot easily reach and grab it) so that there is almost no way they can get away with claiming a different amount paid with.

[NightmareishRain]

YUP

Please everyone understand i've worked at this job for 3 years. I just freakout cause he looked scary. I'd never just hand money over to someone unless it was like a quarter. but seriously.... Why would ANY cashier hand over money to a customer who complained about being shorted?

[Magpie]

*offers cookies*

You did the right thing. Don't let people rush you, because then not only can you get scammed more easily, but you might make mistakes. I am also amazed at the audacity of the scammer - I thought most of them left after they realised that the cashier wasn't an easy mark, and was going to do things properly.

[chainedbarista]

it does sound like he was setting you up from the beginning; try to keep calm and ask for a countdown of your till immediately the next time it happens.

also, rather than putting it in the till right away, lay it on top, out of their reach, so they can see it and have no ability to argue.

he's a cockbite, through and through.

step in, have some cookies, the beer and bbq is off to the left.

welcome!

[Ironclad Alibi]

I had the opposite happen to me. I paid for a purchase with a ten, and was given change for a five. When I told the clerk she had made an error, and that I had given her a ten, she opened the till and saw that she had put the ten in the five slot.

[Red_Dazes]

Maybe he mumbled his real name "Dickhead"[/QUOTE]

all I could think about was "Dick on a Kite!" And it made me laugh

....will also avoid putting the money in the til until after the change has been given... I keep it in plain sight of both me and the customer (though in a place they cannot easily reach and grab it) so that there is almost no way they can get away with claiming a different amount paid with.

I had a habit with my till of always putting the money given to me on top of the pile but not under the tabs until the next purchase. I would say "Okay out of $X.xx", count the change and lay the bills over their respective tabs, and close my register. Next customer in line, I would put the previous bills into the tabs before adding theirs to my drawer. May sound like a bit much but I was never more than $0.70 off on my tills, so I think it worked quite well for me.