I know how to count; I'm not a kid....

[Food Lady]

....by any means. I'm half this lady's age, but a grownup for sure. I've been handling money for 15 years, and I rarely make a mistake, which I usually realize immediately and correct it. [/background]

I came in and it was very busy, so I was cashiering at warp speed. I had a very old lady, and she wasn't mean about it, but it was sucky that she felt the need to school me. Now, as with most businesses nowadays, the computer tells you what change to give, and I guess she doesn't like that. I, however, count back in my head 99% of the time. I don't do it aloud, though, because I'm not required to and it takes too long. So I handed her the change and receipt and neglected to announce the amount (I normally do, and this was a blip for me--just going too fast.) After I wished her a good day, she asked, "This is 6?" I was thinking, "No, it's 14 and change." Then she proceeded to count it back to me. (The change made $6, then count back to the $20 she gave me.) I don't mind being questioned at all; if I make a mistake I am quick to apologize and fix right away. But I didn't need to be taught how to count so she could feel superior.

[blas]

I had a few assholes like that at the gas station.

My favorites were the dickwads who'd come in on payday, flashing around their wallet of 50s and 100s, and try to make me feel inferior because I didn't make money like that.

Of course, knowing better, some of these people I'm sure were paid "under the table", and the rest had never heard of a fricken bank account or a debit card.

I desperately wanted to make them feel inferior by saying "So, walking around with several hundreds of dollars.....if I ever take up mugging, you and your coworkers will be the first on my list!"

Obviously, I'd never do such a thing and I'd have been fired for saying that. But sometimes it was SO hard to not want to bite back and being barked at by inbred assholes who thought they "owned" you because you were behind a counter.

[RealUnimportant]

My favorites were the dickwads who'd come in on payday, flashing around their wallet of 50s and 100s, and try to make me feel inferior because I didn't make money like that.
...
I desperately wanted to make them feel inferior by saying "So, walking around with several hundreds of dollars.....if I ever take up mugging, you and your coworkers will be the first on my list!"

I get the same thoughts when the same kinda people come see me & pay a £4 bill with a £50 note... WHY?! Am I supposed to be impressed that you've had to break the largest note we have over here to pay one of the smallest charges my company makes?

Why is it always "poor" people who have hundreds or even thousands in cash in their pockets? Not even in a crappy wallet, but wrapped in a carrier bag & stuffed in ass of their jeans...

[Zellie Crescent]

It happens at the fish counter too. I've had people hold up their fingers and say their order like I'm a 2 year old. The 1 time I did decide to be a smartass it didn't work, "I want 4 pices of fish" "Here are your 4 pices of fish." "Good girl." -_-

[Jester]

...she wasn't mean about it...

But I didn't need to be taught how to count so she could feel superior.

Okay, I'm a bit confused. Was she not mean about it, or was she sucky and acting superior?

Because I am guessing that if she wasn't mean about it, she didn't do it to feel superior, only to make sure that the change was right. As you yourself said, she was a very old lady, and not knowing you, she wouldn't have known how precise you normally are.

And there is never anything wrong with checking your change if you're not sure about it. Out of habit, instilled in me by my parents and my schooling, I ALWAYS count my change, even when I am getting it from one of my regular bartenders or a friend. Always, always, always. Why? Because even if they're not out to rip you off or screw you, people can and do make mistakes.

Of course, if this lady was being a superior old coot, fuck her and her attitude.

[Gaki]

"So, walking around with several hundreds of dollars.....if I ever take up mugging, you and your coworkers will be the first on my list!"

Said something like that once. xD Guy was like, "Sorry, I just gotta get one of these out of here..." as he was picking a twenty out of a wad of hundreds.

I replied, "That's alright, I'll take all of it now. Or we can wait until you're in the parking lot in the dark. No difference to me."

I immediately started laughing so he wouldn't think I was serious and he started laughing too but I think he's gonna think twice about walking around with a wad like that every time he comes to my gas station. xD I'm not very big at all so it's hard to see me trying to mug anyone anyway. (5' 0" 100lbs twig)

[Food Lady]

Okay, I'm a bit confused. Was she not mean about it, or was she sucky and acting superior? Because I am guessing that if she wasn't mean about it, she didn't do it to feel superior, only to make sure that the change was right. As you yourself said, she was a very old lady, and not knowing you, she wouldn't have known how precise you normally are. And there is never anything wrong with checking your change if you're not sure about it. Out of habit, instilled in me by my parents and my schooling, I ALWAYS count my change, even when I am getting it from one of my regular bartenders or a friend. Always, always, always. Why? Because even if they're not out to rip you off or screw you, people can and do make mistakes. Of course, if this lady was being a superior old coot, fuck her and her attitude.

She didn't raise her voice or act angry, yet I could still tell she was "schooling" me. I can tell the difference between that and making sure change is correct. As I stated in my post, if someone thinks I may have made a mistake, they can bring it to my attention in a non-schoolmarm way and I will not be offended.

[manybellsdown]

I had a few assholes like that at the gas station.

My favorites were the dickwads who'd come in on payday, flashing around their wallet of 50s and 100s, and try to make me feel inferior because I didn't make money like that.

Of course, knowing better, some of these people I'm sure were paid "under the table", and the rest had never heard of a fricken bank account or a debit card.

My ex does this. He gets paid under the table, and he won't get a wallet because "I lose them." Invariably, he's carrying around $100 bills loose in his pocket. Even worse? That's generally all the money he has in the world. He doesn't have a bank account either. So if he's flashing $500 or so at you, that's it. That's what he's got to live on for the rest of the month. It probably feeds his (massive) ego to have it all with him in big bills.

[Slayer]

And there is never anything wrong with checking your change if you're not sure about it. Out of habit, instilled in me by my parents and my schooling, I ALWAYS count my change, even when I am getting it from one of my regular bartenders or a friend. Always, always, always. Why? Because even if they're not out to rip you off or screw you, people can and do make mistakes.

I don't mind when people count their change when it's a lot (like 40 dollars given for a 23 dollar bill), but I *hate* it when people count their change in front of me coin by coin and don't move away from the counter. It's gotten to the point where I just say 'your change was (ex.) $2.58 m'am/sir' with a 'move now' look on my face as they're counting. It took me a while to not feel insulted when people did that.

Whenever I get change from buying something, I've already rounded off what I've given and what I should get in my head. I'll glance at my hand and if all the major components are there, in my wallet it goes. I do not count coin by coin.

[MoonCat]

I've seen people like this plenty of times. They are the ones who believe the world has gone to hell in a handbasket and "there is no good service anymore," and they insist on trying to prove it by pointing out in detail what you did "wrong." Basically, they want things to be the way they were in the 1920's.

[x_ugh_x]

i cant stand when people do that..or they'll be like let me give you the 25 cents so i'll get 15 dollars even back..uhh hello the machine adds everything up for me i dont need u teaching me how to count.

[Jester]

I don't mind when people count their change when it's a lot (like 40 dollars given for a 23 dollar bill), but I *hate* it when people count their change in front of me coin by coin and don't move away from the counter.

I always count my change, whether it's $98.56 or $2.78. Of course, I can count it by glancing at the bills and coins very quickly (2-7 seconds or so), and it helps that I already know what the change should be before they tell me, either from reading the computer monitor or because I do math really fast in my head.

But I understand about not moving away from the counter, because if the change is wrong (which does happen), I would rather deal with it right then, right after it's just happened, when it is the most recent memory in the other person's mind, and when it is easiest to point out the error, rather than having to wait for them to wait on the next person or persons before I get back to tell them the change is wrong. No, I don't think someone should take a long time counting their change, but I would rather have them take a bit extra time and count it and make sure it is right (as it almost always is) than for them to wait and make it seem like a scam when it's not, and when I still have everything fresh in my memory. ("No, sir, you could not have given me 2 twenties, as I only have one in my drawer.")

[Food Lady]

I've seen people like this plenty of times. They are the ones who believe the world has gone to hell in a handbasket and "there is no good service anymore," and they insist on trying to prove it by pointing out in detail what you did "wrong." Basically, they want things to be the way they were in the 1920's.

Exactly my point. You get me, Mooncat.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I've seen people like this plenty of times. They are the ones who believe the world has gone to hell in a handbasket and "there is no good service anymore," and they insist on trying to prove it by pointing out in detail what you did "wrong." Basically, they want things to be the way they were in the 1920's.

So... they want it to be like it was right before the stock markets crashed, then.