For cryin' out loud!

[FenigDurak]

Three short stories today:

First one, a lady buys come snacks and cards and stamps from me, gets the total, and proceeds to lift her shirt to dig around in her bra for her money. I'm just grateful it's not hot enough outside for her to have been sweating heavily. And thankful for the Purell.

Second one an employee of the hospital had purchased a stone necklace from my shop back on Feb 20. She returned it 20 minutes later, and so I just cancelled the sale. Never even sent the charge to the bank (lovely feature of QuickBooks Point of Sale Pro). So it shouldn't even show on her statement. She brought in the return receipt to me today and said she had been charged. I looked up the receipt, I looked up the return receipt (despite that it was in my hand) and struggled to explain to her that we never sent the charge to the bank, and I wouldn't do anything for her until she could show me on her bank statement where she was charged. She handed me the receipt again and said "But this is my receipt. You charged me." I pointed to where it said "refund receipt" and reiterated that no, we had not charged her as I cancelled the sale since the return was ON THE SAME DAY. She didn't seem to get it.

I'm the one who had done the sale and the return on the 20th, so I remember her. The whole situation is screaming scammer to me.

Oh, and one of the other hospital staff (I think a janitor or a cafeteria worker) has started hanging around the store asking me questions about my life. I really can't have another lurker/stalker so soon!

[myswtghst]

About the bra thing: I've been known to do that, especially at the bar/parties when I was in college, as my bra was the safest place for my id/cash/lighter when I didn't carry a purse, but I never do that in stores, nor do I "dig around." I keep it up under the strap, so I can be discreet getting it out. I mean, c'mon. Ew. No one needs to see that.

As for the potential scammer, get her to show you a record of the charge (i.e. her billing statement) before you give her anything. If you know the charge was never sent, you know she's full of but it's hard to be sure if she's a scammer or just an idiot.

[FenigDurak]

Yeah, I did. I asked her to bring in a copy of her bank statement. I also called my boss to warn them about her potential return.

Add'l story. It seems we may be getting a new morning person. Again. We just got rid of S (who was nice, but got flustered by more than one customer at a time) and hired K. K is my age, and whenever I come in, she's typically sitting behind the counter doing something or other that is not job related. She had called in today, or rather had her boyfriend call in today saying she'd been in a car accident, but it was minor, and the EMTs were insisting that they take her kids to the hospital. I came in early to cover her shift (missing class I might add, though it was just an optional day, not the point though! ). The owner called around to hospitals in the area (owner used to be hospital admin) and no one had heard of K or her kids.

K finally called owner and said "no damage to the car, kids are fine, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow." -=le sigh=-

[BookstoreEscapee]

OK, number 1, just Ew. (I don't know how people keep stuff in their bra. I don't have enough room in there!) And if you have to actually LIFT your shirt...you might want to think about getting some button-downs.

I don't know how many times I had to explain how it works when we cancelled a transaction. The card gets authorized at the point of sale, but it doesn't technically go through as a charge until the computer does its thing overnight, so as long as the same cashier still has their drawer up we can cancel a transaction (we can still do it if the drawer has been switched out but that screws up the paperwork). But the customer doesn't get a receipt if we cancel the transaction. We just mark the original receipt cancelled and the register prints a slip we attach to it. I've had customers insist on getting a photocopy of that slip because they refused to believe it was cancelled. (Most people were satisfied when I showed them that the transaction numbers on the receipt and the cancel slip matched, though.) For that reason, unless it was a problem with the transaction, I'd rather just do it as a regular return. Besides, they ask for a reason and too many cancels put up red flags for corporate.

/threadjack

[coldcupofjoe]

I had a lady one time who was obviously used to keeping her money in her bra, however this time she wasn't wearing a bra and ended up flashing me.

I've never been bothered by women keeping money in their bra's though, however I do have problems when I get people who reach into their undies and pull moeny out.

[Kara]

I've never been bothered by women keeping money in their bra's though, however I do have problems when I get people who reach into their undies and pull moeny out.

Pardon the girly outburst but.... EEEEEWWW!

I've seen people keep things under the strap, which is fine, but actually in the bra? As if a stupid underwire wasn't irritating enough, but then to have change rolling around in there? I'll just stick with my trusty purse.

[FenigDurak]

I've had people hand me money from their stinky shoe, from a wet n sweaty bathing suit (I worked a water park for a while), and now cleavage. Hooray.

[Geek King]

I've had people hand me money from their stinky shoe, from a wet n sweaty bathing suit (I worked a water park for a while), and now cleavage. Hooray.

Oh gods, I worked at an amusement park in the carney-style games for a bit (I was waiting for my 18th birthday to transfer into the moneyroom), and you would not believe some of the places people would keep thier money. I still have nightmares about damp twenties.

[Gravekeeper]

About the bra thing: I've been known to do that, especially at the bar/parties when I was in college, as my bra was the safest place for my id/cash/lighter when I didn't carry a purse, but I never do that in stores, nor do I "dig around." I keep it up under the strap, so I can be discreet getting it out.

If I was a woman I'd so do that, except I'd pull out like a live Chinchilla and a grapefruit.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Being in the SCA I get that a lot with the cleavage purse.

However...the money is usually in a leather mini-pouch tucked away. That I don't mind since I know most of the people pulling out cash, but to get it from random strangers on a hot day pulling out sweat marinated money?

Ewwww!

[Boozy]

Money is filthy no matter where the customer keeps it. Even if someone pulls it out from their wallet, there's a good chance that its been in someone's bra at some point. Or worse.
With that said, there is something especially icky about getting visual proof of its nasty origins. Use your wallet. That way I can at least pretend in my head that I'm not handling something gross.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Money is filthy no matter where the customer keeps it. Even if someone pulls it out from their wallet, there's a good chance that its been in someone's bra at some point. Or worse.
With that said, there is something especially icky about getting visual proof of its nasty origins. Use your wallet. That way I can at least pretend in my head that I'm not handling something gross.

I agree. I can't stand getting damp bills from some sweaty guy in the middle of summer. It makes it hard to ignore the filth factor. Damp bills always went underneath my till so they could dry out. Ick.

[Kara]

Money is filthy no matter where the customer keeps it. Even if someone pulls it out from their wallet, there's a good chance that its been in someone's bra at some point. Or worse.
With that said, there is something especially icky about getting visual proof of its nasty origins. Use your wallet. That way I can at least pretend in my head that I'm not handling something gross.

Isn't it true that something like 90% of US paper bills in circulation has traces of cocaine on it?

[BookstoreEscapee]

Isn't it true that something like 90% of US paper bills in circulation has traces of cocaine on it?

Why, yes, yes it is: On average, 16 micrograms.
http://www.snopes.com/business/money/cocaine.asp


(If you don't feel like reading the article: Actually, according to Snopes, it's more like 80%, and most of it gets there because the powder is so fine that it is easily passed from one bill to another or to a counting machine that then gets it on even more bills. So one bill that comes into direct contact with drugs can go on to contaminate hundreds if not thousands of others.)

[Becks]

Use your wallet.

I don't like wallets. I'm not fond of carrying a purse, either. I keep my money in my back pockets.

You know, my fiance could probably smuggle some money in his bellybutton.