The Pen Experiment

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Running the register at Kinko's, I was always cleaning up the constantly renewing mess that formed on the counter. So I decided to conduct a little experiment to see how many people exhibited certain unconscious behaviors.

I had a cup with pens in it near the register for people to use to fill out credit or account slips and whatnot. I decided to not round up the scattered pens and return them to the cup like I normally do, but let them pile up and see what happened.

The largest group of people took a pen out of the cup, used it, then left it on the counter instead of returning it to the cup. The fact that the counter had a dozen pens scattered on it didn't deter them. They would take from the cup, even if there was only one left in there and 20 lying on the counter.

A smaller group of people took a pen from the counter, used it, and then left it where they found it.

A few people asked if they could have the pen. (sure, they were cheap stick pens with our logo on them. Take a few, nobody minds. )

The smallest group of all, say maybe under 5 per day total, would use the pen, re-cap it, and return it to the cup. This group tended to be easier to work with in general.

Interesting, I thought, that the vast majority of people preferred a fresh pen, but it never occured to them to lift a finger to clean up after themselves, even if doing so cost them absolutely no extra effort i.e. it took the same amount of effort to put the pen on the counter as it did to put it in the cup.

Okay, okay, so this is what you call being bored out of your skull at work. But I thought it was an interesting people experiment.

[Depot Denizen]

Well, it provided some nice statistical data for you, and a good story for us.

[Greenday]

For video renting, we have a log book in which we write down the movie number, the customers number, our initials so we know who rented it out, and the customers signiture. I always do the signiture last. Every time I take a pen out of the cup, the customer always leaves it on the counter.

[Brighid45]

It's the 85/15 principle in action. When working with people or the public in general, you can count on 85% of them to be at the very least, lazy and unwilling to contribute. Most days I'd say the numbers tend more toward 95/5, but that's just my inner clerk talking. She tends to be rather cynical for some odd reason.

The ones who cap the pen and replace it are usually the ones who think past the moment at hand, and also think of others. They are a rare breed!

[Broomjockey]

The ones who cap the pen and replace it are usually the ones who think past the moment at hand, and also think of others. They are a rare breed!

No, they're the ones who have to clean up after others at work!

[Becks]

Nobody took the pens home with them without asking first? If that's the case, a teeny bit of faith in humanity has returned.

[chainedbarista]

yay; i usually put the pens back after i use them or hand them back to the cashier (when my brain doesn't break, that is ).

i notice this too; if you don't remind them, they'll take your pen. if you provide a place to put it, it doesn't get used.

ironically, things not intended for a certain use are used: grounds bucket for the trash, floor/tables/counters/condiment bar/sink/patio for the trash. people even sit their damned cigarettes on the window sills.

amazing how the 'putting things in their proper place' concept escapes most people, isn't it?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

No, I don't think anyone helped themselves without asking, at least not on purpose. A few almost walked off with the pen without asking and then stopped themselves with an "oops, that's your pen." Upon which I simply smiled and offered it to them to keep.

I almost forgot...the last post reminded me. Just under the top two groups came the people who removed a pen from the cup, used it, and then attempted to hand it to me, even though I had both hands full bagging or boxing up their order. I would deliberately pretend not to see that they were trying to hand it to me, just to see what they would then do or how long they would keep offering it. Most of them would offer it for pretty long, then lay it on the counter in the mess. Of course, none of these returned the pen to the cup.

[thelong1]

Did anyone pick up all the pens and put them in the cup? I probably would have, if they were clearly out of place. I'm the type of OCD person who will do just that or like if there were a stack of flyers on the counter I would straighten them up.

[pbmods]

Did anyone pick up all the pens and put them in the cup? I probably would have, if they were clearly out of place. I'm the type of OCD person who will do just that or like if there were a stack of flyers on the counter I would straighten them up.

lol I'm so "bad" about that. When I'm at another store, I will often clean up the counter, face a couple of the counter displays, etc. while I'm waiting for the cashier to finish ringing me up.

I mean, it's not like I've got anything better to do.

[batmoody]

lol I'm so "bad" about that. When I'm at another store, I will often clean up the counter, face a couple of the counter displays, etc. while I'm waiting for the cashier to finish ringing me up.

I mean, it's not like I've got anything better to do.

Haahhahha! I totally know what you guys mean. If I grab something off a shelf that is all faced and pretty looking, I face it back over. I hate that "hole".

[AFpheonix]

My husband was with me when I went to Nerdies Rack for some funeral clothes. He was looking at wallets and realized to his horror that he was facing them as he was putting them back away

[Jester]

That is how I almost always know that I am waiting on people who work in the restaurant industry: they clean up after themselves. When I come to bus their table, their stuff is NEATLY stacked ready to go, almost obsessively. And yes, I do it too when I am eating out.