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PSA: if you're going to be a cashier
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Went to Burger King the other day; the total was $2.09. Handed the cashier a five dollar bill while reaching in my pocket for a quarter. When I handed the quarter to her two seconds later, she froze (she had just then entered $5 into the register). She stood there confused for a bit, then turned around to ask her manager how much 9 minus 25 was. He was busy so he just gave her a funny look (he's not so bright himself mind you). At this point (around 20 seconds have gone by since handing her the quarter) I answered her with something like "9 minus 25 is negative 16." She reacted with an "oh, that's why I didn't take math hehehehehehehe" then said "I meant what's 25 minus 9" to her manager. When he still didn't answer, she turned around to work it out herself 🙂 There was no one in line since it was ~10pm at a pretty dead location so I basically just stood there watching the whole ordeal unfold. Ah good times.
Although I find the discussion of giving extra coins so you can get back an even amount in change interesting (I do that all the time), OP's original point did not involve this at all. He / she paid with a single bill and expected mixed bills and coins for change, but the cashier put the wrong amount in the POS terminal and had to correct the problem. Cashier used the nearest calculator to re-calculate the change - so far, so good. But then cashier counts out the coins to achieve that amount of change, and gets that step wrong. Same could easily have happened without the original keyboard entry error! The final error really was not being able to put the proper coins together for a particular known amount of money.
Using POS systems to do change actually involves TWO changes in the way it is done, compared to how I first learned in the "old days". What happens now is two stages: (a) calculate the difference between what is given by the customer, and what the bill is; (b) count out that much change. Step (a) is done for you by the POS system, unless there's an entry error. But since that is the process people are used to, to recover from that error most people will duplicate the process exactly, by doing the step (a) calculation manually (or in your head) before proceeding to step (b).
The "old way" did not involve the calculation step. You start from the bill amount and count coins out of the cash drawer, adding as you go, until you get to the amount of money submitted by the customer. For example, a purchase is $3.87 and the customer submits a $5.00 bill. Speak out loud so the customer hears you and knows what you are doing. Start with "3 - 87". Pull three pennies from the drawer, saying as you go, "3 - 88 ... 89 ... 90". Then a dime: "4 dollars", then a dollar bill: "5 dollars". Hand the collection of change to customer. So you count up from the bill to the money submitted. Now, this system REALLY gets fouled up by people like me who would give you $5.12 and expect to get back a dollar bill and a quarter!
Using POS systems to do change actually involves TWO changes in the way it is done, compared to how I first learned in the "old days". What happens now is two stages: (a) calculate the difference between what is given by the customer, and what the bill is; (b) count out that much change. Step (a) is done for you by the POS system, unless there's an entry error. But since that is the process people are used to, to recover from that error most people will duplicate the process exactly, by doing the step (a) calculation manually (or in your head) before proceeding to step (b).
The "old way" did not involve the calculation step. You start from the bill amount and count coins out of the cash drawer, adding as you go, until you get to the amount of money submitted by the customer. For example, a purchase is $3.87 and the customer submits a $5.00 bill. Speak out loud so the customer hears you and knows what you are doing. Start with "3 - 87". Pull three pennies from the drawer, saying as you go, "3 - 88 ... 89 ... 90". Then a dime: "4 dollars", then a dollar bill: "5 dollars". Hand the collection of change to customer. So you count up from the bill to the money submitted. Now, this system REALLY gets fouled up by people like me who would give you $5.12 and expect to get back a dollar bill and a quarter!
Brainonska511
Lifer
QFT.
Being on a register is incredibly boring. I used to work in a grocery store for 4 years (HS + summer after 1st year of college) - you quickly tune everything out around you and just do your job like an automaton. When someone does something weird, you have to wake up from your day dreaming to actually do it.
Granted, some cashiers are genuinely stupid.
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
😕 it's 4th grade arithmetic. I have no sympathy if someone can't handle it.
If my order is $6.87, I'm going to give them a 10, then the moment they type in the 10, I'll hand them an extra 2.12 "Here, this will make it easier." In the pizza shop I worked at, if you couldn't make change in your head, you weren't hired. I still fill in sometimes when they need someone. Earlier this summer, someone did something like that to me, except there is no "type in the 10", and as they did it, they had a smirk on their face. As they handed me the additional amount, the change exchanged hands - I didn't have to put it n the drawer before I already had their change out. The smirk disappeared - "wow, that took you a while to figure out how much extra to give me to get an even $5.25 back" (or whatever it was.)
I imagine I have the same obnoxious smirk on my face as I watch cashiers struggle with the basic math. All you people who say "when will I ever need to do math" - heh heh - when you're a cashier and I'm the customer. It's just a little payback for putting up with whiny students. 😛
If my order is $6.87, I'm going to give them a 10, then the moment they type in the 10, I'll hand them an extra 2.12 "Here, this will make it easier." In the pizza shop I worked at, if you couldn't make change in your head, you weren't hired. I still fill in sometimes when they need someone. Earlier this summer, someone did something like that to me, except there is no "type in the 10", and as they did it, they had a smirk on their face. As they handed me the additional amount, the change exchanged hands - I didn't have to put it n the drawer before I already had their change out. The smirk disappeared - "wow, that took you a while to figure out how much extra to give me to get an even $5.25 back" (or whatever it was.)
I imagine I have the same obnoxious smirk on my face as I watch cashiers struggle with the basic math. All you people who say "when will I ever need to do math" - heh heh - when you're a cashier and I'm the customer. It's just a little payback for putting up with whiny students. 😛
dainthomas
Lifer
This example is much worse than the OP.
PSA: If you are going to repeatedly spend your money at places that aim to serve the lowest common denominator of society, you shouldn't be surprised when things don't go as well as you'd hoped. In fact, for any complaint you have, it's at least 50% your fault for supporting the model.
/B&M all you want, it ain't going to change until we're all willing to spend more for better service.
//I get annoyed by this as well, just saying.
/B&M all you want, it ain't going to change until we're all willing to spend more for better service.
//I get annoyed by this as well, just saying.
Im with this poster. I only did it for a few months, but there is a flow. I worked at Little Ceasars (before check cards), and there specials that rang up the same every week. You got used to it. You knew what the change would be from a $10, $20, or any common total. Someone throws you a curve, and it slows you down. There are people stacked up in the waiting room, and things are really busy. It happens. Especially when someone takes out some bills that are all wadded up. Or several people want to pay together, then you got to count a few different pills of change, add them up, subtract from the total. No its not hard, when things are very busy, it makes it worse.
All of you high and mighty people would pause too, thats a fact. Now, taking out your phone is getting carried away, Ill give you that.
Goosemaster
Lifer
THIS IS WHY THEY ARE BEING REPLACED BY ROBOTS.
zCypher
Diamond Member
I've given extra to get an even amount back many times, not only because it was better for me but also I thought they could use the change since they are constantly giving change out to people. Either way, I have never seen a strange reaction to that. They never had a problem giving me the correct change when I give them a bit extra to get an even amount back... If it did bother them though, it's not like it'd be a big deal to me, I understand the repetitiveness.
DisgruntledVirus
Lifer
When I worked at a cashier at CVS for a bit during HS and a year or so after HS, I made it a game. Basically, what I would do is watch the subtotals and try to calculate tax in my head before having the register calculate it (I did it at the same time as other stuff so the customer didn't have any slowdowns). Then, when they gave me cash I would do the math in my head to figure out their change before looking at the register just to double check my mental math was correct.
Then again I enjoy math, so it was fun to try to calculate the #'s in my head prior to looking at the registers screen to help keep myself able to do math quickly.
oogabooga
Diamond Member
Yea when I worked a register - I would be trying to figure out how to give you your change as quick as possible based on what I thought you were going to pay.
Paying something like 21.57 for a 6.57 charge would confuse me for a second. Not cause I'm an idiot (although I don't deny that) but because you're doing something that the vast majority of people don't and ringing people up and making change isn't exactly mentally stimulating activity.
MagnusTheBrewer
IN MEMORIAM
For the last fricken time, making change correctly and accurately is a skill that has very little to do with basic arithmetic. The best cashiers always count forward from the total to the amount tendered by the customer. They also have the ability to see patterns in change groupings ie. number of specific coins rather than their value. I can make quick change for a line of 200 people in 15 minutes while facing bills and making casual conversation. You NEVER use subtraction. What throws you off for a heartbeat is when the customer gives you extra money in an incorrect amount to make an even amount of change.
Change making is a skill that not everyone possesses and while most people can be taught to be competent, unless they have the skill, they will always be slow. Cashiering has nothing to do with intelligence or mathematical ability, it is a skill that not everyone has. Got it?
Change making is a skill that not everyone possesses and while most people can be taught to be competent, unless they have the skill, they will always be slow. Cashiering has nothing to do with intelligence or mathematical ability, it is a skill that not everyone has. Got it?
miketheidiot
Lifer
when i have to cashier at my job, i zone out for hours, and have no idea afterwords what i was doing.
thats said i apparently have no issues with doing basic arithmetic
miketheidiot
Lifer
improved your post
edit: and preempted it
GasX
Lifer
To all you bitches moaning about having to do some 2nd grade math, I got $5 that says you aren't asian. I have had more than my share of stupid looks when I have given someone an odd amount in order to get big bills back. Never and I mean NEVER has an asian teller blinked at the exchange.
Reminds me of a final exam I had last week. Everyone was running around paniced trying to source a calculator for the one math related problem on the test. It's fucking basic division and you are a grad student you fucking lazy asses!
Reminds me of a final exam I had last week. Everyone was running around paniced trying to source a calculator for the one math related problem on the test. It's fucking basic division and you are a grad student you fucking lazy asses!
Why does everyone seem to agree with this? Someone hands you cash, you count it up and punch that into the register. You don't have to realize they are making it so you only have to pull out a bill or 2 to make change, the register will tell you that. Oh noes the customer wants even change back lets feel sorry for the cashier having to add up monies...
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