I broke my own rule today

[sasvermont]

I started working in a retail store just weeks ago. I have not, to date, been trained on the register or watched the dvd etc. because they have not given me the time to do so. I have had to learn it on the go, if you will. I bet bigger stores are better at this, but not the one where I work. We were discussing it today - how poorly trained everyone is right now. Example: while I was running the register today, the paper in the printer ran out and I asked the girl working we me, who has been at the store the longest (not the manager) ..... to get me more paper .... her response was "where is it kept?".... yep, go figure. I had to tell her where to find it. Good thing I knew.

I think stores are hurting right now, trying to keep good employees only, not many hours, not many luxury hours, as in training. I don't know what else to think.

The pressure put on the poorly paid clerks is unreal. I would never have guessed. The register and balancing it at day's end is another story. It is a daily nightmare for us.

As far as making change, well, some folks just never learned how to count up from the price v. what they rec'd in payment..... etc. I happened to have learned that way, but I can see now, with all the ringing in your ears, kids knocking over displays, cellphone ringing in our ears, questions being asked by passing customers and general static noise, along with the pressure to sell, be pleasant blah blah blah...and be accurate...... is horrible.....add the fact that if you are young and never have learned to count the old fashioned way, it is a total failure..... I will admit that sometimes people are a huge pain in the ass when they spend several minutes fishing around in the bottom of the wallets, purses etc. for the almighty dime, is a waste of time and does confuse the register user when you have already typed in the amount rec'd then have to rethink the amount of change. I usually wait until they (the customers) finish their fishing and refuse to take their change once I have made change. Other customers are not amused, waiting in line..... it throws everyone off kilter and it just ain't worth it. It is outdated. Many folks use debit cards or credit cards. Much more accurate....those plastic thingies...

So there you go. Times they are a changing..... exact change is wonderful, but have your change purse ready for action and alert the clerk to your needs before they enter the amount in their magical register. Remember, only a few of those clerks can count! Sad but true!

Retail, as you may know, is a tough, new age experience. I love the mom and pop stores....but they are few and far between.

By the way, the clerks at my store also do the returns, exchanges, special deals, blah blah blah. It is a never ending.... well, I have an expression for it, but it isn't something I can type here..... it is a constant mess.

[Catty1]

I find that because many cash registers these days calculate the change that is given back - when employees work in a place where that type of machine isn't around (or the system goes down), they are STUMPED.

If I ever run into that, I'll ask them to use the caculator!

[Medusa]

I almost always pay w/my "plastic thingie", the debit card, but I didn't think that a $10.16 sale would pose such a monumental problem. When the cash register said how much change to give me, aside from the fact that he didn't count it out, he still gave me the incorrect change. I was the only one in line, had my money ready and didn't have to fish for anything, even my two almighty dimes. I do know that as the holidays approach, it's going to get crazier in the stores but if BB&B or any other store chooses not to take the time to properly train its employees, they need to realize that not everyone is as nice or patient as I was. They obviously aren't keeping the good employees only, as you stated; he admitted he was new, which is why I didn't want to make him feel any more uncomfortable than he was already. New, untrained and unable to make change.

[kitten645]

Retail sucks. No doubt about it. On both sides of the counter. I'm continually asked "How much is this?" or "This doesn't have a price." only to flip the item over with a price right there, big as day. I sell alot of greeting cards and people regularly say "There's no price on this" Have you NEVER bought a card in your life? They are marked. By the manufacturer. Same on every card.
I am constantly amazed at the lack of common sense and/or math skills. My Halloween stuff is 50% off. Alll day long I get asked how much something is. I say "It's half off the marked price" "Well how much is that?" It's marked $10. That would make it $5. Duh!
By the same token, I have 10% off coupons on books. Most of my younger staff cannot for the life of them figure it out. Book is $29.95....just move the decimal. It's $2.99 off. Good golly!
Claudia

[Laura's Babies]

My pet peeve is how they hand you your change back with the coins on top and reciept on top of all of it so you have to seperate it all before you can put it in your wallet.

Us "older" folks talk all the time about how they can't make change theses days like when you give him the 20.20. They are taught not to think anymore or how to count up from the price of your purchase to the amount you give them.