what’s up with that?

Feb 24, 2008

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So I was at Best Buy on Saturday, after taking Mom out for birthday dinner at Red Lobster, my sister and I took her shopping to buy presents, and one of those trips was to Best Buy to grab a couple of movies she wanted. There I am, standing in their version of the Disneyland line, with 4 tellers working.

Each of the tellers were occupied, and there was a gentleman in front of me, so I’m patiently waiting my turn. I was in no hurry, I’d had a drink, there was grilled Talapia in my tummy – life was good.

Then a teller opens up. I walk toward her, smiling, and hear – spoken so quickly I couldn’t understand her until she repeated it: checkdebitorcredit? I had to ask what in he hell she’d just said (by the way, don’t they teach teenagers in public school anymore, how to speak slowly and clearly? Why, back in my day . . .)

Anywho, when I told her I was paying with Cash – she said I coudn’t.

Seems she wasn’t prepared to handle cash, and there was only 1 of the 4 tellers there able to handle cash, so I would have to wait.

Yeah, that’s what I said. So I backed up, and she fired off the same rushed question to the man behind me, who – as it turns out – also wanted to use cash and had to wait behind me, for the ONE teller allowed to touch the green stuff. I’m trying to resist another lecture on the evils of using plastic, but I’ll be a good girl and stop now 🙂

Comments

14 responses to “what’s up with that?”

Soccer Mom

February 24, 2008

They aren’t set up to handle cash? How hard is it? Good grief. The world has gone crazy.

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tjwriter

February 25, 2008

That’s stupid. It’s a cash register for a reason. Granted, I often use my debit card because it’s essentially cash and easier for me, I can’t believe that.

You know those people who have no debt and use cash are scary, right? 😛

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SunsetMan

February 25, 2008

Cash is easy to steal. And making change or counting money is almost a lost art

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Pete Tzinski

February 25, 2008

Cash isn’t much harder to steal than a thin strip of plastic. And generally, I only worry someone’s going to steal either when I’m in East Side St. Louis.

I agree. World’s gone nuts. Plenty of room in my cave, in the hills. Who wants in? 🙂

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mymidnightmuse

February 25, 2008

Does the cave have a flushing toilet? If so, count me in!

Cash is actually harder to steal than someone’s credit card number, because of all the video cameras watching what employees are doing – and cash is counted at night. You swipe a card in one of those nasty little readers, and the victim doesn’t even know it for weeks.

This was more a question of – “I’m sorry, but there’s only one cashier here who can count without taking his shoes off, you’ll have to wait for him.”

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SunsetMan

February 25, 2008

Sorry, I was not clear. I mean cash is easer to steal by the employees from the business. The business does not care if the employees steal from the customers.

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Pete Tzinski

February 25, 2008

Ohhhh. In THAT case, Master Sunset, I’d utterly agree with you. Very good point. 🙂

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tjwriter

February 26, 2008

Somebody I worked with had a good point when I was discussing during lunch.

With cash, an employee has to be held accountable. Only one employee can use the register because if multiple employees did, it would be impossible to tell who was taking money.

Remove the cash, and anyone can log in and use that register all day. There’s no taking the till out and counting it, and someone else have to bring another in. The cards are logged by the system.

Not that I necessarily agree with it, but it does offer a logical explanation.

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mymidnightmuse

February 26, 2008

How come grocery stores can manage it? Every employee has to log on to use the register, and they’re held accountable for their register, they even take it with them when they switch out.

Why is the general rule to dumb down to the lowest common denominator? It’s very simple math, very simple accountability – that has worked for generations of businesses. Now, no one wants to be responsible, no one wants to have to HOLD anyone responsible, businesses don’t want to go to the trouble of keeping tabs – managers don’t want to worry about hiring people with brain cells, or paying attention to what they’re doing.

Remember not long ago, before everyone used plastic? Before computers logged every keystroke? Remember when retailers would take your cash, make change, and be held accountable for their till at the end of their shift?

I’m moving into that cave with Pete !

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tjwriter

February 26, 2008

Me, too. I’d love to be off in a quiet place doing outdoorsy things right about now.

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mymidnightmuse

February 26, 2008

Oh man, tell me about it! I just had to go outside to let one of the electricians into my store rooms, and it’s LOVELY out there! Man, it’s sunny and somewhere in the 50’s and just one of those days you really NEED to be outdoors. sigh.

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tjwriter

February 26, 2008

It’s blowing snow around but not sticking here. But I love winter so that part doesn’t bother me. Sitting all these hours in an office is not good for my health. I know it.

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Pete Tzinski

February 26, 2008

It’s about eight degrees outside right now. I keep getting it in my head that it’s actually warming up outside, and I should open the windows. Cabin fever, probably. I woke up this morning groggily convinced that it was about to rain (of course it’s not). I enjoy the parts of winter that entail bad storms, but it’s the long haul of gray days and bad temperature that wears on me after awhile. I’m ready for spring, please.

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Shadow Ferret

March 6, 2008

I never pay with cash. I’m like those Mastercard commercials where everyone moves along in tune until the jerk with money comes up. I can’t remember the last time I even CARRIED cash with me, much less used it to make a transaction.

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