For the sake of this blog, this is simply a rhetorical question. Thanks!
I am not typically one to counter-blog, but I read something here that brought some thoughts to my mind that I decided were worthy of posting.
There are many places in our society that employ minimum wage employees.
I’m thinking of the service-type jobs that require working with money.
Many of these employees are people who have not managed, for whatever reason, to amass an ample education to seek better employment. Some times, these employees are students working to make spending money. Occasionally, even senior citizens will work these type jobs just to make a little extra cash, even more to have public interaction. There are also people working these minimum wage jobs trying to get back into the work-force…and then, think about the people, in these tough economic times, simply making a buck any way they can. Bottom line, there is a myriad of people working these jobs.
Mentally, we are not all born or matured equally. Of course, there are various reasons why we can’t all become educated or have the general smarts to do the most intellectual jobs. Thank goodness, with this in mind, there are still jobs for these people to do.
Thank goodness, too, these places that hire those people aren’t out to employ the most educated, brainiest employees! Think what wages they would have to pay to hire a 4 year college graduate! Think how much your burger would cost then! I think without these minimum wage employees & the places that hire them, we’d be in a tougher state of affairs than we are already in!
I don’t know, as I’ve never worked in a fast food restaurant or chain retail establishment, but I assume each company has their own set up as far as the type of registers (computers) they use & how they ring up the product. I would suppose, in any of these settings, especially in the fast-food industry, the employee is expected to service the customer in a prompt manner….more than likely within a certain amount of minutes. That in itself is pressure….just add to it the lines they get during rush hours!
I’ll be the first to agree that many of our young people today aren’t familiar with “the old fashioned” way of doing things that many of us had to learn growing up or upon entering the working world. Even at that, some of the older people in these job settings don’t have the exact i.q. of genius.
My thoughts on all of this came to me as I considered how a person reacts when they are overcharged, undercharged or even given the incorrect amount of change when completing a transaction in such a setting.
Myself, I can distinctly recall two occasions where I was given too much change when purchasing products. Once, was at a crafts fair, the other was at a sandwich shop. At the crafts fair, the person simply gave me one bill too many for change. I returned it. At the sandwich shop, it was quite evident to me the person could not figure out how much change to give me, as she was actually counting on her fingers. I took the money she returned to me & when I counted & realized it was too much, I returned it to the manager who was standing right there. I didn’t make a to-do over it, I figured it was the manager’s situation to handle, not mine.
I can recall another situation in a drive-thru at a fast food restaurant. I ordered a sandwich, fries & drink. The amount I was asked to pay didn’t seem to be enough to cover what I’d ordered. I thought perhaps an item was missed or something and I inquired. It ended up there was a special going on that I was not aware of, hence the cheaper price for the items I ordered.
What I don’t understand in our society is how people are so willing to accept when they are given more than their due, but so quick to complain when they feel they are on the short-end of the stick. I fail to understand why one wouldn’t want to help a person make things right when the person is doing the best they can. At the least, make management aware of the problem so they can fix it. If a person failed to learn to use the register correctly or how to put an order in properly, speak up so that the problem can be corrected.
Why would we wish short-comings for the establishment when it’s a place we choose to frequent in the long run?
Again, these are my thoughts on the matter. Your mileage may vary. Thanks
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oceanlover734
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Mar 17 @ 7:50PM
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I know I have been given too much and too little back at times. Probably haven't caught a lot of them as well in my own hurry. I am often amazed at how hard people have giving correct change. Seeing how it is all done for them through the computer registers now. Maybe they really can't count money which is scary. I'm not rude but I will correct someone on it. As for when I am given too much back I to return it. I have this karma thing in my mind and sure don't want to loose many times more. So I think I'm pretty honest to answer that lol.
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summerbreeze916
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Mar 17 @ 7:59PM
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missliss......I wrote a blog similar to this quite some time ago, titled "If You Could........Would You?"
It's really disheartening when these youngsters can't seem to do the math it requires to do a job right. I have been in stores when the power has gone out, and they just can't seem to even use a calculator correctly. They are totally LOST! I believe that ONE of the biggest reasons is........they don't seem to be taught anymore how to figure out math problems on paper, like we used to have to do it.
My last job closed its doors on us, and many of us had taken advantage of a 'freebie' given us by the government to brush up on typing, math, computer skills, etc. I was in town one Saturday afternoon and went to the ATM at my bank to withdraw some cash. The bank itself was closed. When I pulled up to it, there was money hanging out of the slot! I must have looked at it hanging there with my mouth agape for several minutes. I took the money...........$80.00........and put it on the seat next to me while I withdrew what I wanted. I had class again on Monday. Right after class, I headed to my bank...with the $80.00 in hand and explained to the cashier that it was hanging out of the ATM machine on Saturday when I pulled up to it. She looked at me sooo puzzled! She then admitted that she didn't know what to do, so she went and found the bank manager. The manager called me into her office and asked me to explain it all again. After doing so, I told her that surely they must have a record of customers that had gone through the ATM. I had my slip.....with the time marked on it, so all she had to do was check those records. I could not believe it. She told me that she had never come across anything like this in all the years she's worked at that bank. People have come in to ask if anybody had turned money in that they had lost, but never this.
I felt just fine knowing that I had done the right thing..........for me.
Great write, missliss.   
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Somerled
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Mar 17 @ 8:46PM
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Then there’s the case of honesty that doesn’t pay (at least not well). Not having cash on me, my wife gave me a $20 bill to pay for movie tickets which I obtained after waiting in line from a young girl shortly before 6:00 PM. Returning the change to my wife, she immediately indicated that I had been given too much back. The reason? Our show started at 6:05 PM and we should have been charged the evening rate (from 6:00 PM on) instead of the afternoon rate. The thought occurred to us that a register check might somehow embarrass the girl. So, I dutifully waited in line to correct the matter. The girl very politely indicated that she had not made a mistake but realized that we obviously qualified for the SENIOR rate – Aaargh! I imagined that everyone behind me and in the adjacent lines had heard this. So, was it worth it? At the moment it felt like a resounding NO!! Well, maybe – once the flushed face returns to normal color. That was back when I was new to the looking-senior-hood. Doesn’t faze me now.
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Fender
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Mar 17 @ 9:57PM
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I know exactly what you are talking about...It happens to me sometime and I can't lie. I tell them the truth. I also ask when I think I'm being undercharged or overcharged...
...Nice blog.
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ttomtarr
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Mar 17 @ 10:06PM
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The checkers at the Piggly Wiggly have to check out groceries and take gasoline payments too. When I pointed out her mistake the girl said the shortage would have come out of her pay, which isn't much to begin with. She seemed grateful that I had been honest with her. It really hadn't occurred to me to do otherwise.
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hereshannon
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Mar 17 @ 10:27PM
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"I took the money she returned to me & when I counted & realized it was too much, I returned it to the manager who was standing right there."
I commend you for your honesty, in the World we are living in today it is all to uncommon. Let's just hope that the manager didn't handle the situation by terminating her employment. Perhaps you should have returned the money to the cashier, and discretely cautioned her to count more carefully in the future.
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Wolf36
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Mar 17 @ 11:01PM
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M, I had to sit back and really think about this one. You know before I have my say, I realize I'm probably opening myself up to criticism.
My reaction to the undercharge or mistake in overpayment of change, depends largely on how the person deals with me and where I'm at. I know, this is fundamentally wrong but after all, I'm being honest here. Having said that, honestly if the person acts like I'm just another boil on their buttocks to deal with, then my reaction is generally "tough shitsky bonavitsky."
Ever stop and wonder what happened to the words "thank you?". I've quit expecting anything other than a dirty look, when I do go to a fast food joint.
Although on many occasions, I have done the right thing and returned the money. If the cashier acts like I'm not alive, is playing grab ass with his/her boyfriend/girlfriend or talking with another customer when they're supposed to be counting my money, I don't feel a responsibility to do their manger's job.
Wolf
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travelwoman
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Mar 18 @ 12:34AM
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I, too, hand the too-much change back. But I would also caution to rather give it back to the person who handed it to me, descreetely. People have lost their jobs for less than that...
As for why a person cannot count right.... maybe it's his/her first day on the register? Maybe the person has a bad situation at home and her/his thoughts are not on the job? Maybe - as you said - they are not properly trained nor educated.
Whatever the reason, it would be good to remain HUMAN.
I remember that one time where I lost my temper a bit.... and I'm still ashamed of it. What did I know about the clerk in the convience store? It turned out that he was just a kid, his first week on the job, quite overwhelmed with the long Saturday lotto-and-beer-line-up. I still feel sorry for him....
At least it was a good lesson for me, and it won't happen ever again. 
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Chickapea
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Mar 18 @ 1:00AM
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I did work these jobs and I know that the registers are designed to tell them how much change to give . They put in the amount given to them and the computer does the rest. When I am given too much change I go directly to the cashier .
They work hard for their paycheck , And it is stressfull and people will never understand untill they have worked these jobs for themselves .
You have to be fast on your feet ,
Some people work very hard for their minimum wage jobs .
MY HAT GOES OFF TO THEM ------ 
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fire_fly85
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Mar 18 @ 1:10AM
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I work in my local grocery store. I have worked in grocery for the last 7 years. I have started at the bottom, and worked my way up. I love my job for the most part. I was taught how to do things very old school. (Like counting back change to the customers, I think that is totally a dying habit) I feel very fortunate that some people are honest because, I know that I have made mistakes with change. I have also watched others make the mistakes and have alerted them when they give too much change back. Sometimes the customers are embarassed because they were going to keep it. I think that it is a very hard situation either way but I think that honesty seems to be the best policy.
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doorgunner
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Mar 18 @ 2:45AM
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yes i always give it back, i read that blog to and wondered why people are like that to just keep it then bragg on a blogg about it
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Purplemix1
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Mar 18 @ 10:52AM
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Good blog for pondering Miss,,,,,I have had too much money given to me, or, ticket rang up wrong price,,,,, If it's too much money given, I try to go to the one who checked me out, and do it nice and quiet, Even if i have to wait for other customers to empty out) I myself am not perfect, as you know,lol, but i know it can be embarrassing ( and as most of us know, if we are embarrassed in front of people, we can become offensive in response..) , If the item was rang up at the wrong price, i don't go to the checkout person, i go to the service desk,,, since item are usually scanned now, it's not the checkout persons fault.........by the way Miss, can you change my $10 dollar bill for four $5 dollar bills........ 
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EternalFlame
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Mar 18 @ 10:55AM
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Great blog, Lissy 
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john49887
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Mar 18 @ 12:19PM
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Yes, there were times when I've received an extra dollar or two in change and it's always been returned.
I would hate to see someone lose a job for a 2 dollar mistake.
Besides, 2 bucks won't get me very far. 
Give me an extra million or two and I'll have to think about it!  
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Bionic_Angel
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Mar 19 @ 1:11PM
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I have this karma thing in my mind ... me too! It doesn't matter if the cashier in question is educated, uneducated, nice or nasty, honesty is simply automatic for some people ... and judging by the reaction to this blog, quite a lot!
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CHARLIgurl1
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Mar 19 @ 3:03PM
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My mother always told me I was too honest for my own good.. whatever that meant lol
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