In my lifetime, I have been in charge of hiring and firing personnel, but I always tried during the interview process to place a person suited to the position. Life has become easier for most in the retail industry - as debit/credit cards are used far more than ever before, thus eliminating the challenge of MAKING CHANGE!Today, after enjoying a birthday party for the middle grandson (turned 14 today), we stopped at Burger King on the way home. Follow close here, this is NOT complicated at all. The order came to $14.17. I gave this older woman a twenty dollar bill and 17 cents in change. She is giving me $5.97 back in change. I reiterated to her that I gave her the 17 cents, and this is the incorrect change. I get this blank stare and a jaw dropped to the counter.
Oh God, I'm going to have fun with this woman. Just a note, when she handed me the change it was all in singles - so I'm handing this money back to her and she takes just ONE dollar out of my hand and says "Thank You." Straight out of the comics, my head did the "double take", I looked at thedaughter - which garners a "don't strangle her mom!"
Now, I have to just tell her plainly - "I gave you a twenty and the correct change - you owe me $6." Stammering, she whimpers "I punched in the wrong numbers - I need ones." She then grabs a large amount of ones out of her drawer and disappears to the front of the restaurant. WTF?!?!?! She has a gazillion ones and "NEEDS" more ones??? The end result - I get five one dollar bills and 4 quarters back in change. ARGH!!!! I cruise up to the second window to get the order, and tell the girl - to please tell Kathy (the manager) that she needs to train her people HOW TO MAKE CHANGE! I get the cursory apology, and we go merrily on our way home.
I have worked with money and figures most of my life and making change has never seemed like a difficult task. My children have never had a problem in this area either. But I had a friend, an older woman, very intelligent - who admitted she could NOT make change. She said she would freeze if she had to make that computation in her head. I was truly amazed.
I guarantee that my grandchildren will know how to make change - even if it is never taught in school. Could you imagine if I had given the woman at the fast food restaurant (story above) a twenty dollar bill and a quarter? I might have been a lot richer when I pulled out of the lot.
Have to get thegrandson ready for bed - it's a school night...and thunderstorms are headed this way. I can't complain, the weather has been great for the past three days, and now it is going to cool off again. But I have my sandals on and that is where they will stay...till October or November.
Have a good one all.....Later............
