Poor Customer Service

[dmc]

Campi would know better but I think you may be able to get a better deal if you finance it through the dealership. Those finance guys in dealerships are the highest paid employees on the lot.

Financing wasn't even on the table for me.. But i could see that...
I think they just wanted to move cars quickly..

 

[deadheadskier]

I always left $20 in change in my apron when I waited tables.

.

which wouldn't do you a darn bit of a good if your customer wants to buy a bagel and coffee with a $100 bill.

 

[dmc]

Exactly. You are dmc. Enough said. :wink:

thats the way - uh huh - uh huh - i like it - uh huh - uh huh....

 

[mondeo]

which wouldn't do you a darn bit of a good if your customer wants to buy a bagel and coffee with a $100 bill.

I think this is partially a failure to adapt to changing times...

Trying to pay a $5 bill with a $100 would be completely unthinkable to me. If not with plastic, I'd go to an ATM first and at least use a $20. Why should you expect cashiers to provide good service if you don't give them an ounce of respect?

 

[ctenidae]

which wouldn't do you a darn bit of a good if your customer wants to buy a bagel and coffee with a $100 bill.

A winner is you.

 

[SkiDork]

I think this is partially a failure to adapt to changing times...

Trying to pay a $5 bill with a $100 would be completely unthinkable to me. If not with plastic, I'd go to an ATM first and at least use a $20. Why should you expect cashiers to provide good service if you don't give them an ounce of respect?

I would pay with singles...

 

[campgottagopee]

No doubt... If it's a business that allows negotiation.

I was able to get a better deal on my car when i said I'd write a check(cash) for the price that day.

Presentation is everything ;-)....it's cool you got a good deal

Campi would know better but I think you may be able to get a better deal if you finance it through the dealership. Those finance guys in dealerships are the highest paid employees on the lot.

We don't even have "F&I Guys" in our delaership anymore---those days are gone. But the ones who still do you most likely would be correct, if they're good.

 

[bvibert]

I would pay with singles...

I didn't even see the singles on the bike at first, I was confused as to why it wasn't a single speed bike... :dunce:

 

[hammer]

Campi would know better but I think you may be able to get a better deal if you finance it through the dealership. Those finance guys in dealerships are the highest paid employees on the lot.

warning, going a bit off topic...

I financed "through the dealership" for my newest car...got the same rate that PFCU was offering at the time and the loan is through the bank I have my checking and savings account with.

I did wonder why we had some issues with dealers accepting sight drafts for car purchases.

 

[campgottagopee]

warning, going a bit off topic...

I financed "through the dealership" for my newest car...got the same rate that PFCU was offering at the time and the loan is through the bank I have my checking and savings account with.

I did wonder why we had some issues with dealers accepting sight drafts for car purchases.

If your draft was from a bank the delaership din't do biz with I would understand their concern---sometimes it can take 3 or 4 times as long for the dealer to get his $$$$. If it was a "well known" draft then it shouldn't have been an issue.

 

[hammer]

If your draft was from a bank the delaership din't do biz with I would understand their concern---sometimes it can take 3 or 4 times as long for the dealer to get his $$$$. If it was a "well known" draft then it shouldn't have been an issue.

OK...I mainly thought it was because they were trying to push financing through them. In the case of each car purchase I just told the dealer the best rate I was able to get and they were able to match it or do better so it wasn't an issue.

 

[campgottagopee]

OK...I mainly thought it was because they were trying to push financing through them. In the case of each car purchase I just told the dealer the best rate I was able to get and they were able to match it or do better so it wasn't an issue.

That still could be the case----he most likley got a "flat" of like 150 bucks or something like that just for giving the paper to whatever bank you went through. Good for you and the dealer.

 

[Hawkshot99]

WHAT are you buying with cash? :-o

I'm not buying anything. I am talking about working in retail and the people who come in and ask if they pay cash can we knock off the tax.

 

[WakeboardMom]

As a former convenience-store owner, I totally understand why she couldn't break the hundred. We trained our employees to keep a minimum amount of cash in the drawer. I would hate to lose a sale, but in the long run, it's simply not worth it.

The credit card/debit card debate is interesting. My Rotary has been running a huge fundraiser (a lot of beer is sold) for the past ten years; and last year was the first year they accepted credit cards. It was an interesting conflict that came to a head. The old-timers were firmly against taking credit cards; the younger folks who never travel without a debit card were convinced we should be taking them. It proved to be a good call to decide to accept plastic.

On a personal level, we TRY to limit our use of credit cards to emergency situations and online purchases. Occasionally there's a bit of controversy over what exactly constitutes an emergency. ; )

 

[smitty77]

What the fear factor over $100 bills anyways?

Counterfeiting is very easy to detect today thanks to the upgrading of paper money by the US government. Besides, that was never an excuse offered to me.

I guess we ask our service employees to work too hard today.

Counterfeit for one. As good as the US currency is now, I've seen some really authentic copies out there. And in a high volume coffee shop, it becomes even easier to slip one past a harried clerk. When I used to work at a local country store, any counterfeit bills or bad checks accepted could come out of the employee's pay. Not a chance I was willing to take.

As for the paltry amount - theft. Pure and simple. If it becomes common practice for every retailer to keep a minimum in the drawer at all times, those locations cease to be a target.

My wife worked the courtesy booth at a major grocery retailer and was help up at gunpoint once. The thief was good - despite the silent alarm sent to the PD, he had the manager open the safe and cleaned them out and was gone 5 minutes before they arrived. My wife said it was probably the longest 45 seconds of her life, and an experience NO ONE should have to live through.

That being said the clerk should have directed you to customer service as the first course of action.

 

[WakeboardMom]

Counterfeit for one. As good as the US currency is now, I've seen some really authentic copies out there. And in a high volume coffee shop, it becomes even easier to slip one past a harried clerk. When I used to work at a local country store, any counterfeit bills or bad checks accepted could come out of the employee's pay. Not a chance I was willing to take.

As for the paltry amount - theft. Pure and simple. If it becomes common practice for every retailer to keep a minimum in the drawer at all times, those locations cease to be a target.

My wife worked the courtesy booth at a major grocery retailer and was help up at gunpoint once. The thief was good - despite the silent alarm sent to the PD, he had the manager open the safe and cleaned them out and was gone 5 minutes before they arrived. My wife said it was probably the longest 45 seconds of her life, and an experience NO ONE should have to live through.

That being said the clerk should have directed you to customer service as the first course of action.

That's fine for the grocery store. But the bagel shop? I don't see how he has a leg to stand on with the complaint against a small place; except that the clerk could have apologized for the inconvenience. A mom-and-pop type operation shouldn't be expected to accept a $100 bill for a $5 purchase.

Also...yes, I've had an employee get held up at gunpoint. You can keep your hundred-dollar bill. Ain't nothin' worth putting someone through that.

 

[skibum9995]

WARNING - RANT

Here’s my take on this. I am a checkout supervisor and service desk clerk at a large supermarket chain. We have cash policies in place as a theft deterrent, as others have mentioned. At night, the lanes get counted and the majority of the cash is collected. When you come shopping the next day I will not take your $100 for a small purchase, using up all my change. Most people pay with debit or credit, which means it takes a while for a lane to accumulate enough cash to make proper change for big bills. Once a lane reaches a cash limit, it’s cleaned out, and the process starts over. Most of the time making change at the service desk is no problem, but the safe gets locked whenever not in use, so it might take a while.

People don’t seem to understand the service desk is not a bank. We have a limited amount of cash on hand. For $3 I will gladly cash your payroll check, but I’m going to give you whatever bills I have. You’re not getting $500 in 20s, deal with it. Our primary purpose is to sell you food, not to handle business better suited for your bank.

Customer service is a big part of our business, I deal with people all day. A lot of how I treat you is based on how you treat me. If come in an expect me to bend over backwards for you, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you have a miserable shopping experience. If you are polite and don’t yell in my face, I’ll will happily take care of you and make sure you are smiling on your way out the door. When I train someone new I tell them that no matter what you do, you are going to be yelled at regularly. You just can’t make everyone happy. 90% of the employees are making within $2/hr of minimum wage. People making that kind of money really don’t care if you take your business elsewhere, and probably want you to.

PS - Please follow the instructions when using a self checkout lane, they really are not very difficult to use.

 

[mondeo]

Out of curiosity, was the cashier the same kid that wouldn't get off your lawn?

Damn kids these days.

 

[campgottagopee]

WARNING - RANT

Here’s my take on this. I am a checkout supervisor and service desk clerk at a large supermarket chain. We have cash policies in place as a theft deterrent, as others have mentioned. At night, the lanes get counted and the majority of the cash is collected. When you come shopping the next day I will not take your $100 for a small purchase, using up all my change. Most people pay with debit or credit, which means it takes a while for a lane to accumulate enough cash to make proper change for big bills. Once a lane reaches a cash limit, it’s cleaned out, and the process starts over. Most of the time making change at the service desk is no problem, but the safe gets locked whenever not in use, so it might take a while.

People don’t seem to understand the service desk is not a bank. We have a limited amount of cash on hand. For $3 I will gladly cash your payroll check, but I’m going to give you whatever bills I have. You’re not getting $500 in 20s, deal with it. Our primary purpose is to sell you food, not to handle business better suited for your bank.

Customer service is a big part of our business, I deal with people all day. A lot of how I treat you is based on how you treat me. If come in an expect me to bend over backwards for you, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you have a miserable shopping experience. If you are polite and don’t yell in my face, I’ll will happily take care of you and make sure you are smiling on your way out the door. When I train someone new I tell them that no matter what you do, you are going to be yelled at regularly. You just can’t make everyone happy. 90% of the employees are making within $2/hr of minimum wage. People making that kind of money really don’t care if you take your business elsewhere, and probably want you to.

PS - Please follow the instructions when using a self checkout lane, they really are not very difficult to use.

This is what I was talking about earlier in this thread......Skibum please DO NOT take this the wrong way, I'm sure you are a good manager. I've been in customer service biz for A LONG TIME----one of the best things about my job is I'm a "bomb diffuser", I get more enjoyment out of "turning around" an irrate customer more than anything. The customer who is pissed USUALLY has a g/d good reason and as a manager it's our jobs to listen and help them out....no matter what our personal feeling for them are. Believe me, there are times when we need to "cut bait" and get rid of the s.o.b., but those times are very few and far between. There's an old saying that you "get more done with sugar than you do with salt", and IMO, that is soooo true.....try it, both from the customer and retailer side and I think your shopping/work experience will be much better.

 

[hammer]

This is what I was talking about earlier in this thread......Skibum please DO NOT take this the wrong way, I'm sure you are a good manager. I've been in customer service biz for A LONG TIME----one of the best things about my job is I'm a "bomb diffuser", I get more enjoyment out of "turning around" an irrate customer more than anything. The customer who is pissed USUALLY has a g/d good reason and as a manager it's our jobs to listen and help them out....no matter what our personal feeling for them are. Believe me, there are times when we need to "cut bait" and get rid of the s.o.b., but those times are very few and far between. There's an old saying that you "get more done with sugar than you do with salt", and IMO, that is soooo true.....try it, both from the customer and retailer side and I think your shopping/work experience will be much better.

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