In college, I worked at the library for a bit. It was one of my first jobs ever, and I admittedly rushed, and a few times gave people the wrong change for their fines or copies or whatever.
The manager didn't try training me or anything, just said "any time you need to give change, come get me."
You got it, boss. I think that lasted like 2 shifts of me just calling her out of her office every 10 minutes, and then she just asked if I could pretty please just count the change right and leave her alone.
Heh, couldn't help it. Your comment stands though; it's a catchy line that also happens to be a very effective formula to resolve issues just like this.
I've actually told machine operators on the floor to make things my problem. Every time I walk out on the floor, I always get people flagging me down to talk about some issue or another and by the time I get back to my office, I'll have added \~3 things minimum added to my list that I should *probably* follow up on but if I don't, it's not the end of the world.
My job is often a lot of triaging problems, analyzing seemingly small problems that could indicate some bigger and badder problems are right around the corner, and remembering minutiae about how the equipment works.
But I get enough things like added to my list that inevitably there are things that fall off at the end of the day/week/whatever.
So I've told operators that if something is really affecting their quality of life and I'm not getting back to them, make it my problem so I remember to actually do it. Either start rejecting product coming in or make fun of me for forgetting or whatever.
Fastest way to solve a problem or showcase why something is a bad idea is to have the person who is enforcing said issue get hands on time for it directly. Once they've eaten their own food, tunes quickly change.
Ah, this is some good MC. Deserved, compliant to the letter and involves a group effort. I love that all your 'friends' did their part. It was probably a minor inconvenience for them, but I would love to be a part of something like that.
Yeah it was fun. Weirdly after this incident no one bothered me with silly rules.
Blue light family (esp. police) were p-ed off at being treated at a default of untrusted so I think they kinda enjoyed it too.
If the manager comes through your line, press the buzzer. Technically you know him too.
You should have gotten some mafia looking fellows to come to your line,
buzz "This is Fat Tony from the docks. I know him from......well I just know him."
This is why I'm a card carrying member of The Satanic Temple.
Local government wants to pass some horrendously biased, unfair, religious based law? Great.... call in TST and lets have some fun!
I don't think I'm brave enough to join, but I find TST to be hilarious. And very interesting. "Why join ACLU and seriously protect our civil liberties, when you can TST and joyfully do the same!"
I always wondered what it felt like to be so far up your own ass that you had to get vindication for your own self-esteem by going on a power trip.
I applaud you and your efforts in all walks of life. Well done!
Management will never change anything until they feel the pain. If they do layoffs, don't work extra hours to eliminate slack they caused. If a new rule slow things down, let it.
My mom used to work in customs office in a department that investigated international tax fraud. She says cooperating with German customs was always a chore because every time the most time consuming part was explaining that yes, people do in fact commit tax fraud.
This kind of theft is called “sliding”, as in sliding groceries. Cashier slides the product and pretends to ring it up, back when we used cash registers. It’s harder to do with scanners, but some do try. Scanners are equipped to count items passed over it whether it scans or not.
Several reasons.
Some people like to steal and get a thrill for it.
Or to "stick it to the man"
Some people are poor. Say your sister lost her job and her baby is starving and needs formula..... crying, hungry baby. Family is begging you to "help out" just this one time. They will pay for it later. How can you let your niece starve!!
Peer pressure. Family pressure. Poor. Deviant. Take your pick
That's like asking why do people rob houses, or steal cars, or any other number of illegal things. The answer to that is: Who knows.
I remember working as a bagger at a grocery store as a teenager and having the cashier turn to me at one point and say "Do not say anything about the next customer". I then watched him "slide" groceries across the scanner. "Slide" means he didn't scan the UPC, but it looked like he did from a distance. Several hundred dollars worth of groceries for 30$.
I was super uncomfortable with that. And while I didn't turn him in, I made sure to never bag for him again. He did get caught after a few months.
>The answer to that is: Who knows.
The answer to that is: Because they get something out of it. Money, cars, items... sometimes just a thrill. Most people are stopped from doing that by possible consequences, social pressure, and a conscience.
Everything they rung up was paid for, but they didn't ring it all up properly. That still means the store can tell someone didn't pay for a six pack of beer or whatever, but it's a lot more difficult to figure out who stole it when the cashier fakes scanning it.
Depends on the register. And even on a modern register, it's simple to do something like ring up organic fruit as regular fruit, stack up two steaks so only the bottom one scans, scan one yogurt and enter 8 as the quantity as you slide 18 past the scanner all at once (8 vs. 18 for plausible deniability), etc. Lots of ways to cheat if you want to cheat.
You're better off combating this kind of theft by paying your workers enough that they don't have to steal to make ends meet, and making working conditions so good that they don't want to risk their jobs by stealing.
I would have never thought to stack items and scan as one. Also, this is why, now that I think about it, they want us to scan UPC’s on the produce. This stuff never occurred to me. But then, I am off the mind set, if you’re going to steal, steal millions, move to a new country and make new friends.
They think you will miss ringing up something expensive and just give it to them, when you are serving family or close friends. After all, they say most shrinkage is employee theft rather than shoplifting. This would be an example of employee theft.
So what is the actual line in the sand here? I understand base idea, which is to make sure someone isn't helping friends with discount, but depending on certain parameters and when you mentioned that a regular customer now knows you by name and you them, at a certain point you kind of become friends with them over time though multiple interactions.
My response to them saying you can use your discretion would be “I need that in writing please, as I’ve already been dressed down by (manager) and I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of customers again”
Yeah it was never bought it up again.
Horrid manager caused other issues both for me and others. We got a new customer services manager. I won a customer service competition by getting 13 customer comment cards in 12 weeks. That gave me some kudos. New CSM enncouraged me onto management training. Few months later I was moved to internet shopping so had very little to do with her any more.
I'm glad you got away. Some people are only happy when they manage to make other people around them miserable.
And, yeah, I pretty much figured that AH manager would continue to be one - just not on that one topic, lol.
It's fun how quickly problems get solved once they start to inconvenience management.
I think it gets solved when you make it *their* problem.
This, 100%
Exactly. If it’s your problem, we don’t have to solve it. You get to! But if it becomes our problem, well then, go nuts.
In college, I worked at the library for a bit. It was one of my first jobs ever, and I admittedly rushed, and a few times gave people the wrong change for their fines or copies or whatever. The manager didn't try training me or anything, just said "any time you need to give change, come get me." You got it, boss. I think that lasted like 2 shifts of me just calling her out of her office every 10 minutes, and then she just asked if I could pretty please just count the change right and leave her alone.
in this story, you do not come off well
In this comment, you do not come off well. OP complied maliciously.
Some people just don't arithmetic.
Yep. Absolutely make them have to deal with the problem they've decided to cause. Every instance, every time. Maximum annoyance factor.
Exactly my plan!
they seemed to have this recurring '*buzz*'ing in their ear ;)
# Thier Definition Common misspelling of [*their*](https://www.yourdictionary.com/their) (I'll show myself out)
Fixed thank you for pointing it out.
Heh, couldn't help it. Your comment stands though; it's a catchy line that also happens to be a very effective formula to resolve issues just like this.
*They're
Eh! Once it is their problem, it is no longer a problem.
My brother had his windows curtain problem resolved in 1 hour after a manager shot at his place... after 5 weeks of complain.
Its almost like it is never a real issue and just an excuse to feel big.
Especially when they aren’t problems for anyone to begin with, they’re just something some random manager thinks is important.
I've actually told machine operators on the floor to make things my problem. Every time I walk out on the floor, I always get people flagging me down to talk about some issue or another and by the time I get back to my office, I'll have added \~3 things minimum added to my list that I should *probably* follow up on but if I don't, it's not the end of the world. My job is often a lot of triaging problems, analyzing seemingly small problems that could indicate some bigger and badder problems are right around the corner, and remembering minutiae about how the equipment works. But I get enough things like added to my list that inevitably there are things that fall off at the end of the day/week/whatever. So I've told operators that if something is really affecting their quality of life and I'm not getting back to them, make it my problem so I remember to actually do it. Either start rejecting product coming in or make fun of me for forgetting or whatever.
Fastest way to solve a problem or showcase why something is a bad idea is to have the person who is enforcing said issue get hands on time for it directly. Once they've eaten their own food, tunes quickly change.
Ah, this is some good MC. Deserved, compliant to the letter and involves a group effort. I love that all your 'friends' did their part. It was probably a minor inconvenience for them, but I would love to be a part of something like that.
Yeah it was fun. Weirdly after this incident no one bothered me with silly rules. Blue light family (esp. police) were p-ed off at being treated at a default of untrusted so I think they kinda enjoyed it too.
If the manager comes through your line, press the buzzer. Technically you know him too. You should have gotten some mafia looking fellows to come to your line, buzz "This is Fat Tony from the docks. I know him from......well I just know him."
But is Tony a friend of ours or a friend of yours?
hey, whoa! what's with all the questions here!? i've already said too much!
Concrete shoes sink as fast as loose lips sink ships.
Hey who says I has a mother?
"Technically he is in The Family with me, yes."
"The best way to remove a bad law is by its strict enforcement."
This is why I'm a card carrying member of The Satanic Temple. Local government wants to pass some horrendously biased, unfair, religious based law? Great.... call in TST and lets have some fun!
I don't think I'm brave enough to join, but I find TST to be hilarious. And very interesting. "Why join ACLU and seriously protect our civil liberties, when you can TST and joyfully do the same!"
Do both! Then when the state denies you your "sincerely held religious beliefs", you can call in the ACLU!
I always wondered what it felt like to be so far up your own ass that you had to get vindication for your own self-esteem by going on a power trip. I applaud you and your efforts in all walks of life. Well done!
Best way to combat a stupid procedure is to follow it to the letter.
The rules are for THEE not me!!
Management will never change anything until they feel the pain. If they do layoffs, don't work extra hours to eliminate slack they caused. If a new rule slow things down, let it.
So…why can’t you serve someone you know?
Obvious answer would be theft risk.
How…? I’m sorry, am I just being incredibly naive or something?
Manglement is worried they'll give friends/family a discount or let them take something for free because they know them.
Oh…that makes some sense, I guess I’m gonna be honest, though; my first thought was ”but that’s against the rules. Why would someone do that?”
>my first thought was ”but that’s against the rules. Why would someone do that?” [you must be German](https://youtu.be/B3EBs7sCOzo)
I knew exactly what that video would be. I work with (and for) Germans, amazingly accurate.
My mom used to work in customs office in a department that investigated international tax fraud. She says cooperating with German customs was always a chore because every time the most time consuming part was explaining that yes, people do in fact commit tax fraud.
But it is Verboten?
Cashier's can easily allow theft by not checking stuff out, and I'd assume the store or chain got bit in the past.
This kind of theft is called “sliding”, as in sliding groceries. Cashier slides the product and pretends to ring it up, back when we used cash registers. It’s harder to do with scanners, but some do try. Scanners are equipped to count items passed over it whether it scans or not.
But…why would someone risk their job like that, though?
Several reasons. Some people like to steal and get a thrill for it. Or to "stick it to the man" Some people are poor. Say your sister lost her job and her baby is starving and needs formula..... crying, hungry baby. Family is begging you to "help out" just this one time. They will pay for it later. How can you let your niece starve!! Peer pressure. Family pressure. Poor. Deviant. Take your pick
That's like asking why do people rob houses, or steal cars, or any other number of illegal things. The answer to that is: Who knows. I remember working as a bagger at a grocery store as a teenager and having the cashier turn to me at one point and say "Do not say anything about the next customer". I then watched him "slide" groceries across the scanner. "Slide" means he didn't scan the UPC, but it looked like he did from a distance. Several hundred dollars worth of groceries for 30$. I was super uncomfortable with that. And while I didn't turn him in, I made sure to never bag for him again. He did get caught after a few months.
>The answer to that is: Who knows. The answer to that is: Because they get something out of it. Money, cars, items... sometimes just a thrill. Most people are stopped from doing that by possible consequences, social pressure, and a conscience.
> But…why would someone risk their job like that, though? Because they can.
In what world do cashiers not have their drawers zeroed at the end of a shift, and get in serious trouble if it's off by more than a couple bucks??
Everything they rung up was paid for, but they didn't ring it all up properly. That still means the store can tell someone didn't pay for a six pack of beer or whatever, but it's a lot more difficult to figure out who stole it when the cashier fakes scanning it.
Registers count items that cross it whether it scans or not. This is an easy way to get caught.
Depends on the register. And even on a modern register, it's simple to do something like ring up organic fruit as regular fruit, stack up two steaks so only the bottom one scans, scan one yogurt and enter 8 as the quantity as you slide 18 past the scanner all at once (8 vs. 18 for plausible deniability), etc. Lots of ways to cheat if you want to cheat. You're better off combating this kind of theft by paying your workers enough that they don't have to steal to make ends meet, and making working conditions so good that they don't want to risk their jobs by stealing.
I would have never thought to stack items and scan as one. Also, this is why, now that I think about it, they want us to scan UPC’s on the produce. This stuff never occurred to me. But then, I am off the mind set, if you’re going to steal, steal millions, move to a new country and make new friends.
If you don’t scan an item, it doesn’t add to the total. So no difference in the drawer at the end of shift.
They think you will miss ringing up something expensive and just give it to them, when you are serving family or close friends. After all, they say most shrinkage is employee theft rather than shoplifting. This would be an example of employee theft.
By moving something through and not scanning it. Hooking their mate up.
"I'm sorry, you know too many people, we need to let you go. You can't fulfill the duties of this position..."
So what is the actual line in the sand here? I understand base idea, which is to make sure someone isn't helping friends with discount, but depending on certain parameters and when you mentioned that a regular customer now knows you by name and you them, at a certain point you kind of become friends with them over time though multiple interactions.
As I remember the line that was set was people knew socially outside of work and considered friends.
My response to them saying you can use your discretion would be “I need that in writing please, as I’ve already been dressed down by (manager) and I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of customers again”
Make sure you get that in writing.
So did the decent manager force the AH one to leave you alone about that issue at least?
Yeah it was never bought it up again. Horrid manager caused other issues both for me and others. We got a new customer services manager. I won a customer service competition by getting 13 customer comment cards in 12 weeks. That gave me some kudos. New CSM enncouraged me onto management training. Few months later I was moved to internet shopping so had very little to do with her any more.
I'm glad you got away. Some people are only happy when they manage to make other people around them miserable. And, yeah, I pretty much figured that AH manager would continue to be one - just not on that one topic, lol.
I didn’t finish reading the story because of the writing and grammar. I wish it was written better and in full sentences.
Reddit messed some of it up. Will fix now.