tales of random incompetence

[contentlove]

This morning, at Cafe Medici, I asked the woman behind the counter how much their coffee beans cost. She named a price. I asked if that was by the pound, or in the bags out by the counter, which were 12 oz. She said that was "for the pounds in the bags". I said, "those are not pounds, they are 12 ounces." She asked quietly, "How many ounces

Comments

[scorpionis]

General lack of life skills on the part of the general populous is getting to be an almost dangerous thing. The clerk at the HEB the other day kept messing up my change *even after the computer figured it out for her*.

[skeletoncrew]

Cash registers make the brain lazy. I can count back change, but I still had to kick-start my brain on those occasions when I needed to. Never helped when those occasions involved already belligerent customers.

Incidentally, it was appalling how often I ran into customers who needed me to tell them how much 10% would be.

[moonrose]

That's my trouble - I can easily count back from your total to the amount you gave me, but at the end of the day I usually just say bugger it and let the machine tell me what amount to give back. Now.... not being able to pull that amount of change from the drawer is a different matter, and I'm pretty sure even at my deadest at work I can wrap my brain around how to make 39 cents given the pennies nickels dimes and quarters at my disposal, so I don't worry too much. Yet.

[contentlove]

That just wouldn't be cool with me when it comes to my money or someone else's. I've worked in a lot of cash based businesses. If it works for you okay...but...

[royalbananafish]

You know, that may be somewhat true. But in my experience, the longer I worked at a register the easier it was for me to figure it in my head (and work out how many combinations of coins can make 35 cents, or whatever).

[ranger_rick]

Yes, I find that as disturbing as you do.

[litch]

I am perpetually paying things "odd" increments to minimize the coins I have to carry or to get the kinds of coins I prefer (i hate nickels).

It's honestly a pleasant surprise when it doesn't even phase the person I hand the money over to, usually I just get the annoyed grunt of someone being forced to think, every once in a while I get utterly uncomprehending looks.

Of course I also like paying for things with 50s, $1 coins, or $2 bills (actually had a couple of those refused).

[contentlove]

I am perpetually paying things "odd" increments to minimize the coins I have to carry or to get the kinds of coins I prefer (i hate nickels).

That's completely common, Litch, and anyone that can't handle it would not be touching MY cash register, lemme tell you. This came up for me during the Rites one time. I gave the guy a different job immediately. I'm kind of blown away that this isn't obvious, it's just not cool if your job is cashier.

[aspasia93]

I think there may be so much focus on testing for answers these days that the kids just memorize INFO, then brain dump, without ever learning the slightest skill.

Just last week as I was traipsing to the cafeteria at the local VA hospital, I overheard one of the maintenance crew, very "18" looking, grousing to another about directions for something being metric and he had no idea how big 10cm is in inches. I wanted to just bark out "it's a shy 4-inches!!!" -- but there were more than a dozen people, right close, all going different directions, and consternated outbursts are not particularly appreciated in VA hallways.