Unfiltered Story #163221

(It has been a long and stressful shift. Five of the self checkout machines keep shutting off, along with the rest of the front end registers. Of the three machines still working, one can only accept card payments, and informs you of this at the beginning of the transaction. However, many customers ignore this. A customer has just finished scanning his items and is now at the payment screen. Unfortunately, he has cash in his hand. I notice him looking frustrated that cash isn’t showing up as an option and head over to him as quickly as possible.

Me: Sir, I’m sorry, but this machine can only accept cards at this time.

(As I have just taken over the self checkouts, this is the first time I get a good look at the machine. I notice that it does not have the usual signs (that also often go ignored) informing people that it can only take cards.)

Me: Oh, I’m so sorry, it looks like the person before me didn’t put up the signs.

(I prepare to suspend his transaction so that I can finish it at my paystation, but the customer speaks up before I can tell him this)

Customer: So what do I do now? Do I have to redo this? If you don’t do something, I’m gonna just walk away.

(Although his dramatic attitude is getting on my nerves, I do my best to be polite yet firm.)

Me: *Sir,* all I have to do is suspend this and bring you over to my paystation and take your payment there. That’s it; you don’t have to rering everything, because it will give me a slip.

(As I say this, I finish the suspension and guide the customer to my paystation. I scan the slip from the machine and take his cash. Another customer approaches the machine as I do this.)

Customer: (as I am placing his money in the drawer and getting his change) Better hurry up, someone else is doing it.

(Before I have a second to respond, he repeats it twice more. I am fed up and pretty much throw politeness out the window.)

Me: I got it, sir.

(He finally leaves and I retrieve the sign I need. The woman on the machine after him was using a card, and no one else had his issue. People need to learn to read!)