This Company Needs To Make “Some Change”

I was laid off from my office job. I immediately started applying to other jobs and was having zero luck. I had previously worked at two different retail stores for a total of six years, so when I saw that a nearby big retailer was hiring for Sales Associates and Cashiers, I decided to apply since I had the experience, hoping they would interview me. (I did add my retail experience on my application.)

Nope, I got a rejection email explaining that they had gone with other candidates who more closely matched the skills and qualifications they were seeking.

A couple of weeks later, I was going home from an interview at another company, and I passed by this same store that had turned me down. I remembered I had received a gift card from that store months earlier and decided to use it. The gift card was for $25, and I picked out a few items, trying to keep it as close to $25 as possible.

When I went to the register to pay, my total was $25.17. I informed the cashier that the gift card was for $25. The cashier kept staring at the cash register screen as I tried to hand her a five-dollar bill to pay the difference.

Cashier: “Um, the register shows that you owe seventeen cents.”

Me: “I’m sorry, I don’t have any coins on me. Please take it out of the five.”

The cashier then stared at me like she was trying to process what I’d just said.

Cashier: “Um, I don’t know what that means.”

Me: “Please use the five dollars toward the seventeen cents I owe. Sorry, I don’t have any change.”

Cashier: “Oh.”

The cashier took my five-dollar bill, and after a few moments, she handed me my receipt and two pennies.

Cashier: “Thank you.”

I looked at the receipt. She had entered the five dollars, and my change was listed as $4.83. I showed her the receipt.

Me: *Politely* “My change should be a total of $4.83, not two cents.”

Cashier: “Oh.”

She looked around and handed me a penny that was on the counter.

Cashier: “Here.” *Raising her voice* “Next in line?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but you still owe me $4.79.”

Cashier: “Um…”

She started looking at the floor. She bent down and picked something up.

Cashier: “Here.”

It was another penny.

Me: “Ma’am, I am afraid this is still not correct.”

Cashier: “Um, I don’t have any more change lying around.”

I was getting a little irritated at that point, so I asked for a manager. She called a manager over and then told her I wanted to do a return!

I explained to the manager that I wasn’t trying to do a return but just needed all of my change. I showed her the receipt and the change I had been given so far.

The manager looked at the cashier.

Manager: “Well, just give her the correct change.”

Cashier: “Um, I gave her some of the change.”

Seeming annoyed, the manager took over. She opened the till, handed me the correct change, and apologized for the wait.

Having worked retail, I understand that it can be hectic, mistakes happen, and training is lackluster, so I tend to have patience and remain polite.

But this made me think of the rejection email and them going with other candidates whose skills and qualifications were “better” than mine. This cashier could have been new, but I am not so sure about some of these hiring managers and what actually qualifies as skills and experience in their eyes.