Bundles of money

[sobrique]

One of the things that really irritates me at supermarkets, is the way the cashiers like to 'bundle stuff up' after you've just paid.
You know what I mean. You've just paid by card, got some cashback and a reciept, and they collect up the receipt, card and cash all in a bundle.

It's even worse when you pay in cash, and you hand over your nectar card, your loving 20 pound beer token, and they give you back coins, a note, a reciept, and your card all in one small pile.

Would it be really so hard to give me these things separately?
I have a card folder for my cards, a wallet for notes, a pocket for coins, and I really don't care about receipts, so I tend to stuff them in the carrier bag. However it's forever frustrating to have to separate out that little pile, that the cashier has _HELPFULLY_ collected up for you. Notes and coins are in different places in the cash draw. And reciepts somewhere else entirely.

Put of course, you can't ask for them separately. After all, it's just a trivial thing, and they look at you like some kind of mental defective. After all, it's not like it actually takes long to disentangle the coins, notes, cards and receipts.
Unless like me, you have a wallet in one hand, and this little bundle in the other, you're trying to get the fiver from under the coins and the notes, and into your wallet, without taking the reciept too.

And right behind you, is a little old lady staring daggers at your back, not _quite_ voicing the thought that you're scum for being so slow fumbling with your change, and holding her up.

Does anyone else get that?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, that's one of my real pet hates. It means it takes about thrice as long to sort your wallet out and get clear of the til.

My other shopping-related bette noir is when I say to the shop assistant, "I've got a bag, thanks" and they reply, "are you sure?" Yes, I'm bloody sure! Do you think I might be halucinating it?!

[notdan.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that was from me.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

No, I get that too, but when I was on the other side of the counter I used to bundle the money up just the same, because you've got one hand on the cash register getting this money out and the other one separately, and you just label the hand with the money in as "give this to the customer hand". It's the quickest and safest way of making sure you give them all the things they need and nothing else. If you do it any slower than like that, or often just anyway, the next customer is looking daggers at you for messing about with change and holding them up. It's just a transference of the daggers really, and when you've been sitting there long enough they all merge into one pair of eyes and hands anyway so they may as well look daggers at one another so long as you're getting them out of the queue at the front as fast as they're adding themselves onto the back, otherwise your shop gets full of angry people and they all shout at you.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Oh I used to do the cashier thing in Safeway, prior to going to Uni. I know there's a lot of blurring involved, but I also found it's actually not all that hard to have fun doing it if you're actually a little more alert.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was very alert, they sent me to the front of the shop at lunchtime because I could serve a customer in 10 seconds, and clear a long queue in about a minute. My favourites were the grandparents buying a huge baby toy with their saved up advantage points from years and years, they looked so proud!

[elrohana.livejournal.com]

Erm...don't think it happens to me. But then I am very patient with anyone in retail as its not their fault - they have to follow the company rules, even if they think they're stupid. And as for little old ladies looking daggers....if I ever get evils, I just stare back right in their eyes. Never had anyone hold my gaze more than a couple of seconds before backing down.

[huwjones.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind if they held out the note between two fingers, or put it on top of the coins.
Basically, coins at the last thing to go into the wallet, in mine because you fold it back up and work a zip, but most of the time it seems at least sensible to go notes, cards, coins.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

At least they give you money to your hand, unlike some places in Europe/Far East which drop it in a small tray for you to pick up thus avoiding any contact whatsoever. This of course takes a lot longer to pick the small coins from a bowl below.

[kalkyrie.livejournal.com]

If they do that, then make sure to take your time picking the coins up.
For bonus points, scrabble with your fingernails, making clear that you are having difficulty picking up a 3mm thick coin from a completely flat surface. Muttering under your breath helps as well.

If they are pratting around like that, let them reap the whirlwind of the manager wondering why their (and only their) queue has ground to a halt.

[purp1e-magic.livejournal.com]

Never noticed the evil daggers thing. Being the one fumbling with my change, I tend to get smiles and nods, like "yeah, that happens to me, too". Ocassionally you get banter or a chat with other people in the queue. Having worked behind the counter in Woolworths, I usually felt people were polite and understanding, even when they had to wait in a very long queue. Infact, especially when they had to. The only exception to this was when you had long queues on scalding hot days, and ice creams and chocolate were melting.

[the-wood-gnome.livejournal.com]

I try to use the self service tills at tesco, they spit out all the components in different places.

not so good for getting cashback, but I rarely do that anyway.

[csi-ellie.livejournal.com]

Take your time, everyone fumbles with their mixed coinage and therefore you should take the opportunity to punish the till monkey by holding up the queue for as long as possible while you put your change away. I also recommend putting your wallet away once you have got the card/ note(s) out so you can take even longer holding up the queue getting it out again (from a slightly too small pocket).This is the game we play, it is fun!