I’m a curmudgeon…
I realized this last night, when Ted and I were talking about what means good service to us…and I said that I miss having my change counted to me. You know, your purchase cost $12.35, and the cashier counts out your change, “that was $12.35, here’s 45, 50, $13.00, $14.00, $15.00, and $5.00 makes twenty.” Gosh, those were the days. I’d settle for someone telling me that the computerized cash register said my change was $7.65, and counting that to me, rather than just saying, “Here’s your change” and dumping it in my hand.  Also, when you had time to look at your receipt and what was on it before you put your credit/debit card through for it, so you never had to get money back, you just said, “Oh, wait, that was on sale 2 for $3”, and they would say, “Oh, you’re right honey, let me fix that for you.”
Somehow I think I’m not the only one who misses good service. Like when you go to Home Depot, and the people who work there know about their specialized departments, MAYBE, but can’t help you pick something out two aisles over. That’s what keeps me going to the neighborhood Ace Hardware, even if it costs a bit more, because they sometimes know what the heck they’re talking about.
Overall, I’m almost afraid to ask for something in the stores these days, because I suspect, and usually rightfully so, that the person who is supposed to help me has only been trained to ring things up, not to KNOW the product. Ted and Maya bought me a nice perfume a couple of years ago, which was a limited release. I asked about it at Nordstrom the other day (Nordstrom, hello, they’re supposed to KNOW THEIR STUFF) and the person said, “Oh, never heard of it.” I went to Macy’s, and at least they had heard of it, though they also didn’t have any in stock. I’m telling you, the older I get, the more unwilling I am to even ask for help these days. I’m almost more interested in wandering around the aisles, hoping against hope that I’ll happen across whatever it is I’m looking for. I’m usually right, and if someone does come along, they don’t know the product.
Do I blame the youth these days? No, I blame the management. When I was young, at my first job, I wasn’t put in charge of the register until I had shown my boss I knew how to count out change. Bosses nowadays don’t take the time to train their employees properly, and therefore, the employees know squat. And really, WHO IN THE HELL is going to know EVERYTHING in a Home Depot store, unless they’ve been there 20+ years, which again, not so much these days.
17 Comments
Ml
I’m right there on you with this. I would also like to have my change counted out instead of just a bunch of bills, change and receipt shoved into my hand like a big blog. Then the change all falls out on the ground…grrr. I usually make them pick the change up.
We went to sporting goods store the other day and Gus asked the sales person about a shoe they carry. All we got was attitude and “ah dunno.” I was halfway out the door by the time he got to “ah dun…”
sognatrice
It’s so funny that you bring this up because just yesterday I took note that the 17-year-old kid at the local, family-run grocery store counted out my change like that–and I actually thought, “Wow! That’s some service!” Not everyone does it here, but it’s definitely more frequent than I remember it being in the States even four years ago.
Shelliza
I don’t think Customer Service still exisits. People are just there for the sake of being there, getting the job done, and for making a living. What I can’t stand, though, is whenever I ask for assistance and get an attitude. But like you, I tend to frequent places where the service is good and the people are somewhat knowledgeable.
Py Korry
Like I was telling you last night, that whole “counting change” thing just confounds me ’cause I’m horrible at math. 😉 But as far as customer service goes, I’m with you on the lack of it in most stores — esp. Home Depot!
Autumn's Mom
I never give anyone a chance to count change to me, as I never have any 😉 But my biggest pet peeve is just the plain rudeness you’ll find in a store. Gee, I’m so sorry to be bothering you while you are WORKING…
Beenzzz
The older I get the more bitchy I become with poor service!!!!
J
AM, you’re right…with the ATM cards being used everywhere, it’s not that often that anyone needs to count change anymore. I had a girl at Nob Hill who COULDN’T do it. She was so flustered trying to figure out how much money to give me. I told her how much, and what coins to use, and she was STILL confused. Sigh.
I hate how much they make the checkout clerks multitask now, too…say I want to ask the grocery clerk for some stamps, but she’s busy giving the keys for an override to a coworker, answering the phone, replying that yes, she will go on break soon, etc. Hard to get a word in edgewise sometimes. And yes, sometimes they’re too busy having a conversation between themselves to notice that I would like some eye contact and maybe something more than my receipt handed to me at the end.
ally bean
I gave up on the idea of good service a long time ago. When it happens I’m tickled pink, but I have no expectations regarding anyone helping me in a store. Pity things are like this.
Maya's Granny
All of this is not helped by the large stores, like Circuit City, that decide to save money by firing all of their experienced help and hiring new, clueless staff. If your reward for doing a good job and learning the products is to be fired and replaced with lower skilled and therefore lower paid people, it isn’t very encouraging. And, even if it were, once they fire those folks, what’s left are the new guys.
Chris
I had to laugh at the “when I was young” comment because you still do look young. Frequent lurker here and now posting a comment. Love your blog, it gets me thinking.
Gina
I am so with you. I am a total curmudgeon. Or maybe just a bitch. Either way, it still means I’m grumpy a lot.
Cherry
I always feel bad if I change how much money I’m giving the cashier after they have already plugged it into the register. But at the same time I’m always amused to see if they can figure it out. Amazingly, many do.
You should check out OSH instead of ACE. I don’t know if it is any closer to you, but they are GREAT! I also like to go to ACE instead of Home Deport, unless it is a little later in the day because ACE closes early.
Lalunas
Yeah I know what you mean jelly bean. Hey I know Target’s lay out like the back of my hand.
Jimmy
Great post! I’ve never seen such a pretty curmudgeon though? I thought only us guys could be curmudgeons, but I gotta love a woman who prefers to carry that badge!
I found this cool definition of a curmudgeon and it fits you much better than it does me, cause I can’t match you in the wit department!LOL
titled: What is a Curmudgeon anyway?
A curmudgeon’s reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They’re neither warped nor evil at heart. They don’t hate mankind, just mankind’s absurdities. They’re just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a servicable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can’t compromise their standards and can’t manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor.
– JON WINOKUR
Literary Feline
I could go on and on about this topic! I too am a curmudgeon when it comes to customer service. It can be so frustrating sometimes. I also prefer quality over price when it comes to service, which sometimes doesn’t make my husband happy. 🙂
Chrissy
What a great post, J! I was thinking about what you said re: having your change counted for you after you pay for something. It’s not something I thought about much. Here, on the island, people still count your change out for you. Then again, the ‘Island’ is still very old fashioned in many ways. In some spots, it looks as though time has stood still. We’ve still got old general stores around and small mom and pop shops.
I did notice that nowadays, people don’t always offer the kind of courtesy one would find in the customer service industry generations ago. What a great post!
Ginger
I admit that I don’t count the change back. But I do say “Out of $20” and “Your change is $13 and 0.65). My biggest peeve about this kind of service is the cashier talking to someone else (even on the phone, gasp!) while waiting on me.