# Cashier out of pennies **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 19, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685 "2007-05-19T02:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/1 "2007-05-19T02:57:31Z")
If a cashier is out of pennies should they give out more or less than the correct amount of change? It’s got to be more right? Do employers ever tell the cashier what to do, or does the cashier figure it out on their own? I’m not real worried about my 3 cents, but it seemed incorrect to give $0.75 instead of $0.80. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/2 "2007-05-19T03:18:18Z")
IMHO they should be giving out more. At least that’s what I would tell _my_employee to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/3 "2007-05-19T03:26:14Z")
I tell my employees to never short-change a customer. If we don’t have proper change in the store, it’s our fault, not the customer’s. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/4 "2007-05-19T03:30:36Z")
Today a client bought a house, with cash, hoping that I would be able to make change. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/5 "2007-05-19T04:20:39Z")
When a cashier runs out of pennies at Walgreens, the procedure is as follows: 1. Page Management on the intercom. 2. Ask them to bring more pennies. 3. Wait. 4. Give customer correct change. Nobody, but _nobody_, gets anything but the exact, correct change at Walgreens. Ever. If the manager on duty has to go into her purse back in the locker room to find pennies, whatever it takes, pennies will be found, because we have corporate bean-counters in Springfield looking over our shoulder, and there’s just no way we could ever explain to them why we gave a customer a nickel when they were only entitled to four cents. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/6 "2007-05-19T04:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Nobody, but _nobody_, gets anything but the exact, correct change at Walgreens. Ever. [/QUOTE] I was at Walgreens a few days ago and they gave me 20 cents extra change. I gave them a quarter and a nickel. They thought I gave them 2 quarters. I kept the change. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/7 "2007-05-19T06:28:57Z")
Whenever I worked at Target I would just give them a bit more change if I were out of pennies. Management didn’t really care since they never counted the change in the cash drawers anyways. I guess they weren’t concerned with such pettiness at such a big store. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/8 "2007-05-19T06:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Nobody, but _nobody_, gets anything but the exact, correct change at Walgreens. Ever. If the manager on duty has to go into her purse back in the locker room to find pennies, whatever it takes, pennies will be found, because we have corporate bean-counters in Springfield looking over our shoulder, and there’s just no way we could ever explain to them why we gave a customer a nickel when they were only entitled to four cents. [/QUOTE] At the local Walgreens there is one of those take a penny leave a penny trays. I guess I’d better turn them in to headquarters then, right? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/9 "2007-05-19T12:29:11Z")
Your drawer should be stocked with enough change at the start of your shift. I was a bit paranoid about running out, especially when we were busy, so I would always ask the manager for another roll of whatever coin I was low on a bit sooner than I absolutely needed it. If you’re out of pennies, you get more. But a good cashier shouldn’t run out. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/10 "2007-05-19T12:41:23Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] If you’re out of pennies, you get more. But a good cashier shouldn’t run out. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure what this means. Do you mean a good cashier asks her manager for more pennies when they’re low, but in a decent amount of time before they run out? I agree. But what really used to chap my hide as a manager was coming in for the night shift to find that the opening manager hadn’t ordered enough change for the bank, and I simply didn’t have any more pennies to give the cashier. Although that only happened to me once or twice. I quickly learned to count the change when I got there and make the opening manager go back to the bank before he left for home when he pulled that on me. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/11 "2007-05-19T12:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=gladtobeblazed] I was at Walgreens a few days ago and they gave me 20 cents extra change. I gave them a quarter and a nickel. They thought I gave them 2 quarters. I kept the change. [/QUOTE] Sounds like you cost someone their job… I always discount the product if we’re short of change. I’m constantly surprised by how grateful the customers are. “Sorry Mr Customer, there’s a small problem but you’re better off as a result.” I guess it’s just differant to what people have come to expect from modern business. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/12 "2007-05-19T12:45:33Z")
[QUOTE=OldGuy] At the local Walgreens there is one of those take a penny leave a penny trays. I guess I’d better turn them in to headquarters then, right? [/QUOTE] I thought it was a pretty good joke to cash a check in a bank for say, $229.23, take the bills, and tell the teller to “keep the change”. They can’t put it in the drawer, because the books **have** to balance, but they wouldn’t dare stick it in their pocket either. I never bank in person any more, but I assume the prevalance of those charity collection tins would give them a disposal method for unwanted coins. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/13 "2007-05-19T12:50:15Z")
[QUOTE=gladtobeblazed] I was at Walgreens a few days ago and they gave me 20 cents extra change. I gave them a quarter and a nickel. They thought I gave them 2 quarters. I kept the change. [/QUOTE] _points and gasps at the thief_ ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/14 "2007-05-19T13:06:34Z")
[QUOTE=OldGuy] At the local Walgreens there is one of those take a penny leave a penny trays. I guess I’d better turn them in to headquarters then, right? [/QUOTE] Dunno what your location is, but here in the Illinois South district, the Springfield corporate big kahuna came around about 18 months ago and made all stores remove their penny dishes, the ones that had 'em. Said it made the counters look “cluttered”. Suits. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/15 "2007-05-19T13:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Dunno what your location is, but here in the Illinois South district, the Springfield corporate big kahuna came around about 18 months ago and made all stores remove their penny dishes, the ones that had 'em. Said it made the counters look “cluttered”. [/QUOTE] I suppose no one had the balls to tell him that the candy, band-aids, lip ointment, bouncy balls, lighters, LED crystal castles, tabletop waterfalls, weight loss aids, eyeglass repair kits, stale “gourmet” cookies, alien head suckers, squeezy “snot” candy, about-to-expire Easter “chocolate” from the Carter administration, cough drops, toy cars and velcro zip-ties might just have an eensy-weensy influence on the “clutter” issue? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/16 "2007-05-19T14:44:31Z")
We’re talking about pennies here. Maximum amount is $0.04. What’s wrong with people, customer or merchant, making an issue over something so small. Abolish stupid pennies, I say. Do people in other countries sweat such small amounts of cash? BTW; if you willfully keep overchange you are indeed a thief. Even if it’s only 4 cents. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/17 "2007-05-19T15:00:04Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] If a cashier is out of pennies should they give out more or less than the correct amount of change? It’s got to be more right? Do employers ever tell the cashier what to do, or does the cashier figure it out on their own? I’m not real worried about my 3 cents, but it seemed incorrect to give $0.75 instead of $0.80. [/QUOTE] Common sense tells me that the first thing the clerk should do is ask the customer if she/he has the three cents, which happens pretty often for me. I rarely check my pocket for pennies if pennies are involved in the total price. Lazy, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/18 "2007-05-19T15:08:16Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] But what really used to chap my hide as a manager was coming in for the night shift to find that the opening manager hadn’t ordered enough change for the bank, and I simply didn’t have any more pennies to give the cashier. Although that only happened to me once or twice. I quickly learned to count the change when I got there and make the opening manager go back to the bank before he left for home when he pulled that on me. [/QUOTE] Well, I never had a situation where the store ran out of pennies. In that case, that’s a management issue. But I always made sure my drawer had enough of everything to give people the correct change promptly. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/19 "2007-05-19T15:21:31Z")
If the store is out of pennies they should round to the customer’s benefit, not the store’s. Even if it is only .03 or .04, in some of those busy convenience stores it could add up fast. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685/20 "2007-05-19T15:31:42Z")
[QUOTE=OldGuy] At the local Walgreens there is one of those take a penny leave a penny trays. I guess I’d better turn them in to headquarters then, right? [/QUOTE] Why? The take-a-penny, leave-a-penny trays don’t affect the correctness of the drawer at all. They just make making change easier for all concerned. Essentially, they become a commonweal of pennies. 😛 > [@WhyNot](#): > > I suppose no one had the balls to tell him that the candy, band-aids, lip ointment, bouncy balls, lighters, LED crystal castles, tabletop waterfalls, weight loss aids, eyeglass repair kits, stale “gourmet” cookies, alien head suckers, squeezy “snot” candy, about-to-expire Easter “chocolate” from the Carter administration, cough drops, toy cars and velcro zip-ties might just have an eensy-weensy influence on the “clutter” issue? LMAO… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-out-of-pennies/404685.md?page=2)