No where did I say I was angry or upset. I was, in fact nothing but polite and understanding of a simple misunderstanding. I was very patient as it was remedied, though I felt for those in line behind me.
I was simply taken aback that someone should feel I would accuse them of an inaccuracy without the receipt in my hand. Something I, as an ever polite Canadian, could never do. Especially as this woman was busy and working hard. She was working hard and it was busy, I didn’t mind the wait one little bit.
I did walk away thinking to myself that I’d make a few mistakes too if I worked beneath a foot high sign saying En Retard.
I’m a little unclear why it is I need to ‘grow up’ and what it is I need to get over, but whatever.
And, just for the record, I’m of the female persuasion. (But it’s okay, I wasn’t offended to be taken for a man. )
Wait; you’re saying that her checking the number with you–saying out loud “two hundred and sixty-dollars”–left you standing there with a blank face, unable to participate in the transaction until she offered you a hardcopy? The number “two hundred and sixty-two dollars” seemed perfectly reasonable to you? That your basic response was, “Whatever, show me after you’ve completed the transaction and generated the final receipt”?
As a polite Canadian, you would never say, “Wait, are you sure that’s right?” until you had it in writing?
Wow.
I felt that it was extremely uncharitable for you (to be charitable; above I said childish) to consider this episode–an inevitable occurrence that happened to you by the merest chance–such an insult to your position as the center of the universe that you felt it was worth penning a self-righteous opus of indiginity on these boards.
Fat fingering a number pad once or twice a day is so inevitable as to remove almost all blame, entirely, from the PO worker. That she had to have this inevitability fall to the one person in line that day who was “too polite”* to verify the number that was, what, 8 or 9 times too large without a printed hardcopy–and all she said was “That’s why I always say the amount before I sweep the card”–pointing out to you that she knows such mistakes are inevitable, so she takes the precaution of verifying the numbers–and you have the spoiled gall to *pit *her for it?
She does, in fact, always say the amount before she sweeps the card; why is telling you this pitworthy? Grow. Up. The more you explain yourself, the more sure I am that if you were one of my customers I’d ask you to take your business somewhere else.
Look, elbows, I know I’m being had on you. I apologize. But I’m just trying to get you to see another perspective on it. No, you were not chiefly at fault, by any means. But hopefully, at the very least, I’ve gotten you to consider that, at bottom, the PO worker doesn’t deserve to be Pitted for this.
Ah, lissener, doughty defender of PO workers everywhere. How would they cope without you?
But yeah, “I always say the amount before I sweep the card!” is standard practice everywhere. Therefore those saying the amount do it hundreds of times a day, those listening hear it up to a dozen times a day. Like anything that’s done so often, it becomes part of the automatic daily mumbles, and it’s very common indeed for the ‘mumblemumble’-swipe to happen faster than the listener can hear the mumble, decode it, think ‘eh?’ and take action. I’ve had similar things happen to me, and I’ve had to point out to staff that they have e.g. only charged me for two coffees instead of three once I’ve got my change back and realised I had more money than I normally do. Shit happens, no point in anybody getting uptight about it and making snarky remarks.
I’ve often wondered how long it would take the average customer to realise they’d been given a cheerful smiling ‘fuckyouverymuch’ instead of a ‘thankyouverymuch’ - I’m sure it would be a good second or two. :eek: :mad:
elbows, right from your opening post, I concluded that the only reason you reported the incident was to share the serendipity of “En Retard”.
Should your OP have been in the pit? Maybe, maybe not. There is a continuum from the truly mundane to frothy flaming.
I understand what got you. That girl should not have tried to deflect blame on you. That was childish. That is contrary to good customer service. Instead of sucking it up and dealing with the mistake she tried to make a customer feel bad so she could feel better. Uh uh.
Nevertheless, you’ve got to explain a little better as to how the hell you missed the fact that 85 stamps should not cost more than $85.00. That really leaves me shaking my head.
Howbout, instead of apologizing for it, I just refrain from starting a Pit thread bitching about how the Dope should have software that catches all my mistakes for me; it should have mandatory spellcheck, and not just preview, which still leaves me to catch my own mistakes.
Yeah. Just trying to make it clear that my main point is NOT about whose fault it is, but about the fact that human interactions require a little give and take; a little forgiveness for unavoidably human mistakes. And that anyone who thinks a minor mistake by a stressed out human requires a pitting should maybe re-check their perspective.
I was not, in fact, pitting the postal worker, I was pitting the large signage that proclaimed ‘En Retard’ in her work space.
**
Flying Dutchman** is right, of course, I put this thread in the Pit by accident, it would have been more appropriate in MPSIMS. My bad.
I was expecting it would cost about $60, so when she said “$262.00”, my first thought was that I had misheard.
Before I accuse someone of being in error, I make it my habit to check my facts. So I’m not going to say anything until I’ve double checked. Clearly not everyone is this way.
Not everyone receives the information they may be in error as graciously and maturely as say Lissener. She was working hard in a busy location, so before I question her proficiency, I’m going to check the details. The only way I know to do so is to check the receipt. That’s the kind of person I am. I realize not everyone is of the same mind.
Anyway it happened very quickly, pretty much as Sinjin mentioned.
lissener, the glaring flaw in your reasoning is that you assumed the PO worker said “That will be $262.00 does that amount sound correct to you?” then patiently waited for elbows’ approval before swiping the card. Instead of reading between the lines, I actually read the lines where she explained that the worker said the amount then swiped the card almost simultaneously.
Make up your own fiction if you want, but keep it to yourself.
I would also like to point out that those accusing elbows of not being polite have almost, to a T, failed to bold her name in this thread.
Putting myself in elbows shoes. (very tight fit for my big feet)
ME,“OK, I’ve got 85 letters to send but I really don’t know the rate. They change quite often.
Yes, postal clerk, I need to mail 85 letters first class. Please give me the proper postage.”
Postal Clerk, " Lets see now, 85 letters. We sell stamps in packs of twelve because somebody higher up in the post office liked the way hotdog buns come in packs of 8 while hotdogs come in packs of 10 and they want me to sell our books of stamps to long lines of customers quickly but that means I’m constantly dividing pieces of mail by 12 (gee, ten or 20 would be a convenient book size for quick math calculations). Um 85/15 =6 or 7 or yes itsssixenpunchitinsaytwohundredandsixtytwodollarsasIswipwthecardhere’syour reciept."
ME (in my head),“WTF did she just say twohundredandsixtytwodollars? Did I missstate something? Miscalculate? Oh shit she already cranked it through! Thant can’t be right?” ---- (Out Loud) - “This can’t be right?!”
Postal Clerk, “That’s why I said the amount (one millisecond) before I swiped the transaction.”
Me, “Lady, do you realize what you’ve done to me? Now I’m going to have to go into the Straight Dope and apologize to lissener for oppressing you!”
No, I understand that she probably did it quickly. THat was part of the scenario as I imagined it.
My sole point is that she’s human, one such mistake is absolutely, inarguably inevitable once or twice a day, and elbows should realize that and move on, instead of singing a whiny aria about it.
I see your point. But if you can’t sing a whiny aria in the Pit, where the fuck can you sing a whiny aria? This place is made for just such lieder.
And if you’re so concerned with Christmas forgiveness and love, why can’t you be bothered to bold the OP’s name, as is customary and polite on this board, hmmm?
Retail sucks. Customers suck. Mistakes are made. The clerk wasn’t going to profit from the mistake.
All this postal worker can tell you is: DECEMBER SUCKS. And after a decade and a half in the industry, I still have trouble placating offended relatives and friends who haven’t received a card from me, etc. Fuck, I barely have time to do my dishes between shifts. It’s full on and ugly. No, we postal workers don’t want a medal, just understanding that things are a little crazy in December. Well, a LOT crazy, truth be told.
)
:eek: :mad: