Tonight at work, I was scheduled as a cashier. I don't mind. I enjoy doing something different. It breaks things up and keeps work from getting monotonous. Though our ultimate goal is to provide excellent customer service, we're also required to maintain certain levels of efficiency. Our cashiers are supposed to be quick. They're monitored on how many items they scan vs. how many orders they have vs. the time that they're actually working. It seems whenever I'm on a register, I get the customers who forgot something....left their money in the car...have to dig thru their purse because - GASP! - we need their loyalty card / coupons / method of payment. Tonight, I got a customer who had (literally!) 4 orders! The first was her regular food purchase. The second order consisted of her Newports that she forgot to mention that she needed in the first order. Her third order was her WIC order. Her fourth order was another WIC order. When I asked for her loyalty card for the last order (required for the type of WIC she had), she wanted to discuss whether or not she should have entered her phone number (because of course she doesn't actually have the loyalty card) for the first WIC order. As I'm trying to patiently take care of this customer, I'm developing a line because I was one of two cashiers that we had working. The other was a young man running the express lane. This woman says to me, "I'm sorry that dis is takin' so long, but then....I'm impo'ant too, huh?" I smile and say that yes, she is important.
I realized as I waited on her to fish out the $2.86 to finish her transaction that she must have been very important. She had two Tiffany & Co. silver heart charms on her necklace. She must've gotten tired of those because she also had a small blue Tiffany & Co bag charm on her necklace. Niiiice.
I can't be the only one who sees stuff like this and thinks...I'm doing something wrong. I work hard and pay my bills and I don't have money to buy myself designer purses or Tiffany & Co. jewelry. I don't have my nails done every week. I don't have a top of the line cell phone. Perhaps if I let the government pay for my groceries I'd have extra money to treat myself to these luxuries.
I realize that there are some people that are using public assistance as it should be used, but sadly, I see the system abused so much! I had a customer redeeming 10 or 12 WICS at once one time. When I said, "Wow...that's a lot of milk!" I was offered a couple of gallons. The man said, "Yeah...we done got alot of vouchers that are gettin' ready to expire so we told our neighbors we'd get 'em some milk. You need some?" No...for the record, I didn't accept the gift of milk.
I guess there's no use in crying over spilled milk....afterall, you can use your voucher to get another gallon tomorrow! ;o)
listening to:
A Story About A Girl - Our Lady Peace
(courtesy of Pandora Radio)
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