BE BOLSHY! STOP SUPERMARKETS STEALING OUR CASH

Raydon

I can't understand what all the fuss is about being asked to initial your receipt.
Just refuse to do it I have and I have no problems getting my cash in fact I'm very really asked these days and when I am I just tell them I have allready signed for the money and that is all they are intitled to and they just let me go.

The point being REFUSE and you will still still get your money

16011996

hadn't thought of that. don't think it is continuity, but is a good point,

welcome by the way,

160

IvanOpinion

Some people asked about getting comments directly from a checkout operator. I was telling DW about this last night and her mother, who was round for tea, reminded me that she used to be a checkout operator at a large supermarket. So I asked her for her thoughts.

The points she made were that she is trying to do an awful lot in a very short period of time (even I was surprised at some of her 'responsibilities'). Not only are they trying to ring things through, take reward cards, take credit/debit cards, be pleasant to the customers (as she said she has never wasted so many smiles and pleasantries in all her life... so everyone, remember the operator is a human being ...a smile costs nothing), take and check vouchers, sort out change, verify cheques etc. etc. but they are having to keep an eye out for people trying to push trolleys through without unloading them fully and other means of theft.

As she said when they are on a till it is non-stop you get finished with one customer and have to immediately start with the next without breathing. The job she hated the most was the express checkout. The reason was that you rang one customer through that comes to £7.50, they hand you a tenner so that is £2.50 change ... thank you very much sir ... the next customer comes through that is £3.75 ... but you still have £2.50 in your head from the previous transaction ... it is so easy to make a mistake ... you do not have time to clear your mind between transactions.

I never thought of a cashiers job being stressful but having listened to MIL I can understand how they can get stressed out ... especially if you get a couple of 'bolshy' customers.

Another item that annoyed her was when the company issued a policy which the checkout staff were told to enforce rigorously and then some 'I-know-my-rights' customer comes along making a pathetic scene, because they are being mildly inconvenienced by the policy, and demands to see the Manager. Not only are the people in the queue behind being significantly inconvenienced and getting cheesed off but eventually when the Manager (or assistant) arrives they do not back up the checkout staff, instead they say 'OK let it go' (MIL really got cheesed off with the smug self-righteous look that appeared on these peoples faces). So the next time this happens the checkout operator decides to 'let-it-go' then they get into trouble because they did not enforce store policy...or the Manager gets yappy because he/she is continually being disturbed ... catch-22. In my opinion the Manager should never override a checkout operator that is enforcing company policy.

Finally, some people 'do try it on' (one for another thread is the scams, lies and stupidity of customers) because they know that most big supermarkets will make a good-will refund without checking. If this happens the operator may subsequently be told to close the till down until it can be checked ... if this happens in front of customers it can be embarassing for the checkout operator. Even though many customers do not know what is going on, the operator does; they find it embarassing and now their mind is roaming around wondering what, if anything, they have done, which customer has made the complaint, did they ring something through wrong, did they short change someone. did they give someone the right cashback, did they forgot to ring through a voucher ... it could take several customers before they manage to clear this out of their mind).

So I still say .. it is YOUR money, YOU take responsibility for it.

Ivan

MMMIARMW_II

Having worked on a checkout where cash back was offered, my method was to get the customer to inital the cash back amout on the store copy of the transaction (i.e. the one the goes in the supermarket till).  

Then as I got the cash out of the till, the cashier initals the recipt that is given to the customer, sometimes indicating the demonimation of notes given.  This system which I'm not 100% sure of if its national company policy ensured that if a customer querried the transaction then, i.e. not given cashback its easily seen.  

But the actual act of the cashier initalling the recipt prompts you to give the customer the cashback.

But it is sometimes easy for the cashier to forget, although I give no excusses. BTW its amazing what customers leave behind at the till points!! Wallets, keys, whole bags of shopping - so forgetfulness, its just human!!

[Deleted User]

I'm with Raydon on this one. Have been completely REFUSING to sign before getting the money ever since my Sainsbury's came up with this ridiculous policy. Some cashiers accept it and give you your money without a fuss, some are more bolshy, some call the supervisor, but I have never yet been forced to sign the receipt without being given my money first.

Martin, you are right, it is completely ridiculous that the supermarkets expect us to do this - and I have to say that anyone who does sign before receiving their money is leaving themselves open to the possibility of not getting their money, if the cashier forgets to give it to them.

In fact, when I point out to the various cashiers how ridiculous it is, most of them agree.

So, guys, the point of this is that all you need to do is politely refuse to sign until AFTER you have received the money, and there won't be any danger of a mistake being made.

ler01kjh

Ivan is so right. This is really sad. Martin, are you running out of ideas for the site?  In reality, the supermarket isn't required nor are customers required to have an 'initial for cashback'.  Customers do have to sign the slip in order to complete the transaction.  The transaction slip you're required to sign if the contract form - the supermarket accepts your offer to buy the goods subject to the signature (payment).

If the cashier forgot to give the money, the supermarket (or any retailer) could if it wanted to refuse to give you the money.  Your signature confirms the transaction.  

The best way to prevent problems is for people who ask for cashback to WAKE UP, pay attention, and not complain subsequently that organisations are stealing their money.  You'd soon complain if the supermarkets stopped offering the cashback service because people are so self-occupied they forget.

BE BOLSHY! STOP SUPERMARKETS STEALING OUR CASH:  

This makes me growl.  Request cashback from supermarkets and they make you initial the receipt for the Cashback BEFORE giving you the money (or opening the till). It’s the wrong way round, logically you should sign AFTER receiving the cash.  The silly procedure leaves people rushing out, having had the cash debited, but it remains in the supermarket’s till (did it myself once).  

Let’s refuse to sign before we get the cash, cause a fuss it, may make them change their policies.  I’m contacting the big four supermarkets to ask for a response.  

To discuss this click reply

I will post the supermarkets reponse when i get it.

mlockett

???
Sorry Martin, but I'm with many other people on this one.
If I go to the bank to cash a cheque, the teller will not give me any money till I've signed it. etc, etc.

16011996

back to ???

raincity

::)

Hi Nige

Good idea when you leave supermarkets I usually have 101 things on my mind.

Consequently I left without picking up money after I signed till receipt

Be given money then sign

Good luck

paulie

I've read everyones point of view and I had the exact same point of view as Martin before this whole subject was posted, I was talking it over with my girlfriends.
I am a checkout girl and I think it is ridiclous to sign anything other than the authorisation to take money from your bank accout. I never expect my customers to initial or sign for cashback, the fact that they have signed the slip is all that is required.
Checkout staff are busy, and customers are all go, go, go. Most are not rude, but many do push forward before I have and a chance to say goodbye to the 1st customer, the 1st customer hasnt had a chance to put all their belongings away. No wonder they and I might forget to give cashback, the other customers are always in such a hurry. Everybody slow down and make room for each other.
However I believe it is the checkout persons responsibility to make sure that the customer gets the service which has been offered and on this occasion that is cashback and that means, get the money into the hands of the customer and only then is your business with the customer finnished.
Paula x