A Tale Of Two Pennies: A Rant On A Scam.

[The Last Standing Knight]

Today, I had an interesting experience involving a large, national retailer whose name is no stranger to this forum. I won't mention the name of this retailer due to that fact and that this incident is very, very common. Both at this retailer (so often I think it might be policy) and others.
Well, I paid for my purchase and the young lady at the check out closed the cash drawer after my noticing that I was short two pennies in change. No big deal, you say...well, it is a principle involved here. She had a divider full of brand new 2009 pennies in her cash drawer, so when she made the comment that she "owed (me) two pennies" and went on to the next customer hoping I would just overlook the issue and go away, she seemed annoyed that I waited, patiently and with a smile on my face and didn't say a word, looking straight at her.
After another customer checked out, a lady in the line asked if I was being waited on...the check out clerk smarted off that "He's waiting for two stupid pennies." I did not respond, just continued to smile and wait. The lady paid for her purchase, looking back and forth at me and the check out clerk. Two peenies were involved in that purchase and the clerk (in a rather abrupt and hostile fashion) forcefully handed me the two pennies. I continued smiling, thanked her, and walked away.
Outside the store, I explained to the lady customer what had just happened.
Anyone who works in retail at any level knows that checkouts are issued a cash drawer at the start of their shift with a certain amount of cash. At the end of shift, this drawer is turned in and the cash in it must balance out. If it doesn't, there is an issue that can result in diciplinary action against the checkout clerk.
Most people don't worry about a penny or two, even in this economy, this is why this goes on. A penny or two doesn't mean much...but at a large retailer like this with several hundred customers on a Saturday afternoon and this going on, say, every other customer...it builds up. At the end of the shift, this "I-owe-you-a-penny" has built up quite a bit and goes into someone's pocket. Sometimes store managers are not only aware of it, but are in on a cut of this.
In the end, the checkout got ticked off, I got my money without an incident, and the lady who say this got educated in this kind of behavior. I have seen this before, at this same retailer (different location)a year or so back where an elderly woman got short changed and when complained about it, was walked out by security with the warning (and I quote) "Is a penny worth going to jail for?"

The clerk didn't win here and I got my two cents worth of justice (pun intended).
I write this just as a warning to this scam, moderators, please note as such.
Thank You.

 

[USAF385]

Very common. I worked retail in a past life. I was OCD about my register being exactly even. When someone told me to keep the change, I'd set it aside for the next person who needed an extra penny or so. I never assumed they didn't want the change.

I used a self checkout once which didn't give me an entire dollar in change which it owed me. It popped out the coins, but only 2 of the 3 dollar bills it owed me. I waited for a minute or two as it made it's churning noise hoping it would be spit out... nope. I informed the manager who told me they'd have to wait for it to be counted or something... but he took my name and number. I DID eventually get my dollar though.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

No one is going to watch your money but you, still you seem to value time differently than I do.

 

[bmhiii]

I work in retail (big box store) now (semi-retired) and have never seen what you experienced. Not saying it doesn't happen, just that I ain't seen it.

I'm one of those guys who hands you the receipt, shows you your change on the receipt and counts out the change to you, coins in the hand first so they don't slide of the bills. If someone says "keep the change", I take it out of the register, set it by the register and use it for others customers. If I find money on the floor, I put it beside the register, not in my pocket.

I did have a younger man (teens) that was a few cents short and he acted like he wanted me to say "close enough" or something like that. I said "I still need seven cents, sir". He had to ask his father for it.

I have cut one customer slack one time (can't remember why). I then went to my locker, got the right amount and put it in the register.

I'd have done the same thing you did. I choose who I donate money to.

 

[K.38]

I'm getting tired of giving money back to clerks. I don't know how many times in the past few months I've been given back to much change. Just today I owed $10.50 and gave the guy $20. He gave me a 10 and a bunch of 1s back. I hand the change back and told him he gave me to much. Now he gives me a 5 and a hand full of 1s. I hand him back the money and say the change is still not correct. He hands me back more change than I'm owed again so I just said the heck with it and left. I was only up a buck at this time so I figured 3 minutes of my time was worth it.

I'm about half tempted to start keeping the excess change as a lesson to these kids and giving the money to charity. Maybe if the drawers are to far off they will either learn or get pulled off the drawers.