I'm not sure if I shared this with the old Swiss site or not, in any case it's possibly worth the read.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
Disclaimer: I'm not prejudice in any way, but used some terms for the visual reference.
6/04/09
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On a separate note, (not bagging on any nationality here) I went to the local "Circle K" little market to get a quick money order this morning and here's the scenario:
I'm in a hurry, but will probably be longer to go to the next closest location so I wait in the line 5 people deep. New guy at the counter sporting a dot on his forehead and when I get up to him and ask him if the Money Order machine is working, he nods. (jewelled dot stayed on forehead for this) So I told him I need two money orders, one for $500 and one for $475 and I start counting out the money for him on the counter. He waits for me to finish counting it all out and then repeats back to me "one hundred dollars" and I said "No, one for $500 and one for $475" He says OK and starts pushing his touch screen monitor which is turned away from me and I hear the machine start printing out the first money order, then the second starts printing and I'm waiting for him to put the cash away and get me my money orders when he starts entering on the screen again. I ask him "did you do the money orders already" and he replies "I have done two so far and am beginning to do the third for you" I said "umm I only need the two" to which he replied "I have only done two so far for $100 and am beginning to start the rest" I said to him "I said that I only needed one for $500 not 5 for $100 and I'm not going to pay $ .99 for each one" He looks at me with the camel in the headlights look and says "excuse me please while I help the next person real quick" and pushes my money off to the side.
Bewildered and amazed I step to the side so he can help the next person as I think he was having a blue screen moment in his head. He rings up the next person who pays with a CC and then has to get the receipt and sign it and then says thank you. Looks to the next person and repeats the same thing again three more times until the four people that were behind me all made their purchases of doughnuts and coffee with a CC at friggen Circle K?!
Then he says "OK, now I will begin to finish up with you" and another customer had just come in to the store and was walking right to the counter and I put my arm on the elderly ladies shoulder and said "please go ahead" she replied "that is nice of you" to which I replied "thank you, I've been nice 5 times already" she smiled and made her purchase of a carton of cigarettes to which the cashier (lets call him dot) pulled out three different brands of cigarettes at which time the lady would repeat "no not that one" and say what she wanted again. I saw that she was getting confused because she was having a hard time communicating with him and was not fluent in Dot speak so I asked her what kind was she looking for and she said Parliament, so I said "OK, the next shelf below" (he's reaching for these on the back counter with sliding walls of death) and he moves his hand upward and I say to him "no your other down" so he moves over to the right and I said "no go back, but just move down below it" he does and pulls out a carton of cigs and as he is I said "no below those is the Parliaments not Marlboro's" He pushes the box back in and reaches to the right of it and starts pulling out the box of Marlboro lights?! Holy Shit I look over at Grandma and tell her "I'm sorry there might be a bit of a communication barrier here" to which she rolls her eyes. I tell dot "the BLUUUUUE box on the shelf below that, that says PAARLAAAMENT on it" He reaches for the white box and looks at me and I shake my head no and then he reaches to the right of that and finally has a hold of the correct box and then looks at me and I nod yes! He gives her the carton and charges her to which she pays with........... yep a CC and signs and yada yada ect. She starts to walk out and thanks me for the assistance to which I replied "you're welcome, I've had practice here for the last 10 minutes." she giggled
OK my turn again and Dot says "can I help you please" and I said "yes if we could just finish up the money orders that would be great." He then went over to the monitor and started tapping out the instructions with the refreshing headlight glare again and I remind him "that is ONE for $500 (hold up one finger) and then ONE for $475 (flex the finger and re-extend it)" He nods and taps out the secret sequence on the non-visible screen and then the printer spits out another money order and he goes to retrieve it. He comes back and hands me the three money orders which were two for $100 and then 1 for $300 to which I replied "that is fine as long as I don't have to pay for 3 when I wanted just the one for $500?" Dot goes over to the secret screen and starts tapping it again with a more confident rhythm this time and I hold my breath and am seeing little cuckoo birds flying around his head at this point as I'm patiently waiting to finish what usually is about a 5 minute transaction at the most even with a line. He goes over to the printer as it is now HOPEFULLY printing out just one correct money order and then when it is finished, he hands it to me and the amount on it is $480 which was the amount that I gave him to pay for the second money order in the first place back when I had a bit of sanity still left in the human race walking through that store door. I take a deep breath and ask him for a pen to write with, he gives me one and I grab a used lottery ticket sitting on the counter and turn it over and write $475 on it in BIG NUMBERS and say "that is the amount that this (slides the money order back to him) is supposed to be for not $480, that is just the amount that I gave you to pay for the $475 money order." He looks at me as if someone just pulled the string and turned on the light bulb and says "my apologies, please to wait for me to cash you another one please" I said "thank you that would be wonderful." He goes over to the magic screen and starts tapping on it again and inside I'm losing faith and pick up the paper that I had written the number on and point to it again with my other hand, he nods and pushes the button one more time and the drawer opens and he then closes it and starts tapping again on the magic screen. (still wondering if he was repeating the same wrong amount) I am holding my breath and thinking about all the outsourcing of work being sent to dotland and am wondering what amount was going to be on the next golden ticket he pulls from the printer? The printer starts printing, dot walks over to retrieve it, pulls it out and examines it very carefully and then walks over to me and sets it on the counter with a concerned look. I look down and see a money order for..... $475 I thanked him with both hands pressed together (praying style) and bowed slightly. He smiled and said "pleased to be of assistance please come again."
I think I finally stopped laughing about 7 or 8 miles later......