Later, I saw a customer go up to our "smoke" register (#17) with a lot of small items in her cart--from the looks I assumed that she was a couponer...I was right! She had a binder full of coupons. After she checked out, she went back through the store to find her friends that she was shopping with. I struck up a conversation with her about couponing...since I am doing it too and it's now a passion of mine! We talked for quite a while..we swapped success and failure stories and other tid bits of information. I told her that there are a few cashiers who are sticklers about coupons (my cashier Barbara is VERY picky!!! TOO picky) and I pointed out Barbara and suggested that my customer avoid going to her line. (We had about 10 lanes open, so she had plenty of other people to choose from) She met up with her friends and they ended up going to register #19. I came by to see how they were doing a little while later--the cashier Tami-was nearly done ringing them up and was starting on their coupons. Their sub-total was $190...after coupons their final total was less than $5!!!!! Because they used so many coupons the register prompted for a CSM (Me) to override it. I was there the whole time so I saw how many they used, but not what they used exactly! I approved it and I moved on...went about my business. I was baffled by how much they saved, but I've also been able to get many items for free with my coupons so for the most part I was just really impressed. I knew that our store has a coupon use limit, but I didn't know the exact number that was and I've never been taught how to handle the situation if it happens.
Today, I went in to talk to our store manager about helping me to get transferred...our talk went fine...I was informed that they have hired all the CSM's that they are going to and that's probably why they didn't take me, but to keep trying for it cause stores lose people all the time!
NOW I CANT!!!!
Because, after talking to Scott, Vahid tracked me down and wanted to talk to me....UH-OH!!!
Yep, after getting compliments for doing things right, I was then told that I made a mistake... He asked if I was the one who put my key and my numbers in to approve coupons on register 17. I felt really positive that I did not! I told them the WHOLE situation with that lady and her 3 friends. I told him I saw Nely (the other CSM) up there and she probably did it with my numbers cause we share numbers--it's complicated the reasons behind it. So he called security to pull up the camera to see who did the override. IT WAS ME!!!! I was beside myself! I told him that obviously, he has visual proof, but that I do NOT remember doing it! I told him that Yes, I did the override at reg 19, but not reg 17....I still don't remember doing it...I think perhaps he was talking about a different customer...who knows! I was so pissed!!!! The 2 cashiers--from register 17 & 19 are going to get "coached" too! I tried to get him to not coach Tami cause I was there the whole time, I should have paid more attention to the coupons and not the customers and their "great" couponing, but I didn't! I told him I take full responsibility for that one, but I told him that I do NOT agree with my being punished for overriding on reg 17!!! Reg 17 lost $93 because of it and reg #19 lost $24! I am mad because I got in trouble, but more so because my cashiers KNOW to check the expiration date--most of the coupons from reg 17 were expired by more than 2 weeks!, and they know to pay attention to what they are ringing up so that they only take coupons that match! I ASSUMED that they both did that! I ASSUMED that none of the coupons were expired! I ASSUMED that I was only overriding to accept the large amount of coupons!!!! Apparantly, I was overriding to approve expired and wrong coupons! How was I supposed to know this!!! That part of the ringing up a customer process is not my responsibility! My responsibility is to approve things that my cashiers can not....like using a lot of coupons!!!
Now here is the kicker.... I am going to fight my getting in trouble BECAUSE, Vahid told me that the registers are not set up to catch it if someone uses a coupon for a wrong item--if the BRAND is the same, the register will accept the coupon. For example--if your coupon says $5 off Crest Whitening strips (which normally sell for probably $15) and you buy Crest toothpaste for $2.50, you just made $2.50 on it because our register reads the BRAND (CREST) rather than that it's for whitening strips NOT toothpaste. AND, it will accept the coupon if it is expired! The register doesn't read the expiration dates, so if you have a "non-observant" cashier or CSM, then you can use them and no one is the wiser. So if the register is not set up to catch those 2 things--as EVERY OTHER STORE IN AMERICA's registers DO, and I did not know this, than why am I getting in to trouble for approving it when I again ASSUMED that it WOULD catch it!?! No one, in over a year of working there has ever told me that! No one, in over a year, has ever taught us that! Why am I being punished for the system having faults!?! None of us should be in trouble for taking coupons that do not match the product...however, the kid on reg #17 who took the expired coupons SHOULD get in trouble!!!
So those ladies who did SO good completely cheated the system! They KNEW that the registers would accept the coupons for the wrong items and they KNEW that the register would not read the expiration dates. I was told-also in my meeting with Vahid-that these ladies (Polynesian) stopped shopping at the West Jordan store cause they finally caught them using bad coupons...so now they come to my store!
Yes...I used my key and my numbers to approve the transaction...the use of all those coupons
Yep, after getting compliments for doing things right, I was then told that I made a mistake... He asked if I was the one who put my key and my numbers in to approve coupons on register 17. I felt really positive that I did not! I told them the WHOLE situation with that lady and her 3 friends. I told him I saw Nely (the other CSM) up there and she probably did it with my numbers cause we share numbers--it's complicated the reasons behind it. So he called security to pull up the camera to see who did the override. IT WAS ME!!!! I was beside myself! I told him that obviously, he has visual proof, but that I do NOT remember doing it! I told him that Yes, I did the override at reg 19, but not reg 17....I still don't remember doing it...I think perhaps he was talking about a different customer...who knows! I was so pissed!!!! The 2 cashiers--from register 17 & 19 are going to get "coached" too! I tried to get him to not coach Tami cause I was there the whole time, I should have paid more attention to the coupons and not the customers and their "great" couponing, but I didn't! I told him I take full responsibility for that one, but I told him that I do NOT agree with my being punished for overriding on reg 17!!! Reg 17 lost $93 because of it and reg #19 lost $24! I am mad because I got in trouble, but more so because my cashiers KNOW to check the expiration date--most of the coupons from reg 17 were expired by more than 2 weeks!, and they know to pay attention to what they are ringing up so that they only take coupons that match! I ASSUMED that they both did that! I ASSUMED that none of the coupons were expired! I ASSUMED that I was only overriding to accept the large amount of coupons!!!! Apparantly, I was overriding to approve expired and wrong coupons! How was I supposed to know this!!! That part of the ringing up a customer process is not my responsibility! My responsibility is to approve things that my cashiers can not....like using a lot of coupons!!!
Now here is the kicker.... I am going to fight my getting in trouble BECAUSE, Vahid told me that the registers are not set up to catch it if someone uses a coupon for a wrong item--if the BRAND is the same, the register will accept the coupon. For example--if your coupon says $5 off Crest Whitening strips (which normally sell for probably $15) and you buy Crest toothpaste for $2.50, you just made $2.50 on it because our register reads the BRAND (CREST) rather than that it's for whitening strips NOT toothpaste. AND, it will accept the coupon if it is expired! The register doesn't read the expiration dates, so if you have a "non-observant" cashier or CSM, then you can use them and no one is the wiser. So if the register is not set up to catch those 2 things--as EVERY OTHER STORE IN AMERICA's registers DO, and I did not know this, than why am I getting in to trouble for approving it when I again ASSUMED that it WOULD catch it!?! No one, in over a year of working there has ever told me that! No one, in over a year, has ever taught us that! Why am I being punished for the system having faults!?! None of us should be in trouble for taking coupons that do not match the product...however, the kid on reg #17 who took the expired coupons SHOULD get in trouble!!!
So those ladies who did SO good completely cheated the system! They KNEW that the registers would accept the coupons for the wrong items and they KNEW that the register would not read the expiration dates. I was told-also in my meeting with Vahid-that these ladies (Polynesian) stopped shopping at the West Jordan store cause they finally caught them using bad coupons...so now they come to my store!
Yes...I used my key and my numbers to approve the transaction...the use of all those coupons
BUT
If all those other elements had been in place...
1-the register caught it when the coupon does NOT match the item
2-the register caught it when a coupon is expired
3-I was informed that there are customers who KNOW the system is faulty and therefore take advantage of the defect!
4-My cashiers paid attention to the dates and the items they are ringing up...
then MY JOB wouldn't be on the line and my reputation as a GREAT manager wouldn't be tarnished!!!!
And, if all those elements had been in place, there would have been ZERO need for me to use my key/numbers to override...because there would have been nothing to override!!!!!!!!!!
After talking/venting to Nick I am going to print out the above and take it back to work and I am going to talk to my store manager again...I am going to explain my side and "demand" that he remove my punishment...and possibly the cashiers punishment as well. I pray that he will listen to me, HEAR me, and help me to get this situation rectified!!!!
If all those other elements had been in place...
1-the register caught it when the coupon does NOT match the item
2-the register caught it when a coupon is expired
3-I was informed that there are customers who KNOW the system is faulty and therefore take advantage of the defect!
4-My cashiers paid attention to the dates and the items they are ringing up...
then MY JOB wouldn't be on the line and my reputation as a GREAT manager wouldn't be tarnished!!!!
And, if all those elements had been in place, there would have been ZERO need for me to use my key/numbers to override...because there would have been nothing to override!!!!!!!!!!
After talking/venting to Nick I am going to print out the above and take it back to work and I am going to talk to my store manager again...I am going to explain my side and "demand" that he remove my punishment...and possibly the cashiers punishment as well. I pray that he will listen to me, HEAR me, and help me to get this situation rectified!!!!
2 comments:
that sucks. it doesn't sound like its your fault at all but their registers fault. I have used coupons that went off and didn't know it, but the cash register caught it and that is fine. I try not to do that.
Hope everything goes okay with the boss!
wow. i am nick and betsie's friend, and just got into couponing too. i can't believe that. it's too bad that some people have to ruin it for others, and especially if it jeopardizes someone's job! so sorry, i hope it works out.
Post a Comment