Lack of Change Caused Lost Sale at Payless Shoes

First of all lady, have you ever thought about the fact that these
stores are NOT ALLOWED to carry alot of cash in the register/store for
safety reasons? And these stores are small stores and they can not
break $100 within 3 hours of opening?

Also, just because you got annoyed does not mean you can demand a free
pair of shoes, a discount on another pair of shoes and tell these
stores to carry more cash in register. *** Seriously ??? *** Sounds
to me like you're looking for a hand-out. Be kind to these retail
associates, they are just following rules and regulations.

There's nothing wrong with complaining, but most people complain so
they can be heard and voice their opinion. They rarely set out to
demand free products. Hmmmm

first thing in the morning we all jack ass's trying to break 100
dollar bills payless is a small store dumb shit

you are one major nut case along with the freaks that work there grow
up freak go buy your shoes at the good will what a dumb ass

When your 1year old baby girl is old enough to have a job I hope she
will not have to deal with customers like yourself. When working
alone you never go to the "back" for anything. I work retail and deal
with rude customers like yourself. When has the person working for
the stores become non-human and should be treated like trash? If she
didn't have change, she didn't have it. why should you get a free
pair of shoes and just what are you teaching your son by asking such a
thing. There are too many hard working people just getting by and I
am tired of paying for people like yourself that think the world owes
you just because you say so.

if that was you that was working as the cashier would you want to be
working with alot of money in your register while working alone.
those that do work for PSS work most of the day alone and it is people
like yourself that come into the store and start yelling at them for
only following company rules that are rude. PSS should not give you
anything and I just would like to know what other "real customers"
think of people like you because you are part of the reason prices are
going up. those like yourself that wear, use,return and want to
complain just to get yourslf free stuff. why not just go into a store
and take what you want and tell everyone that it is ok after all you
are not the one paying for it. just the other customers are with price
increases and the poor clerks with thier job. what ever happen to
treat others as you would like them to you. maybe you need to work for
PSS for a year to know what it is like to have so called customers
like yourself

Where I work, this season we had to start taking less money to our
registers and keep smaller banks of money because it poses too much of
a temptation. We can only get more on certain days and have to work
with what we have. There are businesses in our area getting robbed at
gunpoint for as little as $40. It's just not worth it, even if a
customer gets upset.

On a slow shift, if you are one of my 1st couple of customers, I just
can't break a $100 bill, I don't have enough money. And it's possible
that I might NOT have gotten anyone else (or maybe only one or two
customers with small orders) even if I've been open for an hour or
two, so I may not have gotten enough money by then to break your bill.
I don't personally feel that it's unreasonable to believe that the
cashier just couldn't cover it at that time.

Also, and I'm sure someone has already mentioned it, it's possible she
either hadn't had enough customers before you to cover your bill, even
if they had been open a couple hours, or she had a couple who also
used big bills before the OP.

As a cashier, I personally would NOT disclose to a customer how much
money I had in my drawer, period. That's a big safety no-no. I
interpret her answering the OP's question on whether she had less than
$60 in her drawer that she couldn't break the $100.

Sorry to hear about the bad day you had. I understand as I have
children as well. Yes it would have been best to get $20's but as
someone posted before the ECONOMY is bad...call a manager to get
change. I worked for Payless before and not a good company to work for
either.

lots of places i go have signs saying they won't or can't accept
anything over a twenty. payless needs to get one of those. i know
it's too late now, but in future, if you have a big bill, drop by the
bank and have them break it. a grocery store can break it as well.
it's really not the cashier's fault that she can't break it and they
probably don't have money laying around in the back. also, every
payless i've ever been in has one employee there. even if this money
was in the back, for her to go get it, she'd have to leave you and any
other customers alone. you know you're honest, but she has no way of
knowing that.

Payless is a shoestore, not a bank. Like most stores, they do not keep
a lot of cash on hand (or "in the back.) Can you imagine the risk of
robbery if they did? It is very easy to change out a large bill at a
bank. You could have done this and would have been able to buy the
shoes. Sometimes you just have to have a little initiative, instead
of complaining when everything doesn't go your way.

The name of the store should be an indication of their prices in this
case. PayLESS. The items in this store are not genuine leather shoes
that cost upwards of fifty dollars - they are cheaper, in terms of
quality and price. That being said, that means any change they have is
going to be in the form of twenties and maybe a rare fifty and below.

I don't think the store (or the clerk) did anything wrong - by the end
of their open hours, there may have been enough change in the till for
a 100, but a general rule of retail is to not expect change for large
bills during the earlier part of hours of operation. In all honesty,
would it really really have been such an inconvenience to exchange the
hundred for five twenties at a bank? Or another store you make
purchases at that would be willing to break a large bill? Most larger
stores (Wal-Mart, Sears, etc.) will be nice and make change for you if
you buy something.

And also, for the record...there is no "the back". Many folks seem to
believe "the back" is the magical area every store has that contains
the exact items the customer wants that are not available in the
public part of the store. This magical place does not exist, and
employees will go look in 'the back' to humor you.

I am a cash guy, and I never carry 100's. I always carry twenties and
have never had issues.

I have seen people throwing fits because the credit card machine is
down, very sad.



Good Day

My case was probably even better. When I handed a $100 bill at PSS, I
was told that they could not accept that since that transaction would
amost wipe out all available change the cashier had and put other
potential customers at an inconvienence.

Since I had some other shopping to do, I just used the bill elsewhere
and did not have problems getting change. She (PSS rep) held my
purchase and when I came back, I did not even have to wait in line.
She helped me right away.

Of course, my situation was different. I was alone and did not have to
tug two kids along, so I understand the frustration expressed by the
OP. Moreover, I did not think too much into it, since I had other
shopping to do anyway.

I am not sure if my response would have been different if that was not
the case.

After years of reading here, I had to register in order to reply to
this.

I am a former Payless manager. Although it has now been a few years, I
am still in contact with numerous folks who are still employed by
Payless and I don't believe that things have changed so very much.

Even as store manager, I had no part in deciding my daily drawer.
That was decided by my district supervisor based on store location and
avergage daily sales. In my little, free-standing store in a high
crime area, my daily drawer started with only $100.00, $25.00 or more
of which was coins. I was required to do a labeled drop into a
time-locked safe every time I had more than $200.00. Add a few cash
returns to the mix and there were many times that I was unable to make
change for large bills. It may not have been the best way to keep all
my customers happy, but in a high crime area where I had personally
experienced five store robberies, who was I to argue?

And to address other posters comments about staffing, given our
scheduling allowances, we frequently worked alone. Payless is a
self-serve shoe store and little staff is usually required. We only
had additonal staff to stock shelves during busy evening and weekend
hours or to unpack boxes on shipment day.

Due to security reasons, I don't believe I would have gone into long,
detailed explainations about staffing and drawer amounts with a
customer, HOWEVER, I would have apologized for the inconvienence and
offered to gladly hold the shoes for the customer. If this was an
unsatisfactory solution, I would have directed the customer to contact
my district office.

While this may have not been an ideal situtaion for the OP, I don't
believe the Payless associate can be held accountable for the lack of
change. And from my experience , no corporation is going to change a
store's drawer amounts because the occasional customer is
inconvienenced. They are going to look at what effects the overall
safety of their stores. In many stores, having a large till is
definately not a safe thing to do.

on its homepage. Someone below said a fast food place shouldn't be
expected to change a $100. I think an argument could be made that
Payless Shoes is in the fast food branch of footwear retailers. If
not, they could have named themselves "Paymore Shoes".

I understand the arguments on both sides of this issue, but my first
reaction days ago is the same as it is today. A place that sells
stuff in this price range shouldn't be expected to change a $100 bill
at 12 noon. If they had 8 purchases so far they might be able to do
it. The customer could have asked if it would be alright, and if told
"no" had a backup plan (go to a bank, which is open at 12 noon) or use
the credit card. People who pay their credit card balances off each
month should not hesitate to use their card; it actually benefits you
handsomely if you have a cash rebate plan.

I think what polarized some readers, myself included, was the request
for free stuff. An apology (which they received on the spot), a
statement that the store will convert into a bank in the future -
maybe. But free shoes? No.

I've worked at a bookstore where I didn't have the power to open my
drawer without a transaction. Sometimes we just have limits and
there's nothing we can do about it. As other people have stated, I
don't think the store has a right to fulfill everyone's requests.

I do understand the inconvenience of not being able to purchase
something. Maybe you could have broken the hundred dollar bill at a
bank or at least another store.

First Esther, break out the credit card. You have 30 days to put the
$100.00 in the bank. Second, who buys shoes for a 1 year old birthday?
Third it appears this wasn't a convienient time to shop, with the
children growing restless, it put you on edge and no free shoes.

.

I thought it was common sense that if you try to purchase something
with a $100 bill, the store might not have change.

Free shoes?? It doesn't seem like they owe you free shoes for this
scenario, IMO.

You were at Payless, not a bank.

Next time, run through the drive-thru teller and change the bill out
for 20's and you won't run into this problem.

There's no law that says stores are required to have limitless cash on
hand to change out large bills.

There is no reason why you couldn't have had the bill broken before is
there? I mean other than not wanting to do it.

If it was something they did wrong, then I'd agree with you...

However the only thing they did "wrong" was not give in to your
demands. And frankly that's not wrong.

They cannot pull cash out of their behinds to cover every single
person who wants to pay with large denominations. And frankly
demanding they do so is neither realistic nor logical.

So no. You're entitled to... nothing.

The shoes total to $36 and change and I give the cashier the $100
bill, she states she doesn't have enough money in her register to give
me change

This cashier indeed offered options.

OP can you go in the back and get more change. I wonder why the OP
would assume there is cash in the back. Some small stores have safes
directly under the check out on the floor. Cashier said I don't have
more change in the back and "sorry" and does the OP have anything
(bill) smaller.

Cashier asked her do you not have anything smaller? That was an
attempt to work something out was it not?

I assume the cashier also asked her about the option of paying by a
credit card because the op says and I really didn't have smaller bills
and I didn't want to use my credit card for the purchase. That tends
to make me think that option was brought up.

OP I asked her if she only had less that $60 dollars in register, she
nodded "yes."

Op starts lecturing cashier on Good customer service. We have no idea
what happened in the first three hours of the day. Cashier still
according to op says she was sorry.

Are you refusing my sale. Yes.

If she can't make change and the OP refuses to use her charge card
then what was she to do.

I guess she could of said just take the shoes free...this is my fault.
I say that because this is exactly what the OPs ask for..FREE SHOES.

I feel like Venice said if others standing in line were aware she
needed change if they had it they might of spoke up just to get the
line moving.

NOW she has said sorry by the OPs count at least 3 times in what the
OP said.

OP has an option of paying by credit card because she tells us that.

In my opinion this OP simply was being the unflexible one.

She could of said well I hate to go get change ..but will you hold
these for me until I get back. She had other options herself. Grown
lady with two children!

Did she have a right to complain to Payless about not having change
sure. With all the unknowns..we don't know why there was not change,
if there was 1, 2 or a dozen workers in the store and the OP told us
that I might have a different opinion.

Had the OP said two people with Payless name tags were standing around
next to the cashier and didn't offer to do anything then I can side
with OP a bit.

I am guessing had the cashier taken the ladies 100 dollar bill and
told these possible other employees that some assume might be in the
store to take it to the bank...she would not of been comfortable
having her cash leave the store.

I mean this OP says herself in her letter that the children are
getting bored and restless. She would of still had to wait around
longer.

If had restless children I would of paid by my credit card. Made a
deposit on my checking account and either sent the payment in to the
credit card or paid it online, or waited to the bill came due. She
would of been able to walk out of the store with the shoes and her
hundred dollar bill!

Also if this was a frequent problem at this store that this OP has
dealt with then maybe a letter would of been really justified.

Things happen and this was just one of them I think.

I also can't assume this cashier was empowered to offer discounts or
give many options. Isn't Payless shoes sort of self serve bottom
price shoes? Not all stores have coupons and offers or options to
keep a customer smiling when something does not go the way a customer
likes.

And this cashier should have tried harder or used her noodle to figure
out a solution. Unfortunately these days some workers just want to do
the bare minimum and it would never occur to them to think outside of
the box.....sad.

Oh and free shoes? NO

I don't think you deserve free shoes or a discount. There isn't so
much business on a Monday morning that there'd be a wad of cash in the
drawer by noon. Besides, most people pay with credit/debit cards,
meaning even fewer cash going into the drawer.

You had an option: Your own credit card. You could have used it but
I suspect you wanted to be difficult.

at my restaurant, my cash drawer is inundated by $100 bills paying
$20-$25 checks, where I run out of change real fast. Stuff happens.
And our registers carry $250 to start.

Too many unknowns as many below have said.

Yes, the cashier could have offered to put the shoes on hold instead
of shrugging the customer off, but I don't think the customer was
willing to accept alternatives. The cashier apologized, and instead of
leaving the situation then, the customer still went on and basically
trapped her into saying that she had to refuse the sale. Seriously,
uncontrollable situations as this arise at times, and to top it all
off the cashier seemed friendly and apologetic for something she can't
even help.It was unfair to scold the cashier about bad customer
service, and instead should have requested the manager. She deserves
no compensation.

I have a different take on this situation, based on my own experiences
in retail.

First, Ladymac is right below: money is money, no matter how much of a
large bill it may be. The OP had the right to pay with a $100 bill if
she wanted.

Second, the OP was making a $36 sale and paying with a $100 bill. That
would give her $64 (less after tax) in change. If the cashier really
couldn't give even that much in change, that was one lean drawer. I
know from my days opening a store that you're not given much money to
start with. However, you're given a lot more than $60. Even on a slow
weekday morning, we still had enough to make a sale and give change if
we needed to.

Now, it's possible that the cashier had some return-for-cash sales.
But on a slow weekday morning, it's not likely. However, if that's
true and the drawer really was left that lean, then my guess is she
didn't have that much to start with. And that could be a problem,
particularly if the cashier was the only one there and had no access
to additional funds for the drawer.

Which brings me to my third point. A couple of people mentioned that
Payless may have had only one person on staff at that time. If that's
true, that's a problem for Payless. There should be two people there
at all times.

But my guess is that the cashier wasn't the only one there. Payless
isn't that small of a store that they can get away with having only
one person. Trust me; I've worked in smaller stores than Payless and
still we had at least two people in the store at all times. I suspect
that their WAS someone else in the store -such as a manager - but the
cashier didn't feel like calling them.

I believe that the cashier didn't have enough change for the OP's
purchase in her drawer, and if she really wasn't able to get more,
there probably wasn't a whole lot she could do. However, this
situation should serve as a wake-up call for this particular location
that they either a) Need to fund their cash desk a little more amply,
and/or b) There needs to be two people at the location at all times,
one being a person who can go to the bank once they realize the drawer
is looking lean.

Oh, and every store I've ever worked at had a nice big safe in the
back where we stored "reserve" cash for situations just like this. Not
everyone had access to the safe, but there was always someone in the
store who did. I'd be very surprised if Payless didn't have one too.
If they don't, they should.

I cannot believe all these comments.

Money is still money and it was really bad business to tell a customer
(especially in this economy) that they are refusing to sell her a
product.

You are owed nothing. You should be more understanding
when you go to little volume stores like Payless and they don't have
enough to make change. You could have went to a bigger retail store
around there (I am pretty sure there is not a Payless store without
major stores next to or near it) and made change for it. Also, the
cashier does not necessarily have the access to the store's money.

Next time go to the bank and have the Benjamin broken up into 5 $20
bills or some such. That is what I always do with large bills.

Cash registers are often not equipped to make that much change.

You are owed nothing.

I never keep that much money in my register, and I would never, ever
admit if I had money "in the back". Ever been held up, Esther? It
isn't fun. You don't want to encourage it by having too much money in
the register.

I guess she could of always completed the transaction and mailed you a
check for what she owed you! :)

Bet that would of made you happy!

You are not entitled to any compensation because you had a large bill
that could not be changed. If I were you I would go to a kiosk or
another store, ask this store to hold my item, ask another store for
change, and return and make the purchase.

Payless does not owe you any shoes because they could not change a
$100 bill.

Sales may have been slow or she did not have a lot of cash sales that
morning.
And, because of security many places do not carry more than $50 in
their drawers at any given time which is usually enough to change $20
or even $50 bills.

If you could have used your credit card you would have because you
could have bought the shoe and paid on the card with the $100. Same
principal as the money is being used for the shoes as it was intended.

She didn't refuse your sale, she didn't have change for your large
bill. What did you want her to do, close the store and run to the
bank?

Obviously you have never heard of a bank. Seriously, you deserve
NOTHING for that. Buy the shoes when you have the correct change,
don't expect employees to have so much. Bear in mind that they need to
protect themselves from armed robbery and having thousands of dollars
in their till makes them an easy target.

You want a pair of free shoes because their till couldn't handle your
large bill? You are owed nothing. There is no guarantee that any
store will be able to handle a large bill. Even if it was 12 in the
afternoon do you think you're the only one who may have wanted to pay
with a large bill?

No store can possibly guarantee each and every customer that they can
handle a large bill. It's just plain common sense.

Yeah, I would be annoyed if I was one of the customers behind you. Its
like, c'mon these days, a shoe store like that, almost no one pays in
cash anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if the percentage of sales made
by cash would be around 25/30%. Especially on a Monday at noon, a
small store like that probably did just a handful of sales. Managers
don't want to keep too much cash in their store because of theft.

So in a nutshell, I have to say, modernize and learn to pay with a
credit card. Embrace that you can get at least $.36 in free money (1%
rewards that are available on many cards) that adds up fast. Though,
just remember to pay in full every month like me and you'll be all
set.

As a retail manager I can tell you that my registers run on a bank of
only $200 with almost half of that being made up of coin change. On a
Monday it can talk quite a few hours to build up more change. I've
often had people waiting outside of my gate for me to open up first
thing in the morning to do returns for cash and have to give them
rolls of quarters back, since I don't have enough bills. The cashier
wasn't lying to you, I'm sure. When there's not change, there's not
change. Most places don't keep money in the back. I don't think that's
bad customer service. Just unfortunate that you couldn't get shoes,
and they missed out on a sale by not having the change that you
needed. That's life, and it's not worth a free pair of shoes.

"...and a discount on the next pair for purchase and to give a pair of
shoes for my son." Why not ask for a couple pair for yourself?

You could have bought the shoes with your credit card, but you chose
not to. The store is "Payless Shoes." With shoes that are $16 a
pair, it may be they often change large bills.

Actually, she didn't refuse the sale. You just refused to pay with
another form of payment. If you really wanted the shoes, you would've
either paid with your credit card or you would've asked her to hold
them and you'll come back after you finished your shopping at another
store therefore having smaller bills to pay for your purchase. I don't
believe you're entitled to any discount let alone a free pair of
shoes.

While this is annoying and inconvenient, it's not poor customer
service. You were paying with a bill that was better than twice what
your bill was, which would have left her till out of change for the
next customers.

Also, many stores do not take large bills simply because of this
problem. The large bills take up all their change and there is an
increased risk of fraud.

Bottom line, they did nothing wrong. There were other options
available to you, but you opted not to take them. That is not the
store's fault.

I understand your frustrations but what exactly did you expect her
do...if she could not make change she could not make change.

You had an option to pay with credit card..or maybe debit card, or you
could of gone and got change perhaps at a bank or nearby business.

Some businesses don't take large bills period. It appears this
business simply didn't have money to make change for you hundred at
the time you were in the store. Maybe she had a large refund when
they opened?

A lot of stores will drop money in a safe that can't be opened.

Anyway sounds like perhaps she might of been alone in the store as
well.

Things happen...I think this was just one of those times.

I think you put her in an option of not being able to do anything but
refuse the sale.

They may not have had much sales with cash that day. More and more
people will use a debit card instead of cash. I RARELY have cash. If
I do, it is less than $5. Just because they were open for 3 hours
doesn't mean that they had enough cash in the till.

If the other people behind you were paying cash, you could have gone
to the back of the line.

Esther W.,

I am always on the side of management assuring that all cashiers have
good reserves of cash but I don't think your kids deserve to be each
"given" a pair of shoes and a discount on a future purchase.

Optimally the manager would have dashed out, gotten change and been
back in a flash but I don't see where this issue was elevated to that
person's attention.

Maybe a discount on one future purchase but let's rememebr you did say
that you had a credit card with you at the time and you made the
decision not to use it.

Stop back when you hear back.

BillR.