Would you like to enter your PIN number?

[Mrs Cuchillo]

Sorry for the rant.....

Every time I'm at a checkout, and my card has been swiped, I'm standing, ready to enter my PIN number, waiting for the screen prompt and the numpty assistant can see that I'm looking at the screen, and my hand is hovering over the buttons. So WHY do they feel the need to ask me? One day, I will blow my top!

Is it just me?

[DJ111S]

Mrs Cuchillo said:

Sorry for the rant..... Every time I'm at a checkout, and my card has been swiped, I'm standing, ready to enter my PIN number, waiting for the screen prompt and the numpty assistant can see that I'm looking at the screen, and my hand is hovering over the buttons. So WHY do they feel the need to ask me? One day, I will blow my top! Is it just me?

nope. me too!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Have you noticed that some places it's green button, then number, then green button? How daft is that?

[Petrol_noggin]

"no sorry im not ready, im enjoying staring at the machine thankyou very much!"

[hugoagogo]

my personal irritation is the phrase 'PIN number' or even better, 'personal PIN number'

what the hell do they think PIN stands for?

[Parrot of Doom]

Or the 'do you want cashback?' question

Or certain shops who take the card and swipe it, before you enter the number

Or the machines that require you to confirm the amount first

Or the machines (in post office) that only take debit cards, and ask you to select Maestro or Maestro UK

Or the machines that the cashier seems to want to keep to him/herself



Its a bloody minefield. Lets just have one device, one form of entry, and no fecking questions.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

hugoagogo said:

my personal irritation is the phrase 'PIN number' or even better, 'personal PIN number' what the hell do they think PIN stands for?

reversing backwards?

building up to a crescendo?

[mutt k]

have you got a Nectar card?

[FourWheelDrift]

Parrot of Doom said:

Or the 'do you want cashback?' question

When I first heard that question, not knowing about it all I was thinking was "you want to give me cash back, what for free?"

[planetdave]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

hugoagogo said: my personal irritation is the phrase 'PIN number' or even better, 'personal PIN number' what the hell do they think PIN stands for? reversing backwards? building up to a crescendo?

I asked a client to reverse backwards once

The pisstaking was mighty. Smashing girl

[RobDickinson]

Problem is these companies want to employ robots not people, want them to follow a predone script, loyalty card, cashback, pin please...

Its not their fault, there just trying to earn a crust, and prob get a bollokin if they deviate at all.

[Don]

Give 'em a break, eh?

Its a script. They've been told they have to do it that way.

It is not their job to innovate.

The best they can do is to do it with a smile and make you feel that perhaps when the say "Thank you. Have a good day." they might actually mean it.

Try smiling at them. Saying hello. They're bored shitless and dying for a wee and their supervisor hasn't let them off for their break and it was due half an hour ago and their day will be ten times worse than yours possibly could be guaran--teed and, chances are, they're doing it for a tenth what you earn. The smallest soupcon of empathy will be rewarded ten times over with their goodwill - the mere possibility that you might consider them a human being rather than some form of "Till Automaton" often seems to make 'em almost pathetically grateful - and I can understand why the way they get treated.

There again. I've met my share of mindless goits who grumpily ignore the boldest attempts at friendly communication in a fug of chip-on-shoulder bloody mindedness that is simply breathtaking.

Supermarkets. Like hell. Only up here. Its bad enough visiting. Working there? Oh boy....

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

In Marks & Spencers they have a "rate the employee" q & a electronic device. Pretty cruel to the staff, but great fun.

[Pigeon]

FourWheelDrift said:

Parrot of Doom said: Or the 'do you want cashback?' question When I first heard that question, not knowing about it all I was thinking was "you want to give me cash back, what for free?"

Yeah, why don't they just say "do you want some cash?" "Cash back" does mean what FWD thought it means. I don't pay by card in supermarkets - notes are much less hassle, for a start you avoid many of the annoying questions - but it's tempting to pay by card and answer "Yeah, I'd like it all back, cheers" just so I can kick up a stink when they do something different from what they said they were going to do.

[jessica]

Parrot of Doom said:

Or the 'do you want cashback?' question Or certain shops who take the card and swipe it, before you enter the number Or the machines that require you to confirm the amount first Or the machines (in post office) that only take debit cards, and ask you to select Maestro or Maestro UK Or the machines that the cashier seems to want to keep to him/herself Its a bloody minefield. Lets just have one device, one form of entry, and no fecking questions.

[TimW]

I work in a shop at weekends and i hate when old people just enter there pin as soon as they put there card in lol then they cause a stink cos they have to enter it more than once.......

[Matthew C]

Pigeon said:

FourWheelDrift said: Parrot of Doom said: Or the 'do you want cashback?' question When I first heard that question, not knowing about it all I was thinking was "you want to give me cash back, what for free?" Yeah, why don't they just say "do you want some cash?" "Cash back" does mean what FWD thought it means. I don't pay by card in supermarkets - notes are much less hassle, for a start you avoid many of the annoying questions - but it's tempting to pay by card and answer "Yeah, I'd like it all back, cheers" just so I can kick up a stink when they do something different from what they said they were going to do.

Nice to know someone else pays for stuff in cash, I haven't even got a card I can use for buying stuff with. I even payed for my car in cash.

[focusonme]

Don said:

Give 'em a break, eh? Its a script. They've been told they have to do it that way. It is not their job to innovate. The best they can do is to do it with a smile and make you feel that perhaps when the say "Thank you. Have a good day." they might actually mean it. Try smiling at them. Saying hello. They're bored shitless and dying for a wee and their supervisor hasn't let them off for their break and it was due half an hour ago and their day will be ten times worse than yours possibly could be guaran--teed and, chances are, they're doing it for a tenth what you earn. The smallest soupcon of empathy will be rewarded ten times over with their goodwill - the mere possibility that you might consider them a human being rather than some form of "Till Automaton" often seems to make 'em almost pathetically grateful - and I can understand why the way they get treated. There again. I've met my share of mindless goits who grumpily ignore the boldest attempts at friendly communication in a fug of chip-on-shoulder bloody mindedness that is simply breathtaking. Supermarkets. Like hell. Only up here. Its bad enough visiting. Working there? Oh boy....

The best part about working in a shop was the smalltalk with the regular customers that treated you like a good friend. (It's amazing the power supplying booze and cigs brings.) The worst part was being treated like a braindead idiot - either because they assume I must because I work in a shop, or because they're w*nkers and assume everyone's braindead until proven otherwise. But despite that, I was always polite and respectful and understood that the best way to make money was to give people a reason to shop in the place where I worked.

[R988]

mutt k said:

have you got a Nectar card?

never seen anyone have one either

[mefoster]

Parrot of Doom said:

Or the 'do you want cashback?' question

If you take cashback it means they don't have to bank it. Easier for them plus a service for you.

Parrot of Doom said:

Or the machines that require you to confirm the amount first

That's actually an advantage and I prefer it. How do you know that you're "signing" for the correct amount if you don't confirm it? When you sign the paper slip, do you check the amount first or do you just sign it blindly?