the way we are handed our change in shops...

[joko]

Why do so many shop assistants put a note on your palm and then place the money in a pile on top?

It is very annoying as the money slides off and if you have the other hand full (usually with your purchase) you can't manouvre it very well

I assume its some subconscious effort at "neatness" and it "looks right" or a feeling that thats how you would put money on a table and it seems like the natural order of things?

I wondered if they are taught this somehow or is it natural? Any one who has had it done to them and then worked in a shop would surely realise?

I can't think of any instances where you would be taught this (shop assistant school...) and if it has been done to you you certainly wouldn't copy it - so why?

I myself used to do this when i was about 16 for the above reasons and only later did i realise it wasn't helpful - even though i would watch people drop their change, struggle to balance it, try to tip it into their purse etc.

and before anyone starts with the "its no big deal" & "lifes too short" etc - I know, i know, and i am not bothered really - its not like i lose sleep over it - it just occurred to me and though i'd mention it, and see if anyone had any theories.

thanks

[sophie_1003]

I work in a shop and do this myself, I know it is very annoying as I get in a bit of a tizz when people do it to me, trying to balance everything, but when you have a queue of 10 agitated customers all wanting to be served at once it is the easiest and quickest way for us staff!

[AliFlump]

I agree sophie i used to be a checkout girl and i used to count the change back and some would start huffing and puffing cos it was taking too long so then you just gave to change back to a different customer and they didnt like that

I used to work with a lady who didnt like 2p's or 20p's in her till, she said she couldn't work with them, how strange!!

[clarabel82]

The impatient customer behind really annoys me too and I either make them wait longer and smile at them while my current customer is sorting their stuff or if they have simply put their stuff down before my last customer has gone I call the next person to the till before the impatient one is ready to go. So they get treated the same as the customer they were pushing out of the way. Serves them right!