Old Man Rant

[ShaverAZ]

Our local Frys store (a division of Krogers) has the best cashiers I have ever dealt with. First, they are fast, efficient, and friendly. If there is a slowdown in a line a front line supervisor will open up additional cash registers or take you to a self-service lane and check you out. The cashiers are always friendly and even laugh at my corny jokes!

This past week there was one younger person in line who wanted to pay by check. She took a long time to write the check. The cashier apologized to me for the long wait.

I remember back in a small Ohio town somewhere around 1970, you walked into a Krogers. If paying by check, you proceeded to a kiosk that looked like a podium. You inserted a check cashing card (predates the ATM card). Next, you inserted your check. It printed the current date on the front of the check, and some kind of OK on thr back. When you approached the cashier in line, you handed her your check & she put it into the register, where it printed out the dollar and cents total. All you had to do was sign the check; the rest was all done LEGIBLY for you.
When I moved to AZ in 1980, I looked all over for those little kiosks / podiums, but there were none -- 50 years later & they still never caught on.

 

[emwolf]

I remember back in a small Ohio town somewhere around 1970, you walked into a Krogers. If paying by check, you proceeded to a kiosk that looked like a podium. You inserted a check cashing card (predates the ATM card). Next, you inserted your check. It printed the current date on the front of the check, and some kind of OK on thr back. When you approached the cashier in line, you handed her your check & she put it into the register, where it printed out the dollar and cents total. All you had to do was sign the check; the rest was all done LEGIBLY for you.
When I moved to AZ in 1980, I looked all over for those little kiosks / podiums, but there were none -- 50 years later & they still never caught on.

I remember the counter checks at department stores, blank except for the store imprint and you simply filled in your bank and account number. Later they started requiring driver's license number and social security for ID. Many, myself included, simply had both numbers printed on the check.

 

[FarmerTan]

I remember the counter checks at department stores, blank except for the store imprint and you simply filled in your bank and account number. Later they started requiring driver's license number and social security for ID. Many, myself included, simply had both numbers printed on the check.

Lol, too bad we can't do that today....

Remember when it was actually DIFFICULT to get approved for a credit card?!

 

[emwolf]

Lol, too bad we can't do that today....

Remember when it was actually DIFFICULT to get approved for a credit card?!

Now I get half a dozen offers a week!

 

[FarmerTan]

Now I get half a dozen offers a week!

Me too. If I ever get cancer I'm sending in every offer I get and move to Hawaii and let the War Department deal with the debt!


What am I thinking? She'd dig me up just to beat my incredibly handsome embalmed face with a frying pan! True story, dat!

 

[Ad Astra]

Hmmmm.... I was probably looking for.... Something....


AA

 

[Rhody]

I remember the counter checks at department stores, blank except for the store imprint and you simply filled in your bank and account number. Later they started requiring driver's license number and social security for ID. Many, myself included, simply had both numbers printed on the check.

Now you can’t trust the check itself. We recently received a check from a major company drawn on a bank located in Chicago that has an incorrect routing number printed on the check. Error? Fraud? First branch rejected it. Second took it by manually entering the correct routing number. Then you have to wait until it clears. But the bank can’t tell you it “cleared” only if it’s refused by the presenting bank. Delay. Hassle. No penalty for big company In this situation. Law requires a specific form notice to issuer of check giving 30 days for them to reissue the check. Thereafter you can file suit max penalty 1,000. Not enough to get a lawyer interested. Imagine if average Joe did that at the supermarket?

 

[Rhody]

Not exactly an old man rant but had an experience I think worth reporting. I found a domestic manufacturer of a product I was interested in (the product is not relevant) they have a fantastic website etc. I’ve been eyeing the products for a while. I called the company about 2 months ago with some product questions. The woman asked where I’m from (I’m about an hour drive) and she told me about a “tent sale” they we’re having august 26 and 27 10-2. I put it on my calendar. She talked up the sale. First quality items with about a 2/3 savings over retail.

So I put off buying and waited. I drove there yesterday. 8/27. The place is located in an industrial area right off a main road. As I approached it didn’t look like much action. No tent. One car in the parking lot. But there were 2 huge open banners on the street. There was a huge open sign right near the front door. So I parked and walked to the door. Again no activity but again I’m standing near the door next to a flag pole with an open flag waiving around. So I go to enter. The front door is unlocked. I enter the lobby. And start looking at their products all displayed around. Still no one is around. So I walk to a set of interior doors. Both unlocked. I opened the door and called out for someone. I look around some more and then notice the alarm panel inside the lobby is beeping. Now im finally getting the picture here. I’m stupidly thinking it’s open but not busy maybe someone went to the bathroom or something. I walk outside and call the company number. The message says they are closed. Then a pickup drives up. The driver looks at me and says “ can I help you” he says he’s an owner and got a call that the alarm is going off. I tell him what happened. He’s seems totally nonplussed and says well I guess they gave you wrong information. I point to the open flag and 2 huge street banners. I then tell him that the entire operation is open and not locked. He says well I guess they didn’t lock up?

***. Who can be in business with this attitude? I told him I was there to buy. He didn’t seem interested in the least. I told him I drove an hour for a sale his customer service person told me about. He shrugged.and that was that. So needless to say I’m never buying from this company ever.

Funny story. Aggravating. But also sad that a us manufacturer has such a lame attitude. Should I email the company or just forget it!

Not an old man rant but something that clearly only happens to me. And I’m not Larry David!

 

[FarmerTan]

Not exactly an old man rant but had an experience I think worth reporting. I found a domestic manufacturer of a product I was interested in (the product is not relevant) they have a fantastic website etc. I’ve been eyeing the products for a while. I called the company about 2 months ago with some product questions. The woman asked where I’m from (I’m about an hour drive) and she told me about a “tent sale” they we’re having august 26 and 27 10-2. I put it on my calendar. She talked up the sale. First quality items with about a 2/3 savings over retail.

So I put off buying and waited. I drove there yesterday. 8/27. The place is located in an industrial area right off a main road. As I approached it didn’t look like much action. No tent. One car in the parking lot. But there were 2 huge open banners on the street. There was a huge open sign right near the front door. So I parked and walked to the door. Again no activity but again I’m standing near the door next to a flag pole with an open flag waiving around. So I go to enter. The front door is unlocked. I enter the lobby. And start looking at their products all displayed around. Still no one is around. So I walk to a set of interior doors. Both unlocked. I opened the door and called out for someone. I look around some more and then notice the alarm panel inside the lobby is beeping. Now im finally getting the picture here. I’m stupidly thinking it’s open but not busy maybe someone went to the bathroom or something. I walk outside and call the company number. The message says they are closed. Then a pickup drives up. The driver looks at me and says “ can I help you” he says he’s an owner and got a call that the alarm is going off. I tell him what happened. He’s seems totally nonplussed and says well I guess they gave you wrong information. I point to the open flag and 2 huge street banners. I then tell him that the entire operation is open and not locked. He says well I guess they didn’t lock up?

***. Who can be in business with this attitude? I told him I was there to buy. He didn’t seem interested in the least. I told him I drove an hour for a sale his customer service person told me about. He shrugged.and that was that. So needless to say I’m never buying from this company ever.

Funny story. Aggravating. But also sad that a us manufacturer has such a lame attitude. Should I email the company or just forget it!

Not an old man rant but something that clearly only happens to me. And I’m not Larry David!

Can I start calling you Larry? Please?

I am NOT laughing AT you. It saddens me that I have lived long enough to see today: an economy like this one, that is literally BEGGING people to werk, $17 to start where I'm at FLIPPING BURGERS! And your post just drives it home that I can't feel at home in this home anymore.

Lol, stop the planet, I want off. Insanity is now the norm.

 

[steveclarkus]

Can I start calling you Larry? Please?

I am NOT laughing AT you. It saddens me that I have lived long enough to see today: an economy like this one, that is literally BEGGING people to werk, $17 to start where I'm at FLIPPING BURGERS! And your post just drives it home that I can't feel at home in this home anymore.

Lol, stop the planet, I want off. Insanity is now the norm.

Don't worry about it FT. Good ole Klaus Schwab is going to take care of us all. You can take that to the bank for sure. Agenda 2030 estimates US population in 2030 will be 100,000,000. Just think how little traffic there will be then. Sure am glad we've got such good people lookin' out for us.

 

[Dalejr]

Id be happy with a cashier in my local and surrounding areas to at least be friendly or attentive, I know its a low pay job but its not hard labor. I don't work a flashy or high paying job and I still greet every customer that gets sent to my desk or happen to run into on the floor with a friendly hello what can I do for you if they are not looked after by an employee or the boss.

 

[Chef455]

Id be happy with a cashier in my local and surrounding areas to at least be friendly or attentive, I know its a low pay job but its not hard labor. I don't work a flashy or high paying job and I still greet every customer that gets sent to my desk or happen to run into on the floor with a friendly hello what can I do for you if they are not looked after by an employee or the boss.

What's this "cashier" that you're speaking of. Half the time I go into a store that job is assigned to me.

 

[garyg]

I've found that people mostly react the same way you treat them ... But for the occasional exception you can grin & bear it, or just hope that they go away somehow ..

 

[Dalejr]

What's this "cashier" that you're speaking of. Half the time I go into a store that job is assigned to me.

I know right with the self checkouts increasing.

 

[rbscebu]

I know right with the self checkouts increasing.

I still give a smile and a friendly hello to the self-checkout machine . Must be force of habit.

 

[Dalejr]

I still give a smile and a friendly hello to the self-checkout machine . Must be force of habit.

Haha.

 

[Chef455]

I still give a smile and a friendly hello to the self-checkout machine . Must be force of habit.

You're very kind @rbscebu , I tend to subtly give the self-checkout machine an entirely different gesture.

 

[Possum092]

Gotta love when the self-check out machine tells you to scan the next item or hit pay now, when you have a little difficulty getting the items out of your cart fast enough. Glad whoever programmed the damned thing isn’t disabled or handicapped. It’s kinda degrading getting talked down to by a self-check out machine.

 

[Rosseforp]

I think people often forget that minimum wage is supposed to be a living wage,

????? It certainly was not when I was growing up in the 1960's and 1970's. It was called a starting wage. You had to prove your worth to get a raise.

~doug~

 

[Rosseforp]

Lol, too bad we can't do that today....

Remember when it was actually DIFFICULT to get approved for a credit card?!

My dog has a credit card, and don't even have a dog!

True doggone story

~doug~