Another Rat Shack Rant

[K6PME]

So yesterday I was in the local Rat Shack getting some patch cables to finish setting up the new home theater system. It just so happens that we were having a nasty windstorm and the power went out as I walked up to the counter. The store owner tells the girl working the register, no problem, just hand write the sales ticket. The owner goes off to help another customer and the girl gets out the calculator and sales pad. So far so good.

So now the girl writes my 2 identical items on the ticket pad and starts fiddling with the calculator. After a few moments I'm thinking that there is something wrong so I look at what she is doing. She has a total of 17 thousand and something for 2 cables at $9.95 each and she can't figure out what is wrong! So I talk her through doing it again, "9 point 95, good, now times 2, NO, it's times 2, NO, it's the little X right there......ya, that one right there......good. Now for the tax". The poor girl was horrified! So she runs over to the owner and ask's, "I have to do the taxes right"? Owner says, "yes, it's 7 1/4 percent". The girl walks slowly back to the counter, sets the caculator down and just looks at it. Thinking maybe a memory cue will help I say, "base times rate equals amount". HUH? "Ok, fine, just do this, multiply that amount times .0725 and you will have the tax. But it's 7 1/4 not .0725", she says......

About this time the owner comes over and says to me, "hey, I have a good battery operated weather radio I can sell you if you need one". "No thanks", I answer, "I'm a ham and I have some pretty good equipment at home". "Yes, but you can get the weather from the National Weather Service with this", he says. "Ahhh, no thanks" I answer back.

Looking back at the counter girl I see she has 20 thousand and something on the the calculator. So I reach over and get the silly thing and do it myself then write it all out on the sales ticket and hand her a $50 dollar bill. She takes the money, opens the cash drawer, and just looks at it and the sales book. I didn't even bother to say anything, I just punched a few numbers on the calculator and set it on the the counter and told her I needed that much change. Without saying a word she handed the change back along with the receipt.

As I'm walking out the door the owner says, "Can I interest you in a new cell phone"?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!&#3 3;!!!!!!!!!&#3 3;


HOW DO THEY SURVIVE?

[KB1GYQ]

Theres a lot of $$$ in them thar cellphones!!!

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (KG6QQL @ Jan. 08 2005,19:40)]AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!&#3 3;!!!!!!!!!&#3 3;


HOW DO THEY SURVIVE?

Cause their average customer these days is about as intelligent as that gal behind the counter?

p.s. In my days at Radio Shack, we didn't have the computers to tell us the change... we had to count it back to them. For some reason, we got it right 99.999% of the time. Maybe because the "culture" was different and we actually got employees who knew electronics!

[KZ9U]

I was at a certain fast food restaurant, which I will not name other that to say I won't be making a run for the border for a while.. The total was something on the order of $5.82.. So I hand the person at the window $6.07.. After a momentary blank stare I am told "You gave me too much" I said "Just punch it into your computer.." Lo and behold it came out that I was to get a quarter back.. This proto-human looks all surprised and delighted and said "Hey! How'd you do that?" *Boggle*

[K6PME]

Quote[/b] (N9KZU @ Jan. 08 2005,19:55)]The total was something on the order of $5.82.. So I hand the person at the window $6.07.. After a momentary blank stare I am told "You gave me too much" I said "Just punch it into your computer.." Lo and behold it came out that I was to get a quarter back.. This proto-human looks all surprised and delighted and said "Hey! How'd you do that?" *Boggle*

Now THATS funny. I'm going to have to try it sometime!

[KZ9U]

Shouldda been that I handed them $6.08, but whatever.. The point was that I was supposed to get a quarter back

[N0KLT]

Rat Shack won't be the only place that you will run into helplessness when the computers are down. A lot of people have gotten so dependent on the computerized cash register to do their calculations for them that they are helpless without them. I am just amazed that the cash drawer could be opened that easily with the computer down unless the cash drawer was not part of the computerized cash register. I have been in other chain stores where evidently the cash registers were hooked real time to a main computer at someother place. I remember being in one chain where the link between the cash register terminals and the main frame was severed for some reason and all and I mean all transaction in the store ceased until the link was reestablished. They, because of corperate rules (so they said) could not even take cash transactions even if you had the exact amount, including tax in your hot little hand wanting to give it to them and get the heck out of there. Incidently that chain has since gone out of existence, I wonder why. but back to Rat Shack, I am rather surprised the clerk didn't know how to use a simple calculator. I honestly thought that was a skill that all kids learned very young. I know when my 27 yr old son was in school, at a certain level he was required to bring a calculator and they were taught to use it and encouraged to use it from that point foreward. Later on it was required that they have one and in some classes the school loaned them the more expensive graphing ones for a couple of classes. Times they are achanging; and not necessarily for the good.

[N7AAO]

Quote[/b] (N0KLT @ Jan. 08 2005,20:27)]Rat Shack won't be the only place that you will run into helplessness when the computers are down. A lot of people have gotten so dependent on the computerized cash register to do their calculations for them that they are helpless without them. I am just amazed that the cash drawer could be opened that easily with the computer down unless the cash drawer was not part of the computerized cash register. I have been in other chain stores where evidently the cash registers were hooked real time to a main computer at someother place. I remember being in one chain where the link between the cash register terminals and the main frame was severed for some reason and all and I mean all transaction in the store ceased until the link was reestablished. They, because of corperate rules (so they said) could not even take cash transactions even if you had the exact amount, including tax in your hot little hand wanting to give it to them and get the heck out of there. Incidently that chain has since gone out of existence, I wonder why. but back to Rat Shack, I am rather surprised the clerk didn't know how to use a simple calculator. I honestly thought that was a skill that all kids learned very young. I know when my 27 yr old son was in school, at a certain level he was required to bring a calculator and they were taught to use it and encouraged to use it from that point foreward. Later on it was required that they have one and in some classes the school loaned them the more expensive graphing ones for a couple of classes. Times they are achanging; and not necessarily for the good.

It ain't just calculators that people are becoming dependent on... spell-checkers too.

I swear, if I see one more statement like "they changed there mind," I may just go stark raving mad!

Quote[/b] ] I have a spelling checker,

It came with my PC.

It plainly marks four my revue

Mistakes I cannot sea.

I've run this poem threw it,

I'm sure your please too no,

Its letter perfect in it's weigh,

My checker tolled me sew.

[K6PME]

LT, I wondered how it opened myself but at that point wasn't going to ask. This kid was probably about 18 or 19. Not very old.

AAO, You would be surprised at some of the stuff I've seen that has been run through the 'spell checker'!

[KI4LZK]

I know what you mean