c/behind-the-counter-talk

6

betty_park62•1d ago

Can we talk about the cashier at that diner on Route 9 who refused to split a check 3 ways?

I went to Mama's Diner in Greenville last Tuesday and the waitress told me splitting a $47 check three ways would “mess up her system,” so I asked if she ever broke a $20 for customers and she just walked away, has anyone else dealt with a place that won't split checks for small groups?

5

emmap16•2d ago

Why does nobody talk about using a damp rag to clean the pastry case in 10 minutes flat

I work at a coffee shop in Portland and our pastry case was always a nightmare to clean, all those sticky crumbs and smudges. Last week I tried spraying a microfiber rag with a little water instead of glass cleaner, and it cut my cleaning time from 20 minutes to about 10. Has anyone else found a weird shortcut that actually works better than the official way?

8

rosel83•2d ago

Warning: that advice about greeting every customer with a joke backfired hard

My old manager at the diner near 12th street in Portland told me to always start with a joke to break the ice. Tried it on a regular who came in at 6 AM last Tuesday, said something about eggs being overpriced, and he just stared at me for a solid 10 seconds before ordering black coffee. Has anyone else gotten burned by some feel-good customer service tip that just doesn't work?

4

ryanf66•3d ago

Box cutter swap saved my hands at the register

Used to use those standard yellow utility knives at my deli counter. Cutting through 40 pounds of cheese a day wrecked my palms. Switched to a safety blade with the auto-retract from the supply room. No more blisters and I don't have to fight the thing open every 20 seconds. Anyone else found a tool that just makes their shift bearable?

16

the_joseph•3d ago

I miss the old manual credit card imprinters from my first retail job

Back in 2008 at a small hardware store in Portland, we had this clunky metal machine that made carbon copies of credit cards. Swipe it back and forth, tear off the slips, done. No waiting for authorization, no screens freezing, no fumbling with chip readers that take forever. It felt more honest somehow, like the customer gave you their card and you handled it right there. Now I work at a big box store and the terminals lag during every rush, people get frustrated, and I'm standing there for 30 seconds waiting for a beep. Has anyone else worked with those old machines and actually preferred them?

10

schmidt.willow•3d ago

Hit my 10,000th customer transaction last Tuesday without even noticing

I work behind the counter at a sandwich shop in downtown Portland and we have this little counter on our POS system that tracks every order. Last Tuesday I glanced at it during a lull and it said 10,004 and I just stood there for a second. I've been at this shop for about three years now and I never thought about the numbers adding up like that. That's a lot of people I've handed food to through that window, you know? It made me think about all the regulars who come in every day and the random tourists I'll never see again. Has anyone else hit a random milestone like that and had it hit different than they expected?

1

parkerk56•4d ago

Had a customer try to return a half-eaten sandwich today at the deli counter

Tbh I've been working food service for 4 years now and this one still got me. A guy comes up to my register with a turkey sub he said he bought yesterday, wrapped back up with two bites taken out. He claimed it tasted 'off' but I could see the bite marks were clean and fresh. My manager came over and told him we can't take food back for safety reasons. The guy then started yelling about how he was a regular and we owed him a free replacement. I just stood there quiet while my manager held firm. Has anyone else dealt with someone trying to return clearly eaten food like this?

26

kelly.emma•5d ago

Was folding shirts wrong for 2 years until a customer showed me the right way

I worked at a clothing store in Portland for over two years and always tucked the sleeves under instead of behind. One customer watching me fold finally asked if she could show me the trick, and honestly my mind was blown. Any other retail folks discover they were doing a basic task totally backwards for way too long?

2

jessica_dixon•5d ago

Spent $80 on a new anti-fatigue mat for my register station last month

I've been standing on the same tile for 3 years at the grocery store. My feet were killing me every shift. Saw a post about mats and bought one from a restaurant supply place. Best money I ever spent. No more aching feet after 8 hours. Has anyone else tried one for a long shift? Made a big difference for me.

6

wesleybutler•5d ago

Just learned my drive-thru headset costs $1,200 to replace - can you believe that?

I was cleaning ours last week and cracked the casing on accident, looked up the model number for a replacement part and bam, three figures for a new one. Has anyone else been shocked by the price of some random equipment you use every day?

30

the_kai•9d ago

Had to choose between helping a customer or following store policy last night

So this lady comes in 5 minutes before close wanting to return a half eaten bag of chips with no receipt. My manager already left for the night and our policy says no returns without a receipt after 30 days. But she had this look like she was having a really rough day, crying a little. I ended up giving her store credit anyway and just ate the cost myself with my employee discount. Has anyone else bent the rules for someone and regretted it or was it worth it?

23

wren_walker62•9d ago

The moment I realized I was wrapping sandwiches completely wrong

I worked at a deli for 8 months and always folded the paper over the top like a little envelope. Last Tuesday a customer asked me why I was leaving the bottom gap open. I looked down and saw my sandwich was basically a loose bag. Turns out I was supposed to tuck both ends under first. I felt like such a fool. Has anyone else had that moment where you've been doing something the same way for months and a customer finally points out the obvious?

3

taylorm89•24d ago

TIL a customer's 5 minute rant about loyalty cards actually made me reconsider my own habits

Some guy at the register last Thursday went off about how he tracks every purchase with a spreadsheet and realized he'd saved $12 in 3 years across 4 different store cards. Has anyone else ever crunched the numbers on those things and found they're not worth the hassle?

6

charlie384•24d ago

That one customer who told me I was folding shirts wrong changed everything

So I've been working at this clothing store in Phoenix for about 2 years now. I always folded shirts the way my manager showed me on day one. Then this older lady comes up one afternoon and goes 'honey, you're crushing the collars.' She showed me this trick where you fold the sleeves back at an angle first so the collar stays flat. I thought she was just being picky but I tried it and now my sections look way cleaner. Customers actually comment on how neat the racks look. Plus it saves me like 10 minutes at closing because I don't have to refold stuff people messed up. Has anyone else had a random customer teach them a better way to do something basic?

12

carr.xena•25d ago

Deli slicer jammed mid-rush and I lost a whole order of roast beef

I was working the deli counter at a grocery store in Portland on a Friday at 5:30 PM... line was out the door. The slicer just seized up when I was slicing roast beef for a customer order, blade stuck halfway through a log. I had to stop everything and call the manager over, she was not happy. Took me 20 minutes to clear the jam and then I had to re-slice everything fresh since the first batch was ruined. Have any of you had to handle a machine breaking at the worst possible time? How'd you smooth it over with the customer?

12

reese_patel•28d ago

Switched from taping name tags to using sticker sheets for new hires

I used to write out name tags one by one for each new cashier at my grocery store here in Portland. It took forever, especially when we'd hire 4 people at once for the summer rush. About 6 months ago, I started ordering those perforated sticker sheets online. Now I just type all the names into a template on my laptop, print them out, and peel them off as needed. It saves me maybe 20 minutes per batch of new hires. The trick is getting the font size right so they don't look squished. Has anyone else found a faster way to handle store badges or labels?

20

laurar38•29d ago

The guy who tried to return a half-eaten sandwich at our deli counter

This happened about 2 months ago at the sandwich shop I work at in St. Louis. This guy walks up to the counter with a turkey sub that's literally missing like three bites and he's holding it in a napkin. He says 'I got this an hour ago and it just doesn't taste right, I want my money back.' My manager came over and asked him what exactly was wrong, and he goes 'the bread is too fluffy, I wanted it denser.' We all just stared at him for a solid 5 seconds. Has anyone else dealt with a return on food that's already been eaten? I still can't wrap my head around it.

6

logan648•29d ago

I finally fixed a clogged ice machine at work after a week of guessing

Spent 6 days pulling apart the ice machine at my diner because the line kept freezing up, turned out a $12 filter replacement fixed it. Any of you guys dealt with a simple fix that took way longer than it should have?

2

fisher.reese•29d ago

Ran into my old regular customer at the grocery store and it got me thinking

I saw Mr. Henderson in the produce aisle yesterday, he used to come into my coffee shop every morning for 3 years. He told me he stopped coming because the new manager changed all the drink recipes and nothing tasted right anymore. It hit me that I've been so focused on just getting through my shifts that I didn't even notice when we lost our regulars. Has anyone else had a customer quit coming and only later figured out why?

1

christopher_kim•1mo ago

Wasted $80 on a 'premium' uniform shirt that fell apart in 3 washes

I bought this fancy button-up from a uniform supply company online because it said 'double stitched and reinforced.' After just three wash cycles at home, the collar started fraying bad and a seam split on the sleeve. Stick with the basic store brands from places like Walmart, they last way longer for half the price. Has anyone else gotten burned by overpriced uniform gear?

25

jakem98•1mo ago

Tried offering every customer a free cookie during a rush at my coffee shop in Seattle...

I figured it would slow things down but it actually cut our wait times by 3 minutes because people were too busy chewing to argue about their latte art - has anyone else had a weird tactic like that backfire or work out the opposite way you expected?

26

lane.joel•1mo ago

Watch for the guy who orders a loaded burger then complains it's too messy

Had a customer at my diner in Tulsa last Tuesday order our Big Beast burger with extra sauce, then send it back because it was 'dripping everywhere.' I get it, some people don't like mess, but maybe ask for it on the side if you know that's an issue? Anyone else get this type where they want the full experience but also want it clean?

16

bettyrodriguez•1mo ago

Had a chat with a regular yesterday that totally shifted how I deal with angry customers

He used to work retail 20 years ago and said the people yelling at you aren't mad at you they're mad at the store but you're the only face they see. Ever since I heard that I stopped taking the insults personal and my shifts got way easier has anyone else found a mental trick that actually works?

15

blairm35•1mo ago

Learned the hard way why you never store lemons near your cash register

I work an early morning shift at a small deli counter downtown, and last Tuesday I noticed our citrus garnish was always turning soft and moldy by noon. Turns out, the heat from the register lights and the constant handling was speeding up the rot way faster than I thought. I read a quick tip from a produce guy on a food service forum that said lemons need airflow and cool temps, not a warm spot near the register. So I moved them to a little rack over by the prep sink, and they're lasting a full day now without getting mushy. It's such a simple thing, but it saves me from having to toss out a whole bag every shift. Anyone else have a weird storage trick that saved you money on wasted ingredients?

15

williams.sage•1mo ago

Used to think drive thru headsets were indestructible until one broke in the rain

Last Tuesday during a downpour at the Elmhurst Wendy's our headset started cutting out and I realized those things are way more fragile than I thought, has anyone else had a headset die from just a little water?