Am I being to picky?

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu May 20, 2004 3:39 pm

I will admit that I was a very above average math student in school, but am I being too,
critical of our current work force and their management?

These are both true stories that have happened with-in the last 7 days!

Was in a grocery store and I rung up $15.65 or so in grocery. The checker looks at me
and says "is this right you were suppose to get a 10% discount on this sale (admittedly I
picked the wrong time to purchase just a few items)... this doesn't look right what is 10%
of $15.65. I was so dumbfounded I just stood there with my mouth open. Fortunately a
very industrious college student helped her out with the math part and explained about
the moving of the decimal point and then got her phone number, at least he was no
dumby!

Today I was at Arby's and their cash register was acting up or something. I rang up $7.45
but the cash register would not give her the change amount for the twenty I gave her. I
am not kidding she freaked. She looked behind her and asked another employee who was
too busy to help her (I going to assume that was the case) and then bolted to the Manager
and asked him. He got it straitened away.

Now tell me why can not these otherwise charming individuals do simple math problems,
but yet more important, what moron that put these people in the position to handle cash,
and how soon will they be in business. Am I out of line here!

CatfaninGA · Post by **CatfaninGA** » Thu May 20, 2004 4:45 pm

Thank goodness I started in business at an early age being a paperboy. I quickly learned how to make correct change. I was laughing at the part in the resturant, I have had that happen to me a couple of times, and I had to slowly explain on how to make correct change.

This is the new wave of the world folks.......if a computer does not tell you how to do something, then we are screwed! LOL!

MSU01 · Post by **MSU01** » Thu May 20, 2004 7:41 pm

I hope you made her round $1.565 up to $1.56... nice job to Mr. Industrious College Student with the phone number, very impressive.

It is rather sad to look at how many people can't do simple math problems such as 10% of a number or making change. These are probably the same people who spend hundreds of dollars on scratch-off lottery tickets.

Oh, and about Arby's, something's really wrong with them, because twice in the last few times I've been to one the place has been out of roast beef (once in Billings, once in Bozeman). That's like going to Pizza Hut and them telling you, "Oh sorry, we're out of cheese and pizza sauce".

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Fri May 21, 2004 8:50 am

When I was in school at Bozeman I worked for awhile at Little Big Man Pizza on 7th. We had such a sharp manager there we DID run out of cheese twice in the 9-10 period I was there!!

wbtfg · Post by **wbtfg** » Fri May 21, 2004 9:31 am

msla: Don't be too critical of someone's math skills. Some people's minds just don't work that way, and there's a reason they are working a menial job and not doing brain surgery. Also, if you're going to critique math skills, be ready for someone to critique your spelling and grammer errors on this board...they are plentiful. Just look at your subject line "am I being to picky?" The average 4th grader will tell you that it should be "am I being TOO picky?"

I'm not trying to be critical of you because I love everything that you bring to the board, just reminding you that no one is perfect and that some things come easier for some than others.

That is all.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Fri May 21, 2004 10:11 am

I agree, but of more concern to me is why there managers put them in that possition. My spelling sucks, but as a buisness man I have made sure my office manager has strong english skills. As a manager of people you need to put people where they can best help you. I really meant for my critisism to be meant more for the managers than the employee.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Fri May 21, 2004 10:27 am

To put things into perspective, whenever I go to Montana (or most interior states), it always takes me by surprise when the person I am ordering food from speaks clear English. I don't even worry about the change after that relaxing discovery.

Don't get me wrong, I admire the hell out of immigrants who work their butts off to make a better life for themselves, and I am now pretty good at deciphering various accents to get my burger without ketchup or mustard, but there is something to be said for being able to carry on a competely easy conversation with your neighborhood fast food merchant.

velochat · Post by **velochat** » Mon May 24, 2004 7:33 am

Having recently spent a month in Europe, and having contact with numerous Asians and Europeans, I can attest that people in the rest of the world are taking their educations a lot more seriously than are Americans. I have some grave concerns about the future of our economy, and your example fits right in. In general, US Universities are the best in the world, but students who only graduate from US high schools will be lucky to move beyond fast food jobs, when a huge pool of hungry, better educated people is available outside of our borders. People who think that the US is inately morally and intellectually superior had better get over that, as it's not true and endangers our futures. We need to start using our brains more (and lose weight), or we will be the third world nation.

raincat · Post by **raincat** » Mon May 24, 2004 11:56 am

Come to the Seattle area if you want to witness all this first hand. The highly educated come from all over the world because of a domestic shortage of high tech workers. Here's the kicker; they eventually bring over family members not so well educated who compete for the fast food, quicky-mart, and bussboy jobs.