Teen Ink

During my first week at Palm Harbor Natural Foods, I learned a few things. The customers aren’t always pleasant, the register system is outdated, and you need a manager for every mistake you can (and will) make.

Sundays were our discount days – 10 percent off everything in the store. From the moment I arrived at 10:30 a.m. and clocked in, herds of shoppers bustled down the aisles. I was ready to take on my first customer, although I was still a little shaky on the register.

Previously, my experience had been with the technologically advanced register system at McDonald’s. Mickey D’s has touch-screen menus and unlimited options. This grocery wasn’t that high-tech.

Confident because of my former job experience, I felt ready to help customers. I was virtually flawless as I scanned items and weighed bulk goods.

I was calling out the totals and instructing the hurried customers with their credit cards. Every so often, I asked my coworker for assistance. There were a lot of procedures to remember. Usually if I made a mistake, I’d call Gary, the manager, over to type in his magic code and make everything better.

Later in the day, when most of the church-goers had come and gone, things slowed down. I was in the home stretch and had a full tummy from eating hot deli food during my break. My feet were a bit sore and I was weary from standing all day. A man with a very full basket approached my register. He must have had more than forty items. When I finally swiped his last grocery item, I said, “That will be $847.63.”

“What?” he exclaimed. “I can feel a hole in my pocket.” But he swiped his credit card, signed the slip, and left.

After bragging to Mike at register two about the amount I had just rung up, my palms began to sweat and I felt like a thief. I must have made a mistake in the man’s order. My thoughts were interrupted by Gary’s voice booming over the intercom. I quickly straightened the ginger chews and helped the next customer.

Have you ever bought a quantity of one item, maybe to save money or trips to the store? The reason Mr. Customer paid $847.63 is because of my clumsy butter-fingers. Instead of typing 3 for “quantity of item,” I typed 37.

Back at work the following weekend, I asked Gary, “Did the customer come in to get his money back?”

“Yes, he did,” Gary informed me. Turns out I needed more practice on those outdated systems.