Friday, April 6, 2012

Practicum: A Guided Course In Giving Back Change

I want to be a waitress in a restaurant if I could be the server for my oldest nephew Andrew.  A recent math assignment he completed was how much a 15% tip would be on at $26.00 bill.  He calculated the tip would be $39.00 and didn't recognize that his answer was more than the bill. Today we had a garage sale and he couldn't give change when given two twenties for a $29.50 purchase.

Many people today can not make change. I blame today's cash registers which do just about everything for the cashier including, in some cases, dispensing the change.  I remember my grandmother working at the Benner Tea grocery store ringing up purchases on the old cash register where the numbers popped up at the top. The machine didn't tell her how much change to give back the customer. I remember Grandma counting back the coins and bills to each customer.  Today most cashiers just throw the money back to you in a wad uncounted. Today I tried to teach Andrew how to count back change.

"Start with $29.50, the amount of the purchase," I told him.  "Then give change up to the next whole dollar amount. How much money to get to $30?"

With a puzzled look, Andrew replies, "I don't get it."

"How much money do you need to add to $29.50 to get $30?" I asked again.

"I don't know. A dollar?" guess Andrew.

Slightly exasperated I spit back, "That would be $30.50."

"That doesn't make sense. I am suppose to give $30.00 in change back?" Andrew asked.

"NO! You are suppose to count up to the $40 she gave you starting with $29.50 purchase. Two quarters make it $30.00.  Then another $10 will add to $40.  That makes $10.50 the amount you owe the customer."

I get a tentative, "Uhmmm, O.K."  We practiced this a few more times throughout the day.  I would like to say he got the light bulb in the skull moment, but I am sure we'll have to go over it again. I'd like to think he won't be one of those part-time McDonald's kids handing me a wad of cash without counting it back to me. Time will tell.

10 comments:

  1. Rita,
    This made me giggle because math is soooo NOT my strong skill! I can make change but it took a while for me to "get it!" I am a generation X child, so luckily we didn't use calculators in math class or have a cell phone with a calculator on it. I can also tell time on a regular clock that is not digital. haha! YAY ME! If I would have been born into this generation of kids, it might be a different story.

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    1. The younger nephew is working on telling time to the nearest 15 minutes.

      I have heard they are thinking of eliminating cursive writing from the curriculum because everybody is using the keyboard by first grade. If so, the next generation will be printing their signature. Or it will all be electronic.

      I am campaigning to bring back the Pony Express and telegraph machines. Lol. Just kidding.

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  2. Oh no! Wait until he has a McDonald's job and he gets yelled at for coming up short at the end of his shift. That'll learn him.

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    1. My oldest son was fired from Panera Bread several years ago because he came up $15 short.

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  3. That would have frustrated the hell out of me too. My husband constantly has to call me outside to our store if someone asks for more than 1 item. What's worse is he can't even do it on the calculator.

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    1. I am sure he has strengths in other areas. Andrew is a good reader.

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  4. Having spent decades in retail, I can tell you a few things LOL. We used to give a SIMPLE math test to applicants, can't do that anymore, stopped in the 80s I think.
    When the "new" computerized cash registers came out that told the person how much change to give, management was told to no longer have our sales clerks (oops sales associates!) count back the old way because it would confuse them. However, they were supposed to count how much money they gave you. ie: "your change is $15.20 ten, plus five is fifteen, ten and ten is twenty cents", that didn't last long.
    I also did sales audits, LOL, frigging amazing, usually the registers came out fine despite the inability of people to make change. Incidental, most missing money re-appears the next day because it stuck to the underside of the register or to another bill!
    regards,
    Theresa

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    1. My son got fired from Panera Bread a few years back because he came up short $15. At least counting the amount before handing over to the customer makes sure we get the correct change and the poor sap behind the register won't come up short.

      Wow! I've become a member of the old school!

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  5. The young girls I work with think I'm positively archaic for counting out change to our customers.

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    1. I appreciate it. Tell the young'uns to stuff it. LOL.

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