A fight with Ron

The inciting incident happened at work. 

As you know, some people don't go to work to work, they go to play games, especially with service providers.  They're the blind date who treats the waitress like crap, running her around and making unreasonable demands.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to avoid them. 

Now it is known at work we "have change".  I take $1 bills out of the vending machine and exchange them for larger bills, up to a $20.  Like Ron said, even God doesn't get change for a $50. 

Now probably 99% of the people who come to me for change are not playing games.  Most of them, however, walk out of our area and give the money to the other vendor.  I still make change. 

Today a woman came up to me as I was stocking, asked if I had "Change for a $20".  Showed me the bill.  I took the money out of the machine.  She said "I don't want to take all your money".  I said it wasn't ALL the money, and I had already taken it out. 

She said "I don't want that" as I was counting out 20, $1 bills.  I asked her what she meant.  "I don't want all those $1 bills.  Don't you have anything larger?" 

What am I, a bank?  I carry around a till in my fanny pack because I have nothing better to do?  I am there to sell food, I am not your personal banking center.  They have a credit union for their banking needs.  

I told her all I had were $1 bills, and if she wanted custom change she should go to the credit union (a long walk).  She said she didn't want to do that and looked at the $1 bills as I managed to shove them into my pocket.  Once I take them out of the machine, they cannot go back in, I am forced to carry them. 

This has happened before, some "special handling", [edit] customers demand custom change, and decide one dollar bills aren't good enough for them.  Some people have the temerity to come and get change from me so they can sell food out of a cart right in front of my vending machines. 

Ron brought it up this afternoon, at home.  I told him I am going to have a new policy:
"I want change for a $20"
"All I have are $1 bills, do you still want it?" before I open the machine.  Then they can decide a lowly $1 isn't good enough for them and go somewhere else. 

I think it is a very reasonable policy.  If they object I will refer them to the credit union.  It's there for their banking.  That is not my job.  What's next, cashing checks?  Money orders?  [rolleyes]

I will give them $1's but that's it, because, like I said, the majority of the change does NOT flow into my vending machines anyway! 

Ron said that was "mean" and more.  I said I am not carrying a big roll of $5's with me.  He said he would, and I will give them five singles and send them to him for the rest.  We don't have long shifts, that's taking two people off stocking to serve someone who is not going to give the money back.  It's inefficient at best. 

Besides, it's been my experience a person becomes more demanding the more you placate.  Set some boundaries and it stops. 

Look what happened in my case, she came back, with a $5 this time, and did want "all those $1's" because she knew it was me or the credit union.  There is NOTHING in our contract about providing change for the customers, much less "custom" change. 

And, sure enough, she walked away and gave the money to the other vendor.  All that time wasted and we didn't make a nickel. 

I'm going to stand by my policy.