As a cashier, I handle hundreds of dollars in cash depending on the day at work. I'm a main cashier who does returns and purchases so often I can do over 200 transactions in an 8 hour shift including two 15 minute breaks and a 45 minute lunch. Some days I get one $50 dollar bill, sometimes I don't see them for weeks. Some days I get a few $100 dollar bills, sometimes I don't get any. But one of the bills I see in dozens are $1's, $5's, and $10's.
At my job we take many precautions so we don't lose company money from counterfeits. We have UV machines that we're supposed to use to check suspicious bills and bills over $50. If you get a bill over $50 you have to check it yourself, and get a CSM (Customer Service Manager) to check it as well.
A week ago, I encountered a peculiar $100 dollar bill; one of over half a dozen during that 8 hour shift. I checked it with the UV machine to see if the UV colored line showed up to ensure it's validity, and nothing appeared. I called over my CSM to see if she could see it, and she didn't. We then called the manager, an assistant manager, and another CSM to try and determine whether it was fake or not. In the end, it was a very, very old $100 where they didn't incorporate a UV light into the bill to help businesses determine whether a bill was counterfeit or not.
Last week I came in contact with a customer who was very rude to me in more ways than one, and seemed to be in a hurry to get out of the store. She paid in cash, and I saw a $5 that didn't look right to me at all. I thought back to when of my CSMs spotted a fake $20 a month earlier, and took into consideration that any amount could be counterfeited. It even felt different so I put the bill in the UV machine nonchalantly, as I tried to keep the conversation light with said customer. I quickly glanced at the bill but I didn't see a colored line appear.
I asked my assistant manager who thankfully happened to be nearby, if it looked fake to her. She asked if there was a colored line and put it in the machine, and then declared it to me that it was just an old $5 bill, and that I missed the line that was faintly glowing. The customer looked at me with a rude, judging look while saying, "Haven't you seen one of these before? His name is Lincoln, in case you didn't know." She and the person that she was with, was laughing to themselves about how I've never seen an old $5 bill, and how I'm so young and naive.
Lets just say that I don't appreciate teasing. At all. I have zero tolerance for teasing, negative sarcasm, playful insults, or anything of the sort. I encounter dozens and dozens of the new $5 dollar bills that look nothing like the new ones. Yes, I may be young, but that doesn't mean I'm naive. When I came in contact with $5 'old' dollar bills when I was younger, I didn't question the validity of them. Now, I see a huge difference in the old and new $5's.
I thought that feeling stupid and the embarrassment had come to an end last week, until my last shift at work. I was giving a customer her cash refund when she said, "I find it funny that you're giving me a $5 for part of my refund; seeing how last Friday you thought I was giving you a fake $5." I looked at her and gave her a fake laugh on how I haven't encountered an old $5 bill since, and I was just doing my job.
She then continued by saying she made a Facebook status about me and the situation, and how all of her friends were laughing at me and they couldn't stop talking about it. She kept going on and on about how hilarious she and her friends thought it was, and once again how young I am. I ignored the rest of her remarks, and kept to myself and only acknowledged her when I had to get her signature for the completion of the return.
I later found out that she's a retail business owner a few streets over. Knowing that, I think she should have acted more professional during that situation. It's common knowledge that experienced cashiers are trained to look for suspicious bills, and most people know that if they make one little mistake during their shift, it goes on their permanent record and the company loses some of their trust for that specific employee.
Emily Fun Fact: Don't tease me, be rude, playfully insult me, or be sarcastic to me. I won't tolerate it.
