Ignorance is certainly not bliss

Zippys is so cheap. WARNING: Watch what you order. If you want to know how to successfully cheat your consumer out of a few extra bucks, pay attention the Zippys menu board. Now, I can speak firsthand, because I spend at least eight hours every Sunday behind the counter there. Ever since summer, I witnessed the scam known as Zippys. So it isn’t actually a scam, but who in their right mind would pay three dollars for two thinly grilled slices of spam? Apparently, ignorant consumers who are only concerned about receiving their food in less than five minutes, then endlessly complain about how they wanted chopsticks instead of forks, and break out in a full sweat while demanding your manager. If I learned one thing from Zippys, it is to be assertive. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no matter how ticked off the customer may get. A correctly placed order is always better a wrong one, no matter how impatient or frustrated the customer may become. You see, when an incorrect order is placed, the manager must physically come to register and remove the order with a manager card, which is run through the credit card slot – known as the dreaded “over-ring”. A printout of the order is then made, and is then taped to the register, shaming you for the remainder of the day – which is why it is so imperative that orders are correct.

Sundays are typically slow, as people generally stay home or church. This usually brightens my day, because a slow day means less work. However, on one particularly sunny afternoon, an elderly woman with thick-rimmed glasses approached the counter and effectively ruined my day:

Me: Hi, how can I help you?

Lady: Can I get the Zipmeal Spaghetti? (a two pound container containing only spaghetti noodles).

Me: The Zipmeal spaghetti contains only noodles, is that okay?

Lady: No I want Spaghetti?

Me: There is also a spaghetti meal that comes with noodles and the meatsauce…is that what you want?

Lady: Nonono, I want spaghetti.

Me: So, the zipmeal spaghetti?

Lady: (nods)

As you probably guessed, she wanted spaghetti with the meatsauce. She quickly became irate and demanded her money back as she threateningly glared at me. I got the manager, who was forced to do the dreaded “over-ring”, and I shamefully stood behind my register the rest of the day. Point: cashiers have feelings too.