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Old February 25th 12, 02:16 AM posted to uk.railway,uk.transport.london,misc.transport.rail.americas
Stephen Sprunk Stephen Sprunk is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Aug 2004
Posts: 172
Default cards, was E-ZPass, was CharlieCards v.v. Oyster (and Octopus?)

On 24-Feb-12 18:05, Robert Neville wrote:
d wrote:
Hand cash over - walk out. If you can do that faster with a credit
card then I'd be interesting in hearing your technique.


Except it doesn't work that way. What usually happens is that customer
stands there with a blank look until all items are rung and total is
available. Customer then proceeds to fumble through wallet/purse,
looking for correct number of notes, and that last coin or two that
they know is there somewhere. Cashier eventually takes cash, recounts
it and enters amount tendered in register. Cashier then spends 30
seconds trying to figure the appropriate number of each bill and coin
to make up the amount shown on the display. Cashier hands change back
to customer who proceeds to count it, eventually giving up on the
higher math involved and drops change on floor. Eventually customer
collects things and self and moves out of the way.

Contrast that with customer paying by card, who within certain
parameters, doesn't care what the total is, pulls card out while
cashier is ringing order and hands card to cashier as soon as order is
totaled. Cashier swipes card, hands card and receipt back to customer
who proceeds on his or her way.


High-volume merchants are moving to systems that allow the customer to
swipe his own card while the cashier is ringing up the purchases. When
the total appears, they push a button to accept; within seconds
(instantly, if below the merchant's "floor") the receipt prints and he's
on his way.

S

--
Stephen Sprunk "God does not play dice." --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723 "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking