STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Sandy · Kate Spade

I think they think I'm stealing... long

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

first, take a deep breath and make yourself relax. you didn't do anything wrong. next, just calmly talk to your manager about your concern regarding the recent shortages and ask if there's any procedures you should be taking to make sure this doesn't keep happening. explain what you are doing currently and ask if you should be doing something else. also explain that the assistant manager brought the $80 shortage to your attention and you want to help solve the problem, even though it wasn't on your watch that this happened and you had nothing to do with it. make sure your tone is calm and concerned and not defensive or accusatory and you should be fine. good luck!

NCshopper · Hermes

I think you need to talk to your manager about this. I'm sure your manager knows the assistant manager pretty well and knows she likes to blame people for everything, so I'm sure your manager will take that into consideration. Your manager also needs to know that the assistant manager was taking personnel problems into her own hands, which might not be what your manager wants. You don't want to rat her out, so you'll want to phrase the conversation in a way so that you don't sound like you're ratting her out.

It seems to me that the coffee shop needs to rethink the whole cashing out procedure. When I worked at a coffee shop, only two person could be operating a register, but each employee had their own till. After an employee's shift was over, they cash would out their till, and leave $200 in the till for the next person. Then the next person to come to work, counts the till before they start the shift to make sure that it adds up to $200. It seems like your coffee shop might not have enough protective measures to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen.

Since you've been there for 4 years, and you probably have a good relationship with the manager, you might want to offer some solutions to the manager to improve the way the registers are handled.

Andrea Julia · Coach

NCshopper wrote:

When I worked at a coffee shop, only two person could be operating a register, but each employee had their own till. After an employee's shift was over, they cash would out their till, and leave $200 in the till for the next person. Then the next person to come to work, counts the till before they start the shift to make sure that it adds up to $200.

I was going to say the same thing. Whenever I have worked on a register, you start off with your own register that you count when you come in so that you can report any shortages immediately. Then, you know for sure who was using the register when the error occurred. I used to get so annoyed if the day cashier left early and then a manager brought out my register and started making transactions. I felt that if I was going to be held accountable for any mistakes, I damn well be the only person touching my register.

I would definitely speak to your manager about this situation. I definitely think the 2-6 person should get in trouble. He or she should cash out when they are done working and not before. If they don't like staying a few minutes late to count out, they can go work somewhere else. The whole point of counting out is that the next person starts with a new register and can be held accountable. I think their policy of giving a warning then terminating for $10 under is not fair if you are not the only one touching the money. I would ask if you could start and end with your own register and that you would be perfectly happy to contribute any money you are short as long as you know it had to be your mistake.

Sandy · Kate Spade

-- Edited by Sandy at 20:33, 2007-06-27

turtledove · Nine West

I'm glad to hear you did something about it! Thats such a nerve wracking experience. In high school, I was accused of stealing from my work, they even fired me and I had to take a lie detector test. It was the second worst experience of my life. In the end, the investigator basically lectured my employer about thinking someone like me would steal...but anyway, I know what you mean. I cried every day I had to go to work, knowing everyone there thought I stole from them. When you finally get a real job and move on in your life, you can look back at this experience and see how it made you a stronger person and able to stick up for yourself