Читать книгу Checkout - Anna Sam - Страница 9
ОглавлениеCASHING UP: THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING COIN
It is 9.05 p.m. That was your first real day. You have just served your last and 289th customer. You’ve been behind the till for eight hours with two fifteen-minute breaks. You’re tired. You dream of one thing – going to bed and sleeping until 6 a.m. tomorrow.
Oi, wake up! The day isn’t over yet!
You still have to clean your work station (you weren’t naïve enough to think that a cleaner was going to do it for you, were you?) and cash up (you didn’t have the cheek to think that you were being paid to do nothing, did you?). Count yourself lucky, at least here you don’t have to clean the aisles.
Right, hurry up, over to the Office with your cash box!
Sit down over there with your colleagues and find a pen and paper. Don’t yawn, you haven’t finished work yet! Start by counting your coins, then your notes and finally your coin rolls. I say ‘your’ but obviously they’re not really yours. Oh actually, count them in whatever order you please – you still have the right to make that choice. Don’t let yourself be distracted by the chatter, the doors opening and closing and the rattling of coins. Concentrate or you’ll regret it when you find yourself with the joy of recounting.
Not enough light? Don’t complain, think of it as a relaxing soft light after the blinding glare of the store.
15 minutes later
OK, you have scrupulously noted how many 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p pieces, and £1 and £2 coins you have. And the number of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. And the number of coin rolls … Calm down, now. Yes, you have a small fortune in your hands. But don’t think about that. Instead, think about your salary at the end of the month. That will bring you back down to earth again …
Add it all up and then subtract your till float (yes, the £150 in cash that was in your cash box at the start of the day).
‘Right, 173, how much? 173?! Yes, that’s you!’
‘I have a name!’
‘Yes, I know, but it’s quicker this way. So, 173?’
‘£3,678.65!’
‘Count again, 173, you’ve made a mistake! I warned you. You weren’t concentrating properly.’
‘Am I way out? Or just a little? Under? Over?’
‘Just count it again.’
10 minutes later
‘£3,678.15!’
‘OK. Before you go, check that your cheques and discount vouchers are safely put away. We’re not your skivvies, you know.’
9.35 p.m. You take off your overall in the locker room. You only have five minutes to catch your bus. Good night and sweet dreams (full of beeeeps, hellos, goodbyes … perhaps not).
