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The original was posted on /r/talesfromretail by /u/amiraasommers on 2024-12-04 04:08:07+00:00.
I work at a retail store that sells clothing, and the other day, I had a customer come up to the counter with a small pile of items. She seemed nice enough, just browsing around, and was ready to check out. As I started ringing up her items, she pulled out a checkbook and handed me a check.
At first, I didn’t think much of it, as we do accept checks, but when I looked closer, I noticed it was a handwritten check. No problem, I thought—sometimes people still use them. But then, I realized it was missing some key details. No date, no amount written in numbers, and, to top it off, she didn’t even sign it.
I politely told her, “I’m afraid I can’t accept this check since it’s not filled out properly.” She looked at me, confused, and said, “What do you mean? It’s just a check. You just cash it, right?”
I explained that checks need to be properly filled out with the date, amount, and signature in order to be processed. She seemed a bit flustered but said, “Oh, I didn’t know that! Can you just take it to the bank and cash it for me?”
I tried not to laugh, gently explaining that we’re not a bank and can’t process checks like that. She was still a bit confused, but after a few minutes, she seemed to understand. She ended up paying by card instead, but before leaving, she thanked me for “teaching her how checks work.”
It was definitely an unusual moment, but it made me realize how much some things have changed. It’s always interesting when a customer has no clue about something so basic, but it made me smile.