"Facing" bills
At my first minimum wage job I was taught to "face" the currency as I put it in the drawer -- have all the bills facing the same direction. It was expected later on when I worked as a bartender, too.
You'd "face" five $20s to make $100, or ten $10s, and then reverse so $100s were easy to count.
When I use the ATM or get cash from a teller, the bills never are "faced" any more. But I hardly ever use cash, and I know many younger people stick almost exclusively to debit cards and Venmo.
Is "facing" bills still a thing at restaurants and bars? Were you taught to do it?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 39 | June 24, 2021 4:13 PM
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I worked in banking in the 90s and we didn't have machines that did the counting and change for us - we were it. You were supposed to put the bills in the same direction so that when they were counted to a customer they could see them all in a neat succession. It was also beneficial for your drawer to see the faces for each denomination. However, no one enforced it and some people just didn't care or were too lazy to do this. I know some of the more discerning customers appreciated it. When we bundled stacks of bills with their respective paper wrappers, they didn't have to be in the same direction to get vaulted or shipped out, but all the new ones received were in order.
I was taught this also in my serving / waiting days. Money in order when you count back the customer their change. If you make change, leave the bill that you're changing on the counter top in plain view and put a paperweight or object on it so tricky people can't change out the $100 they put down for change, to a $20 when you're not looking. We had to make change by counting up ( "Price: $0.74 cents? $0.06 makes .80, .10 and another .10 make a dollar") but I knew a lot of people couldn't do this.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | June 21, 2021 8:45 PM
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Nobody counts out your change anymore either. “Your total was $5.28 and you gave me a twenty. 72 cents makes it six dollars, four ones makes it a ten and ten more is your twenty dollars, thank you very much!” Now they just hand you a jumble of change a wad of bills all with a disdainful look in their eyes, and turn away as fast as they can. I’m half convinced that many of them can’t even count.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | June 21, 2021 8:48 PM
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I was taught to do it on my first job -working in a liquor store. We also counted back change. Both skills are gone now, sadly.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | June 21, 2021 8:50 PM
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Yes, worked in fast food in the 80s and a cashier in the 90s. We had to count back correctly to the customer - not just "$6.54 is your change."
by Anonymous | reply 4 | June 21, 2021 8:53 PM
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My friend worked in a casino and the count room had to always face the bills like OP described. Yes, it makes them easier to count, as well as spot counterfeits.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | June 21, 2021 8:57 PM
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I cocktail waitresses in the eighties. When I first began, the cocktail waitresses started out with our own “bank” and when the customer paid us for the drinks - we went to the bartender and he would ring up the drinks in the register. When I was new and green I made the mistake of paying the bartender with mixed up bills - WOW - I never made that mistake again. To this day I face my bills - even if I am at the Del Taco drive thru. ….. Those days in the nite club it was dark and loud and the customer wanted to use a credit card we had to use that clunky machine and then call the credit card company for authorization. On a busy night that would really back up servicing the tables and everyone would get pissy. Why do I hear “Living in the Wild, Wild West” in my head?
by Anonymous | reply 6 | June 21, 2021 9:10 PM
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When I worked as a prostitute I was told by the other hookers to always arrange my money with the larger bills in the back and smaller bills in the front and know approximately how much money you have at the time.
Just in the case the cops search you, you can always say that's your money.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | June 21, 2021 9:34 PM
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This is the least interesting thread I've seen on DL, and that's saying something.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | June 21, 2021 9:38 PM
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If it isn't, I hand it back to them.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | June 21, 2021 9:42 PM
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I always liked Mary Ellen Withrow’s signature.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | June 21, 2021 9:44 PM
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R2 is too incompetent to count his own change, so he'll lash out at people making minimum wage.
He thinks "kids today" can't count but voted for a guy with no experience to be president of the United States
by Anonymous | reply 11 | June 21, 2021 9:46 PM
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At my first full time job in the 1980s as a bank teller I learned to separate denominations and always face bills in the same direction. When I receive cash back from a cashier I always organize it before putting it in my wallet, unless I think it will slow down the next customer. When I do count cash I can still count bills fast and accurate as I did back in the day. You don't forget how, it's like riding a bicycle.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | June 21, 2021 9:51 PM
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I still use cash, and have always kept my bills facing forward, and in order of denomination. I used to iron my bills, at one time, but I've since abandoned that (usually).
by Anonymous | reply 13 | June 21, 2021 9:51 PM
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When bills come out of the ATM that are backwards, I face them in my wallet immediately. Neighborhood businesses need small bills, so I withdraw only fives and singles.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | June 21, 2021 10:04 PM
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I also worked in a casino and they were very particular about money & making sure that everything was faced and done in a particular fashion. So that the customer, employee and the surveillance person can see everything. For example when a customer would cash out at a window and the employee counted the cash out on the counter, the employee would "fan" the money as it was counted out and they had to make sure a certain amount of each bill showed. Then you'd better make SURE the bills are faced. I'm saying this and laughing because one of the cashiers would get PISSED if she was counting out from an unopened pack of bills and one was the wrong way. If it came to her bank from the count room, she'd tell her manager to talk to their manager. "It was embarrassing!" Some casino workers are absolute perfectionists and it's part of their reputation. They hate when a mistake makes them look bad even if it was someone else's.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | June 21, 2021 10:42 PM
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[quote]This is the least interesting thread I've seen on DL, and that's saying something.
I'm the OP, and I don't disagree.
It just seemed that a group of people who could go Israel/Palestine on the matter of draining pasta would have opinions on facing bills.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | June 22, 2021 12:50 AM
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Worked at a bank in 2012 and they still tell you to do this!
by Anonymous | reply 17 | June 22, 2021 1:38 AM
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Different colors and different sizes of $ bills would help a lot for those of us who have rather poor sight. £ notes are different sizes and different colors which helps a lot in the UK; Euros the same. When in dollars, I always stack them in certain way or else it would look like the presidents are kissing each other, heaven forfend.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | June 22, 2021 2:00 AM
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[quote]Different colors and different sizes of $ bills would help a lot for those of us who have rather poor sight.
And yet, you can see your keyboard enough to bitch on DL. Get stronger glasses Miss Keller.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | June 22, 2021 2:04 AM
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My mom was a teller at some point, she told us to NOT put money in your mouth, and proceeded to tell us various body parts used as wallets.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | June 22, 2021 5:02 AM
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R19 always so friendly lol.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | June 22, 2021 9:56 PM
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Yes, and I still do it. I learned it working in Off-Broadway box offices, but I've seen it done by other people who handle cash. Even today.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | June 22, 2021 10:54 PM
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I do it too, OP.
I hate when the money in my pocket is going all different directions. I’ve always referred to it as “bank facing,” though I never worked in a bank.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | June 22, 2021 10:56 PM
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[quote]I learned it working in Off-Broadway box offices,
Weren't good enough for the big leagues, huh?
by Anonymous | reply 24 | June 22, 2021 11:17 PM
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I’ve always hated the counting up process.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | June 22, 2021 11:22 PM
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My first job was working at a cash register in a drive up root beer stand. Along with beverages and soda fountain there was also a fairly extensive food menu. As cashier, you had to memorize all the menu prices, punch it into a cash register, calculate the state sales tax manually, then make change out of the nearest dollar amount (e.g. total of $4.73 got .27 put on a tray for the carhop). And the bills were always faced in the same direction. And for all this I started at $110/hour.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | June 22, 2021 11:54 PM
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Watch it, Helen, or that wig is gonna take another whirly down the public loo -- with is still on your head!
by Anonymous | reply 27 | June 23, 2021 12:21 AM
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Growing up I saw that my father did it in his wallet, faced bills forward per denomination. I just thought it was a grown-up thing. I've always done that in my own wallet. Paying cash in stores and bars I always organize return bills back in my wallet.
R14 I like that idea, ATM withdrawal of small bills for neighborhood use.
R16 I love you!
by Anonymous | reply 28 | June 23, 2021 1:55 AM
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It makes sense to have all your paper money oriented the same way. Never heard about it being called "facing."
I like the cash in Japan better. Bills are different sizes, none were crumpled up like how US money can be. 500 yen ($5 coins) are used.
I still use cash for smaller transactions (under $20). I do balance my accounts and don't like having to log every little purchase in my debit / checking account.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | June 23, 2021 2:23 AM
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[quote]But I hardly ever use cash, and I know many younger people stick almost exclusively to debit cards and Venmo.
I'm an old person, and I hardly ever use cash anymore. And I use CREDIT cards for 90% of my purchases--not debit cards or Venmo.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | June 23, 2021 2:26 AM
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All the guys need to face the same way. It annoys the f-ck out of me when atm 20s are going every which way. What kind of trash works in the cash office anymore?
I worked a cash office when I was young, and it’s freaking standard procedure!
by Anonymous | reply 31 | June 23, 2021 2:42 AM
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So, what we’ve learned is that someone in the position to handle cash at their job has an advantage if they are OCD.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | June 23, 2021 3:25 AM
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I had to do this when I worked in a restaurant all through college. Old habits die hard because I think about it when I'm handed change and I end up mindlessly facing the bills in my wallet.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | June 23, 2021 3:35 AM
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[quote]My mom was a teller at some point, she told us to NOT put money in your mouth, and proceeded to tell us various body parts used as wallets.
Some comedian made a joke about how most bills have been "in a stripper's buttcrack," and I've never forgotten it.
I automatically face my bills when I'm handed change or get cash at the ATM. It's second-nature from having worked in retail.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | June 23, 2021 4:00 AM
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[quote] And for all this I started at $110/hour.
Damn! That’s good money for a soda jerk (the occupation, not that you’re a jerk. I’m sure you’re quite lovely).
by Anonymous | reply 35 | June 23, 2021 11:20 AM
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R35
It must have a government job. Maybe a soda jerk for the Congressional dining hall?
by Anonymous | reply 36 | June 23, 2021 11:22 AM
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Or maybe R26 was jerking something else besides soda.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | June 23, 2021 7:28 PM
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I assuming he meant to type $1.10 an hour, or I need to change my line of work.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | June 24, 2021 12:33 AM
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Fun fact: Marilyn Munster's mother's signature was on US currency.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 39 | June 24, 2021 4:13 PM
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