What working a Coin Shop retail counter teaches me.
keets
Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
In a nutshell, that contrary to popular belief, the Customer is not always right. as a matter of fact, in addition to mostly being wrong they tend to be ignorant and quite often boorish. Just from today and eligible for TD's "Why Coin Dealers Drink" thread:
--- the almost routine scenario where a customer starts out about "1943 pennies were supposed to be made out of steel but some got made out of copper, blah, blah, blah." I listen attentively and then she shows me a VG/F 1944-D and asks what we would pay for it. when I told her two-and-a-half cents she smirked, told me I was wrong, that Google says they're worth WAY more than that, smiled and turned to leave. Wow!!!
--- a regular asks to look at an item in the store and then laughs and says they aren't worth that much and buys something else similar. for some reason, people seem to enjoy playing Consumer Advocate in the store, they know exactly how much everything is worth.
--- I find cell phones to be particularly annoying in a retail setting. customers expect a transaction to stop while they answer a call or try to enter into a transaction while talking on their phone. very annoying, so we have a large sign on the entrance door at eye level that clearly says NO CELL PHONES in clear lettering. people just refuse to adhere to that request. so a guy is in the store walking around and talking, approaches me and, while talking on the phone, starts asking me a question. I told him that he should finish his call outside and then I'd be happy to assist him. I got MF'd as he walked out vowing to never return.
Nice!! I understand why some animals eat their young.
Al H. 
Comments
The "cell phone" issue seems to me to be a turn around from the "old days" when retail clerks (of any business), would ignore customers in front of them to answer or talk on the phone. Definitely a pet peeve of mine...once upon a time.
Working in a retail setting makes you appreciate others that do the same. (took my first retail job in March) I don’t know how some of these folks find their way home.
Keets, it is patience building. I disagree with you however on the 1944-D Wheatie. Easily worth three cents.
I am not sure what it is, but we are seeing it more on this forum with folks coming on rude, demanding answers and confirmation of a coin they know nothing about. Over on Ebay I am seeing more and more outlandish starting bids for very common circulation cents - like $500 - $1000 or absolutely mis attributed varieties. Now I was told some of these folks are scammers for trying to rip accounts. But unfortunately on the "report this to Ebay" there is no description to choose from like rip off or jerk to choose from. Could it simply be the wave of scandal media continues to spread coin stories no one bothers to understand.
WS
my feeling is that it is a combination of things. call it bad or good, but whenever there is some type of Hobby related "discovery" it gets reported in the news media somewhere by people who aren't very well educated about things and apparently do only scant research for a story. follow that with inherent greed by the ignorant populace and the race to the bottom has begun. it seems that every internet search yields the highest expected value of any item searched for.
what I find entertaining is that folks come into a shop for advice armed with a lifetime of ignorance and 10 minutes of internet education. today's example was gone so fast, either because she was embarrassed or sure that she knew more than me, that I never had a chance to help her and show her dozens of what she thought was valuable, some Unc 1944-D Lincolns that look like they were mad yesterday.
we get about 2-3 coin find customers a week, most will entertain what I tell them and leave knowing something. not so this woman.
There are numerous on-line posts and videos, which claim that relatively common coins - many of them with very minor errors - are worth hundreds or even many thousands of dollars. Additionally, there are a lot of dreamers (with dollar signs in their eyes) who are desperate to hit the rare/valuable coin lotto. As a result, they have an extremely difficult time accepting reality.
If there are aliens on another planet, observing all of the inquiries I receive, they could easily think that there are far more “error” coins than non error coins in existence.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I almost feel bad for you, but I work at a Tattoo Shop.
Like you, I find the cell phone the most annoying. People want to take pictures of everything, yap all loud in it or watch videos and that’s just the lobby! I had one lady sit up suddenly and reach for hers while I was doing her permanent eyeliner. Or some think it’s cool to call and invite all their friends to the session and get miffed when I don’t let them in my work room.
Still, it’s a battle worth fighting. We eventually train our clients what the ground rules are for awesome outcomes. I tend to part the seas for people that “get it” and I’m just too busy for the ones that don’t.
When I moonlighted at a coin shop one day a week, I would go in fresh and loved to take all the BS from the owner that day. He could go in back and concentrate on whatever while I gleefully explained how silver spot works and why and how premium worked for example. It wasn’t just good for him and fun for me, but for the customers asking as well as they didn’t get the worn out sounding answers and I could get them properly up to speed. All the stories, BS and shenanigans were kinda fun for me too and I can sniff them out and see them coming and it made me feel good to help my buddy take a break from all that before he lost his mind. The knowledge I gained was well worth my time there.
Maybe consider bringing a person into the fold to take some of the headwind once in a while. Someone that has too good a job to leave but interested in coins and trustworthy. The kinds of folks your venting about aren’t going anywhere, but your tolerance of it can be serviced, managed and mitigated.
Good etiquette and manners went the way of the 8-track.
I couldn't be a B&M shop owner.
I don't know what's worse: Seeing how devastated the desperate people are who genuinely thought grandpa's colorized presidential dollars were going to finally let them pay off the bills they're trapped under, or the ones who get angry that the dealer is trying to rip them off.
Add to it the people who insist their 3-minute online education in numismatics makes their knowledge superior to a shop owner with decades of real world experience. Especially those who refuse to believe that A) old can in fact be worthless, B ) shiny does not mean pristine, C) asking price does not equal value, or D) a different date or mint mark actually does mean their coin is not the same.
It's one thing to shrug off someone who genuinely doesn't know what they are talking about if you don't have a stake in it. I might cringe when I see someone come into a local B&M and demand $500 each for their slick barber quarters because they're "old" and they didn't fall off the turnip wagon yesterday, Bub. But when your livelihood depends on repeat customers, reputation, etc. and you still have to deal with these scenarios (in between the actual con artists, junkies with a sickness and a .25 Jennings, and the occasional actual treasure you've been waiting months to walk in the door)?
Nope. I don't have the energy or patience.
--Severian the Lame
There seem to be so many instant experts these days, and they don't know how to accept the fact that they are frequently wrong. I see this quite often in my medical office.
I don’t work in the coin business but I am a technician. I can’t tell you how many times people come to me with a problem with their equipment that have goggles it or tried to fix it with YouTube videos. I listen, tell them that’s not the problem and after 22 years of experience told I’m wrong. It amazes me the level of stupidity. I imagine it’s the same when someone with a 3 cents worth of coins tells an experienced dealer their wrong too. I’m a grouchy old man and my answer is always the same, “Seems you know more than me can’t understand why you’re asking my advice.” Or if the YouTube guys was so good he should be doing it for a living.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I understand how keets feels
What sometimes happens is kinda funny.
“I want to speak with the manager” customer request
Guess who owned the shop?
I just look and do nothing, minutes later it finally hits them.
They walk out, oh well!
Shop name
Pat and BJ Coins
I’m Pat!
I remember as a kid they had kids shows on proper phone edicts you know the old rotary dinosaur 🦕 I believe we need a new public awareness on technology edict how annoying it is for someone to pull a phone out in a nice restaurant and start taking photos of the food with a flash?
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
Hmmmm….No Cell Phone rule in a coin shop? Are ya'll so busy that people are stacked up waiting to pay? I think if I saw that signI would turn around before I entered the store!
I will agree people should have better cell phone manners.
Went out to dinner a few years ago with a good dealer friend who had wanna be girl dealer sharing a spot on his table at a nice restaurant. I think out of the 2 hours we were there she was only off her phone 10 minutes....most of which was spent stuffing her face.
Yeap...never went to dinner with her along again!
We live in a Google society that empowers many people to think they are experts in all facets of life. Reading a book or talking to a knowledgeable source is tried and true but sadly less likely to occur in todays frenetic times.
If it's on the internet, it has to be true. Everyone knows that, it's the law.
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
I should have had a "NO GORILLA SUITS" sign on my shop because that's what came in one day.
Told em to get the hell OUT!
They argued.
I asked them if they wanted me to call the cops.
They said to go ahead.
I did.
The cops came. Lectured them on how stupid it is to enter a coin shop in a gorilla suit.
During this event, they were covered by me with my shop persuader.
Retirement was bliss.
It’s only gonna get worse
Morality and manners are just a couple of things which aren’t being taught any more.
No cell phones does sound like you don't want them doing research. I would consider it a red flag as a customer.
What if the customer had his want list on the phone?
Hmmmm….No Cell Phone rule in a coin shop
No cell phones does sound like you don't want them doing research. I would consider it a red flag as a customer
c'mon, don't be a stupid. as most others seem to understand it is people walking around in the store TALKING on their phones. they can text, take pictures, go online, play games, etc as long as they don't interrupt business or bother anyone.
any clearer now???
I will add that the majority of customers do indeed have a sense of common etiquette. if they are on their phone and we ask, they either go outside or tell the caller they have to call back. also, most customers will pass on a call that happens when they are in the middle of a transaction or nearby.
common sense, not red flags.
Trying to teach them manners or run a profitable business? Customer service isn’t about correcting customers shortcomings or taking offense.
Folks that have to work with the general public have my sympathy.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Same thing happens in the law business, for me in real property law.
Clients, opposing parties, opposing attorneys, judges and others that do not have years and decades of experience in the area of real property law often make statements (or worse court rulings) that demonstrate that they do not know what they are talking about.
If you disagree with them, you are the problem and you do not know what you are talking about.
When reality comes crashing down around them and the outcome of the legal dispute that they are in is not to their liking, most do not like it when I point out that my previous opinion and advice to the contrary turned out to be spot on.
Well, when I visit your shop keets; I wouldn't be talking to someone on my cell...I'd be cross referencing data I have on my phone. No prob. with that?
Yea, you sure can run into some 'different' people when you have a store.
Basically though, you had a bad day and just ran into too many at once. I can vouch for the majority, after 40 years behind the counter. They were delightful and interesting people.
Not to say I didn't get the ones that would come in with a single 1889 Morgan in VF and ask me what I would pay. I'd quote 18 dollars, or whatever the rate was, and they would holler like I must be crazy. Then I would walk over to the other counter and hoist up a gallon bucket of Morgans, I'd offer them as many as they would like for 1 dollar more. Not onetime, not once, in all those years did that person purchase one. Put your money where your mouth is pal.......
It was kinda like if a customer had one or two of something, you weren't going to be able to buy it. Then you would get the guy, "Do you buy silver dollars ?" " Yes, I'm paying blah, blah." "Well, you have to help me bring them in from the car"....
Why is everyone calling me stupid tonight? LOL.
Your EXACT words:
so we have a large sign on the entrance door at eye level that clearly says NO CELL PHONES in clear lettering.
It doesn't say you have a "please don't talk on the phone" sign.
I know what your pet peeve was. But if I walk into a store that just says "no cell phones", I would assume it meant "no cell phones". Many of my colleagues have "no cell phone" policies in class and that means literally what it says (and you said): they don't want people doing ANYTHING on their phones.
Pardon me for reading your words accurately and interpreting them literally.
THIS!
You have every right to exert your privilege as the shop owner. On the other hand, don't be surprised if you lose a few customers in the process.
Imagine how physicians feel today.
Pt says “I know what my diagnosis is and this is the medication I need.
And oh, I got to take a call...”
I understand your frustration, Keets.
Yesterday a man came in with a beat up XF 1971 Great Britain 2 new pence to submit. I told him he should save his money and buy more coins as his coin was probably worth less than 50c.
Then he shows me a photo of the coin on his cellphone listed for almost $5000. I said wow, I must be mistaken, let me check my World coin catalog. It was not listed! So now, I'm wondering what 's going on. I went upstairs again and logged on to the Internet. Sure enough, many were listed for thousands of dollars. Then I pulled out a specialized book on English coins and his coin was listed for practically nothing. I found confirmation on the Internet that a big misunderstanding has been going on about the new pence coins. Only one date is the rare variety and it is not the 1971 or the 1980 he pulled out too. This really had me going for about ten minutes. LOL.
try working in healthcare when you are having important conversation about diagnosis, management, prognosis.... and the family is more interested in the cellular device....
I work in retail also, phones are irritating but it's not just the customers using them, some of them employees can't keep off em too. And if they're not using one, they're trying to charge one.
Apparently it is the 1983 NEW PENCE that is the rare variety.
Normal is 1971-1981 NEW PENCE and 1982-now TWO PENCE.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/8196738/rare-2p-coins-revealed-worth-100-pocket/
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces11055.html
What about bringing in a cell phone and calling other shops to see if they can beat your price?
I had kicked out plenty of comp shoppers from Costco etc. They came in to chat on the phone and record my price tags while walking down the aisles. Some of my friends said I should feel honor since they considered me as a threat.
driving home tonight I actually saw a guy cutting his grass with a push-mower while holding his cell phone up to look at something. it's insanity.
aside to everyone who thinks I'm the owner, you surmise way too much. as Sanction might say, facts not in evidence.
Edicate?
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/etiquette
Yep....it's always the ones on the customer side of the coin shop counter that are whackos and rude....NEVER the ones on the other side......NEVER......
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
My experiences in a coin shop have taught me to keep my thoughts to myself outside of it, since I never know who's lurking and creeping around here. Safe & sound(less).
that's how I used to think.
I first started to help my boss for free at Coin Shows. it was a good way to attend more shows, see how the business really works and become a better collector/customer by seeing the perspective of things from the other side of the counter. that worked itself into an eventual full-time position and now in retirement just a few days each week.
I will only say that working the retail counter hour after hour, day after day and year after year would give any collector a view they didn't know existed, no matter how old and experienced they might be. go reread some of CaptHenway's threads about why dealers drink.
When cell phones came out it was all the rave. Guys and Gals (ok kids and losers) would even pretend they had a call because it made them look important and well off to have one. I never bought into that mindset. I love my computers (smart phone) but hate the obligatory answer a call at another will. Text is ideal. In fact I am so cool and important that if you do call, you better be dead, near dead or telling me to drop dead
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
Many years ago, well before the Internet, while working in a shop I would have the same customers. Buffalo nickels, silver dollars, wheat cents, you name it ... always rare and worth way more than what we would offer. I stopped telling people what we paid for them and instead told the price for which we sold them. That generally stopped their 'knowledge dump' about their coins and how awful we were being.
And when they 'called my bluff,' I would offer them their choice from the buckets of these common pieces we had in the shop. This usually changed the 'you are trying to cheat me' approach to a 'why are they so cheap' line of questions. Sometimes those non-numismatic folks even became regular collectors.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
The comparison offers to sell only work with sane persons. True story.
Guy comes into store with an 1885 Morgan dollar wanting to know my buy price. After quoting he explodes telling me one just sold for a few MILLION dollars. Of course he was talking about a Trade Dollar in Proof but .....
I brought out numerous rolls of 1885 Morgan’s and offered them for much less than a million! He agreed they all looked like his dollar and nothing like the photo in the Red Book of the trade dollar but still told me I was trying to cheat him. I asked how and he answered he hadn’t been able to figure it out yet but he KNEW I was pulling a fast one on him to cheat him out of his valuable coin.
Now, where’s my bottle of Scotch?
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
There are friends in numismatics, and then there are strangers in the coin world. The latter are the ones who just haven't made friends, yet.
That is a great response. Thanks for sharing.
another thing that happens with all too much frequency --- people who know nothing about coins, like astro's example above, who call and ask questions about a coin they have. they usually try to describe it and ignore us when we say "You'll really have to bring it in so I can look at it, make an assessment and give you a value" which is usually repeated 2-3 times and ignored.
I have taken to telling them "Could you please hold the coin a little closer to the phone" and they tend to understand.
I can’t tell you how many times I’m trying to give important medical advice while patient is texting or in the middle of their appointment they answer their phone. I don’t understand this phenomenon. Not only is it rude, but from a patient perspective they’re not getting their moneys worth if they’re not paying attention to me.
I had a customer get mad at me and tell me I was taking advantage of her when I told her I didn't want to purchase her camera. Another random customer I'd never met started laughing and asked the lady how I could possibly be trying to take advantage when I just said I don't want it and declined to buy it :-P She just stared at both of us and then stormed out.
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
Cameras and watches are dying. we can find customers for better brand name cameras and high end watches, the other stuff we just won't buy or even do a loan on.
it is a benefit of having a cell phone, it is perhaps the most revolutionary thing to come along since its predecessor, the normal phone. I personally feel that people are still getting accustomed to how much power the little devices have.
Yep, you have to specialize in it really. We're the only store around here that handles film cameras at all so people know we're the shop to go to if you want one.
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.