change...is a MUST!!!

From Mangalore
For the month of March...

I was standing to clear my bill in one of the biggest stores in the mall,...and as the person in charge in the bill counter,told me my bill is Rs 2,600/ I happily sighed and gave him rs 3000/ ! He still was waiting..and I asked him, yes? Please mam, can you give change? What change? Infact he should give me rs 400, for my rs 3000 simple,right? No..its not as simple as you and me think.He was asking me to give rs 100 on top so that he can give me rs 500, one single note! Fair enough,but i want just my 4 hundred rupee notes back, but hmm do I have a choice? The sales people especially in India think very differently. Calculating the right way, we give them the correct, and nearest currency , they still ask for change! Again at the movies,I was buying ticket at the cost of rs 150 each, and for 3 tickets, as I give a rs 500 note, the cash counter guy is staring at me, waiting for what else but CHANGE!I gave him the closest currency for my total of 450/ what else but I expect a rs 50/ back right? But no, he wants me to give him another 50/ so that he can give me a hundred! I always end up with my mouth open in shock, disbeleif and ofcourse exasperation!! Are not these people and these CHANGE incidents amazing, but familiar to all of you? These are just 2 examples I mentioned here, but trust me searching the bag for change and raking my brain to calculate for the right change is a task and procedure near cash counters always , almost in every shopping area! Wow...Indians, no doubt are suppose to be good in Maths! But not all of us! And even if we are, if they are.., why show their math geniusness always like this? I am giving the business to him , and he is trying to sell stuff to me, so is he not suppose to have the change ready to give me back, if he needs to? Why always ask the customer for change? It is become a disease i feel,...asking for change! Sort of harrassment! How ever big the stores are, the staff at the cash counter expect the customer come out magically with the exact change, but if not, they are very good in confusing our brains with their mathematic skills! I sigh and give a credit or debit card..as I hate this "change " business! I burst out laughing when I read a SMS the other day. It goes like this, "I think RBI should declare "Eclairs" as the new Rupee, and chloromint as the new 50Paisa!" can you beat this..ha..lol!! It is but true,Any small shop keepers instead of these currency coins give you exactly these 2 toffees and at the end of the week what do you have in your bag but eclairs and chloromints. I have not done cash transactions in many other countries nor handled varied currencies, but when ever I was in USA I was a happy shopper and my coin purse the heaviest! Simply because I never was put on a math test at the cash counters but simply given back the exact change, to the extent of each n every cent, that at the end of the trip my coin purse was the heaviest! True..every cent has value, and given back with that great respect!
I feel our country people surely needs to change, learn and adopt this attitude! " The word "Change" has a different meaning in our country. If you refer the dictionary "Change" is ,..to become different ,or to make different! Changing your address, change your opinion, change the direction, change of weather, change your appearance! But We have changed even the dictionary meaning of this word and use it while handling money! "Change please" is a standard phrase in all business transactions!..where as how many of us try to change our attitudes, or change our thinking? Change is a Must ..! I can only change myself..my dressing, or my thinking, but I can not change others! Just as I was writing this blog, I went to the mall to return a shirt, and was at the customer care. The guy in charge asked me if I want to exchange, for which I said no but would prefer my money back, which is rs 799/! Imagine my shock, disbelief when he asked me mam "do you have one rupee change"? Our country...guys....lol..will never Change!! what say? is Change a MUST???