Day 67 - Final '09 Cards/Cubs Series #3

I haven't worked on a Sunday at the Stadium since the middle of May.

Since this was the finale of the Cards/Cubs series for the 2009 season, I figured I could bring in a decent amount of sales.

I had a feeling...that tonight's gonna be a good night...tonight's gonna be a good good night...ok, so maybe I have Black Eyed Peas to thank for getting that song stuck in my head when it's now been played before every game of this series during a video montage of the Cardinals clinching.

So I have the rainy morning and plenty of fog for the slow to start with beer sales on Sunday night. But the rain and fog didn't bother to slow down the drama and stories.

Story time! -

-I just finished handing a beer down a row to someone who just purchased a beer and they didn't give me anything as a tip. The lady on the end of the row kept looking back at the guy buying the beer and then back at me...she realized there wasn't any tip coming and asked me if that usually happens. I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "sometimes I do get something, sometimes I don't. I'm thankful for the times I do." She looked back at the guy who just bought the beer and then back to me and rolled her eyes in disgust.

I turned to sell a beer to someone in the next row over and then I felt a tap on my shoulder. That lady had her arm stretched out with $2 in her hand. She said, "take it. You guys work too hard for that jackass to go and not tip you." I told her that it was ok, rejecting the $2 in her hand and that she didn't need to tip for that guy. That only pissed her off more I guess cause she said, "If you knew what was good for you, you would take this money." I took it, thanked her for her generosity and got out of there.


-I made my way down a section and had two older gentlemen motion for beers. I walk up the steps to them and they needed 4 beers total for them and their wives. I give them their beers and tell them it's $31. The one gentleman who was paying handed me $24 (a $20 and 4 $1's) I looked back up to him and said, "sir it's $31. You only handed me $24" (holding the $24 up to show him I hadn't done anything to it). He handed me another $20 and told me to just give him back $10.

Now I've screwed up before. I know, I know...you're thinking, "how could the stlbeerman have a flaw?" Ha! I'm far from perfect.

I've told customers one dollar amount and would give them back the correct change (even if it didn't match up with what I said)...basically the words coming out of my mouth and what I do with my hands when giving change back haven't always matched up...but my hands hadn't been wrong before...only the dollar amounts coming out of my mouth have been wrong...

I look back up at this gentleman and give him the $4 that he originally handed me and $6 out of my 'bank' of change...totaling $10. In my head I thought I took the $10 out of the $40 which would make his payment a $1 short. I asked him to hold on a second. I still needed a $1 from him. (As I type this I am reminded of how stupid I was for thinking I was right and how he was wrong).

He tried explaining to me that I gave him $10 and that was the correct change and he gave me $44 already. I had already closed up my ears though and had it in my mind that I was right. He owed me a $1 still. I would explain numerous times over the next few minutes that I made the mistake of giving him more than I should have. After half of an inning of both of us trying to explain to the other how each of us were right...he threw a $5 at me and said don't worry about it.

I can't believe how stupid I must have sounded. I walked up to the top of the section, sat my tub down and thought the whole thing through again. It was as if someone just turned on a light switch. It hit me. A load of bricks just landed on me. I realized how I was in the wrong the whole time and he just gave me $5 extra on top of the $3 tip for 4 beers. A knot of guilt formed in my stomach that felt like a 300lb. weight. I wasn't going to walk away and keep this $5...knowing that it wasn't even mine to begin with.

I put a death-grip on that $5 bill in my hand, picked up my beer tub and took what felt like the longest row of stairs I've ever walked down. I sat my tub down on the steps, looked over towards him with a look of despair on my face and apologized. "It was my fault sir and I am sorry." I handed the $5 back to him and he had a look of forgiveness across his face. He told me to come back later on in the game. I nodded my head in acceptance of his request and went back up the steps.

I just made myself look like an ass. I know the people around him in that section saw the whole thing unfold. That isn't something that would be great for business...to have a disagreement over a $1...looking back on it, all I can think is, 'what was I thinking?!?!?!' In any situation while working in a restaurant or food/beverage service area I have always been trained that the customer is always right. So, why in the hell did I fight this guy over a single $1?

I eventually made my way back down to his section later in the game. He motioned for me to come up to him and waved up 4 fingers. I took his order and quickly apologized again while handing him the beers. He just shot a quick laugh back at it and said it was okay. What he did next, humbled me more than anything else ever has while working at Busch Stadium. He handed me $40 and motioned with his hand to keep the change.

I just screwed up. Fought with this man over a $1. Now he is giving me a $9 tip?!?!?!

I looked up at him and I told him, 'thank you!' I pray that he could see the expression of thankfulness on my face showed and how genuinely thankful I truly felt towards him.

Humble pie has never tasted so sweet.

*************************************

With 2 weeks until the last home stand of the regular season, it's really starting to sink in. I'm not wanting this job to end. I'm enjoying it way too much. Then playoffs are around the corner. I have so much I still want to share over the next two weeks before that last home stand...so be sure to check back frequently!

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
167 Bottles of Water
279 Bags of Peanuts
4428 Bottles of Beer