I could not resist this from Man About Town column in the Mourne Observer. Pennies count in Norn Iron.
WORD reaches me that Scrooge is alive and well and living in Newcastle. A Mourne pensioner was visiting the town the other day and called at a well-known local business to buy some confectionery.She collected a number of different items and presented herself at the till, where the total came to £2.26. The pensioner opened her purse and counted out £2.25, then started hunting for another penny to make up the total.Failing to find the elusive 1p coin, she realised the next best thing was a five pound note. The assistant said that would be all right and reached for the banknote in readiness for handing back £4.99 in change.“I was having none of it,” the reader told the column. “I couldn’t believe the assistant would have broken a five pound note for the sake of a single penny. It wasn’t as if they were particularly busy and little wonder if that is the attitude they show towards customers.“I just walked out and told her to keep the sweets and you can be sure I won’t be back there in a hurry. It was such a contrast to other shops in the town where the spirit of Christmas is very much in evidence,” she added.Perhaps businesses in this part of the world should consider the approach adopted by many American shopkeepers. They keep a little jar filled with pennies (cents) beside the till and if the customer needs a penny to make up the total, then it is there “free of charge.” Alternatively, if the customer has a spare penny then he or she can pop it into the receptacle for someone else to use.
