The Change "Tray"

I went to the store tonight on the way home from work. I was cold, tired, had a lousy drive home, and was in no mood for irritations. Yet I encountered one of my biggest pet peeves.

Why does it seem so common now, when you have change from a cash transaction that includes both bills and coins, that cashiers feel the need to present the coins in a highly unstable pile on top of a "tray" made from the bills (sometimes folded to provide extra tray strength, but usually not)?

This is a recipe for coin disaster. There is great chance of a change spillage during transfer from cashier to customer. Many times the receipt of the coins and bill tray are only one part of a larger juggling act being made by the customer at the time. Perhaps they are carrying other bags or a purse in the other hand, perhaps they are burping a child, or maybe they are scratching something. But in areas of cash exchange, it is common for the customer to be multi-tasking, whereas the cashier has only one concern - the presentation of the change.

When did the cashier industry decide to place the Change Exchange Burden onto the customer? At one time they presented change back by counting it to the customer to ensure accuracy. But no more, not that in schools you can now use calculators and notebook computers in Math class.

In cash exchange situations, I am not the one who is getting paid for doing the work. In fact, I am the one doing the paying. It seems only fair to me that the Burden Of Effort be placed back in the cashiers' hands.

Who's with me?