so, last night all start a half hour into my shift. network, computer all frozen, so I reboot the computer and wait (no flights until another couple of hours, and plus my closed sign is up. well, lo and behold my boss and his boss are walking around asking why my sign is up. duh, computer rebooting so I can't really take a transaction. Boss man is the head director...PJ is me....
Boss man:yes you can, do it manually.
PJ:I don't have the rates for the foreign exchange.
Boss man:Why not? you should have those printed up for you.
PJ: No, no they are not here
Boss man: What are these? (pointing to two day old rates)
PJ: Those are from two days ago
Boss man: Let me in there (my booth)
PJ: (opens door)
Boss man:can you please step away from the computer?
PJ:Sure....
Boss man: call another office and see if you can get the rates (for the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar)
PJ: On it
Meanwhile, customers are milling into the gate for their departures looking at the rate board.
Boss man:Whatcha you got for Euros? (Euros are the currency for a good part of the European community except for England and some other countries)
PJ: I have 9500 in Euros half in 500 notes and the others are just 50s.
Boss man: WTF? that's all you got? (he is still trying to make a network connection) yes, that's all we have.
PJ: Silence, and here he sits trying to be a network commander.
Boss man: Well, until this comes up you are going to have to do manual transactions (write down the customers name and the sale amount, US Rate, and since they were ALL buying Euros.)
Boss man:Just keep trying the network and see if it comes at all.
In the horizon a myriad of customers flock toward PJ and his station. Within a three hour period my Euros are all gone but one 500 euro note and no support from anyone (Team leader or Boss man)
Boss man came back four hours later by doing the plug/unplug and rebooting the computer. Meanwhile his boss has told boss man that he is going for a bite to eat.
Boss man: (after fiddling and twiddling with every wire (network or otherwise)) well, I'm going for a cookie. boss man picks up jacket and starts walking to the door. You are apologizing to customers that we don't have Euro, right?
PJ: Yes sir!
Customers, still going through the turnstiles and asking and all I have is 1 (one) 500 Euro note. and they ask if I can break that to smaller ones and I say I cannot. Why not? well, we are out. is there any exchanges anywhere else in the airport, yes but they are out as well. WTF? Jesus! Oh my...you can't get anymore? how am i going to pay for XXX when I arrive in" (enter European city's airport name here)
PJ, still apologizing to everyone of 'em ...the crowds dwindle and still no support from any team leader. Soon it is 9:00 and finally my team leader calls and wants to know if the network is up (it hasn't at all) so, get your paper work together and meet me downstairs at 10ish. So, I fine count every penny of all the US dollars and the other currencies and write up the tally. I go downstairs and drop off the good stuff and talk to the team leader and hand in my stuff and walk out to catch the bus home.....
what a fucking day....