Tips From a Cashier/Cashier Rant

Joreanasaurous

If you can't understand how to work a self check out, DON'T USE IT.

Don't blame your customers when your store tries to cut costs by having untrained people do a cashier's job and they fail miserably.

Fresh and Easy only has self checkout.

It also has the fastest lines in my area of all grocery stores. So clearly people overall aren't struggling too hard to figure it out.

Personally I think self check out is fantastic. Who wants to wait in line for an item or two when you can breeze through a self checkout stand? Esp at hardware stores.

Musikelektronik

Last but not least don't get mad at me when I check your large bills I'm just following policy, pay with small bills if the cashier checking to see if they are real bothers you so much.

What bothers me about the practice is that most cashiers are not adequately trained to know the difference between real and counterfeit bills. They're not Treasury Agents, after all.

judyde

I'm going to save this list for my two boys to read when they're older as motivation for them to go to college LOL.

moosegt35

If you think I've insulted cashiers, then you have completely misunderstood my point.

Cashiering is a hard job. Stores are short sighted if they think they can save money by having their customers do the hard job of cashiering. Self-check is a failure not because customers are stupider than 5 year-olds but because cashiering is a hard job that requires training and hours of practice to be done quickly, efficiently, well.

Press start, scan items, put in bags, press finish, choose payment, pay. It's really not that hard.

I am also shocked that with self checkouts being such huge failures why more and more companies keep adding them. You should speak with their cost management teams ASAP.

treetop57

Management of big companies never make mistakes. Duly noted.

ren_ascent

I was working at Victorias Secret at the checkout the last few days before Christmas. There was a huge line of men and almost all of them are polite. One young guy asked if he could have an application and I said yes, you can apply for the stock room. He said that we were being "discriminatory" against men and said he should be able to work the floor. I said, very politely "women don't want some guy feeling up their boobs". So he said "*kitten* you b!tch" and stormed out like someone took his favorite toy. It was a good day.

lesspaul

Nah. Deleted msg. Don't wish to play.

moosegt35

Management of big companies never make mistakes. Duly noted.

I said that. Sure did. I however, do see that they are STILL putting them in, after all of these years. Self checkout isn't new BTW. With all the money they are obviously losing (by your extensive research) they just keep installing these things. They must be idiots.

anemoneprose

I was working at Victorias Secret at the checkout the last few days before Christmas. There was a huge line of men and almost all of them are polite. One young guy asked if he could have an application and I said yes, you can apply for the stock room. He said that we were being "discriminatory" against men and said he should be able to work the floor. I said, very politely "women don't want some guy feeling up their boobs". So he said "*kitten* you b!tch" and stormed out like someone took his favorite toy. It was a good day.

haha, wow

AnnofB

I'm glad I read this cause I'm guilty of laying money down on the counter instead of in the cashiers hand. The only reason I do it is that the cashier tells me my total or I see it on the screen and I get my cash out and the cashier is bagging my stuff, so I lay it down on the counter and start loading the already bagged items into my cart.

If the cashier is ready to take my money and offers their palm, I will certainly put it in their hand but if they are busy, and I have it ready, I lay it down. Good to know that that can be annoying, so I won't do that any more.

And speaking of having too many items for the 10 items or less register, I've been told by managers to go to that register if only one person or no people are in line there. The cashiers are always friendly but the people who get in line behind you are shooting daggers with their eyes as they count your stuff. I understand that--but I'm sure that at least once in their lives they been told to go ahead with a cart full by a manager, unless maybe I'm just special...

I think it would be in the best interest of young people to be banned from working in retail till the age of say 25. That's early enough to lose your innocence regarding how bad people can be. It changes you and as the op said it can make you bitter. I worked for a telephone company in the repair department. Same stuff. And it seemed that because you couldn't see them, they thought they could say anything to you. We had to take 16 calls an hour and weren't allowed to hang up on the customers, so frequently you didn't make your quota when some lonely soul called and wanted to chat to a total stranger about their life. I've been cussed out by experts too.

moosegt35

I'm glad I read this cause I'm guilty of laying money down on the counter instead of in the cashiers hand. The only reason I do it is that the cashier tells me my total or I see it on the screen and I get my cash out and the cashier is bagging my stuff, so I lay it down on the counter and start loading the already bagged items into my cart.

If the cashier is ready to take my money and offers their palm, I will certainly put it in their hand but if they are busy, and I have it ready, I lay it down. Good to know that that can be annoying, so I won't do that any more.

And speaking of having too many items for the 10 items or less register, I've been told by managers to go to that register if only one person or no people are in line there. The cashiers are always friendly but the people who get in line behind you are shooting daggers with their eyes as they count your stuff. I understand that--but I'm sure that at least once in their lives they been told to go ahead with a cart full by a manager, unless maybe I'm just special...

I think it would be in the best interest of young people to be banned from working in retail till the age of say 25. That's early enough to lose your innocence regarding how bad people can be. It changes you and as the op said it can make you bitter. I worked for a telephone company in the repair department. Same stuff. And it seemed that because you couldn't see them, they thought they could say anything to you. We had to take 16 calls an hour and weren't allowed to hang up on the customers, so frequently you didn't make your quota when some lonely soul called and wanted to chat to a total stranger about their life. I've been cussed out by experts too.

If the cashier is busy I wouldn't see it as a problem but if they have their hand out it should go in their hand. I was never a cashier but was a manager at a Dollar General and had to run the register when the cashier would take lunch. It was always the longest 30 minutes of my day and always had several people ley their money on the counter for me so I laid their change right back in the same spot whether their hand was out or not.

HeyGoRun

you dont know people till you worked in Miami!! My husband would leave your mouth open with all his crazy customer stories, heres 1

a man made the long line just to tell him that the dish liquid detergent that is 99c was a ripoff because the bigger size was less when compared with ounces and bla bla bla, that was all he didnt buy anything!

or the many crack heads that get receipts from trash go get product on the receipt and get a refund for it, gotta be smart to catch them on that one.

moosegt35

a man made the long line just to tell him that the dish liquid detergent that is 99c was a ripoff because the bigger size was less when compared with ounces and bla bla bla, that was all he didnt buy anything!

Lol, this is the case with just about every single product on the face of the earth. Why would people buy the bigger sizes if there was no "bulk" discount. People are so stupid.

bregalad5

I'm going to save this list for my two boys to read when they're older as motivation for them to go to college LOL.

*grumble* another person who thinks all cashiers are uneducated and haven't been to college

aquarabbit

I used to hate that. Maybe it's just me, but I truly think that everyone should work either some type of retail or food industry job just to get that experience.

runlilyrun

I had a customer yesterday who wanted a large Coke and a large Coke Zero. When I said we don't sell Coke Zero any more but could I offer her Diet Coke or Sprite Zero, she just walked off. I was confused more than annoyed.

slkehl

A couple of tips based on last night's experiences:

-Please don't hand us half the coins in your wallet and expect to count out the proper payment for your purchase.

-As a cashier who also cleans the bathrooms, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check your aim! I clean up urine in the men's bathroom on a regular basis and have to wipe even worse bodily fluids off the walls on occasion.

PlayerHatinDogooder

*If you suddenly decide you don't want something, hand it to me, don't put it on the drink cooler or ontop of the gum display. Would you like somebody doing that to you?

You're right.

I would be very upset if someone placed me on top of a gum display or a drink cooler if they didn't want me.

ladyark

You covered it pretty well i would say.....

DalekBrittany

I was working at Victorias Secret at the checkout the last few days before Christmas. There was a huge line of men and almost all of them are polite. One young guy asked if he could have an application and I said yes, you can apply for the stock room. He said that we were being "discriminatory" against men and said he should be able to work the floor. I said, very politely "women don't want some guy feeling up their boobs". So he said "*kitten* you b!tch" and stormed out like someone took his favorite toy. It was a good day.

Did they tell you to do that? Because we are absolutely NOT allowed to tell men that they are only allowed to work in the stock room. We have a manager that's male and he CSLs all the time. He doesn't do bra journeys, of course, but he is on the floor. If you really worked there you should know there are plenty of other jobs between bra fitting and stock.

thatgeekgirl

I am a cashier at GIANT. GIANT bought the building from the previous store that used to be there, called Genaurdi's. I live in the area and I always had liked the Genaurdi's, and was somewhat sad to see it go.

However. It's been a year. And some people still call it "Genaurdi's." That doesn't bother me so much... But the people who do it on purpose, not by accident, and then proceed to ***** and moan at me about how they want Genaurdi's back, or how "the store is all different now! Idk where anything is because it's a different setup than Genaurdi's!"

Or better yet, I actually got someone in line thenother day who told me "This store never has what I want, I can't wait for the new Whole Foods to open. Their prices are way cheaper!" Umm yeah, my friends call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" because shopping there is so inexpensive..???
The same person was incredibly rude to me when they first got in line, too. Someone had asked me where baby diapers were and I looked up at the isles, and said "Probably in Isle 3," and then continued to ring up stuff. The woman I was ringing up looked at me and then asked the cashier behind me, "Where are diapers?" They replied, "Isle 3." She then told the person asking, "they're in isle 3" and very purposefully said "thank you," to the cashier behind me, and then stared at me like I'd done something wrong! It made me really mad at her -___-

/sigh

ItsRachelSmith

I love GIANT because the workers have a union and get $12/hr starting (plus overtime).

Here are some great DONT'S for cashiers:

1. Don't treat customers like your unwelcome little brother
2. Don't repeat the same scripted lines to every single customer
3. Don't engage in lengthy chitchat while other customers wait in your aisle
4. Don't complain.
5. Don't discuss products of a personal nature with customers.

Source: http://www.jobs.net/Article/CB-116-Talent-Network-Retail-How-to-Stand-Out-5-Dos-and-Donts-for-Cashiers-VIDEO/

Now we need an authoritative list of DONT'S for customers...

RebekahR84

I love GIANT because the workers have a union and get $12/hr starting (plus overtime).

Here are some great DONT'S for cashiers:

1. Don't treat customers like your unwelcome little brother
2. Don't repeat the same scripted lines to every single customer
3. Don't engage in lengthy chitchat while other customers wait in your aisle
4. Don't complain.
5. Don't discuss products of a personal nature with customers.

Source: http://www.jobs.net/Article/CB-116-Talent-Network-Retail-How-to-Stand-Out-5-Dos-and-Donts-for-Cashiers-VIDEO/

Now we need an authoritative list of DONT'S for customers...

This is a good list. Also, my husband and I went to Ihop a few months ago while they had a bunch of new seasonal selections. We asked the waiter what he recommended, and his answer was, "I don't know. I don't eat this food. I hate this food."

Um... DON'T do that.