Did you ever wonder how to be a good cashier? Or, what are the traits of a good cashier? Maybe you have been a cashier before, but never really had someone tell you specifically what you should do.
I used to work part-time at a grocery store and I can tell you first hand that it takes more than just scanning items at the register.
Your pleasant attitude and ability to multitask can actually mean the difference between pleasing and alienating customers. But don’t worry. Good job skills are easy to learn and with practice you can become the best cashier in your whole workplace!
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Keep your pockets empty.
The first thing you should never do while working as a cashier is fill your pockets with anything valuable. That includes wallets, phones and anything else you wouldn’t want to lose. The reason for this is simple: it makes it easier for someone to steal from you!
To prevent theft, keep your wallet and phone in an area where they can be seen by other people at all times.
This could be the top of your pocket or the front pocket of your uniform – either way, make sure it’s visible enough that anyone who sees it will be able to tell if something has been stolen.
Your phone doesn’t have to be visible at all times (if it does have a lock screen), but if someone tries snatching something out of your hands then they won’t know whether or not there’s money inside until after they’ve snatched everything out of there anyway so try keeping them locked too just in case!
Smile and make eye contact with your customers.
Smiling and making eye contact with your customers is a great way to make them feel welcome. When you look happy, it can put them at ease, too.
If you’re having trouble smiling or maintaining eye contact with someone who’s giving you trouble, then try breathing deeply before they arrive and again when they do. You’ll be able to keep your cool better that way!
Ask their name and use it.
One of the best ways to make a customer feel special is by using their name. It’s a simple gesture, but one that can go a long way when it comes to customer service.
If you have any experience working on the front lines at all, you know that remembering someone’s name is one of the most important parts of good customer service. Not only does knowing someone’s name help you remember them (and therefore build relationships), it also helps them remember you!
If this feels uncomfortable for whatever reason, don’t worry—you don’t have to call every single person “Mr.” or “Mrs.” just because they look like they want it.
But if there’s someone in particular who seems like they’d appreciate being called by their first name (like if they’re younger than 18), then do so with confidence and see how it goes!
Be enthusiastic about the customers’ items.
When a customer comes to pay, they’re usually excited to talk about their purchase and show it off. Let them know you’re interested in what they bought. If they are buying a gift for someone else, ask them about that person!
Also, if you notice that they have some other items on their shopping list that might be missing from their cart or haven’t seen yet, let them know so that you can help them get everything they need.*
Don’t ask to see a customer’s ID for items that are on sale unless you ask everyone.
It is illegal for a cashier to ask for a customer’s ID for items that are on sale unless every single customer who wants to buy those items is asked. You can only do this if there’s no one in line behind them, or if they’ve already paid and left the store.
If you see someone trying to buy something that has a discount, such as an item with a yellow “50% off” sticker on it or an item with the word “sale” written somewhere on it (like “SALE!” or “On Sale”), and they don’t have proof of age with them (like their driver’s license), then ask them if they’d like to show you their ID before you sell them the item so that we don’t get into trouble with our boss!
Be patient if someone is looking for something out of their purse or wallet or even for a discount card.
You need to be patient when helping out customers. They may have forgotten their wallet or are having trouble locating their credit card. I
t’s important that you don’t rush your customers, as they may be in a hurry or just busy and not able to locate the item they are looking for immediately. Instead of rushing them, try engaging in friendly small talk with them while they’re searching through their purse or wallet.
It is also important that you don’t assume that someone is trying to steal something from your store just because he/she is being slow at paying for an item.
Sometimes people just have difficulty finding things because it takes time to look through all of the stuff inside their bags, wallets and purses!
If this happens frequently then it might be helpful if you ask politely if everything is alright before asking how much something costs or whether they would like cash back on top of what they’ve already paid (if anything).
Think fast sometimes
If one register is down and the other is busy, you’re allowed to run people through your line if they have less than 15 items. It’s much quicker than waiting in line.
It’s not a problem if the line is short either—just ask them how many items they want to check out with and let them know that they can go ahead of anyone else who has more than 15 things to buy.
If there are no customers at all and there’s something wrong with the machine, it’s important to notify a manager immediately so they can fix it as soon as possible (and hopefully before any angry customers show up).
Accommodate customers with special needs without making them feel weird.
A good cashier will always be accommodating to customers with special needs. It’s important to remember that everyone is different, and you don’t want to make them feel like they’re out of place or that they should have thought of this before coming in.
When the customer has been standing in line for a few minutes and waiting for you to finish counting their things up, ask them how they would like their groceries bagged (paper or plastic).
If there are heavy items such as bottles of wine, tea kettles or large boxes of cereal on the conveyor belt, go ahead and put those into a separate box so no one trips over them when leaving the store later on.
This also gives smaller people more room around the register area when checking out at peak times during holidays where families are buying lots of food!
Know promotions and where items are located
As the cashier, it’s your job to know what’s going on in the store. You should be familiar with all of the current promotions, and if possible, you should also know where items are located on shelves. If a customer is new to a store and finds themselves getting lost or confused by products they’re looking for, it’s up to you as a cashier to help them out!
Always mention anything that’s going on in the store, like giveaways or sales, especially if somebody tells you they’re new to the store and are unsure of where things are located.
Here are some ideas on how you can make this process more smooth:
- Be friendly with customers and make eye contact while conversing with them. This will show that you’re interested in their questions and will allow them to feel more comfortable asking those questions in return!
- Use descriptive language when referencing items currently being sold at reduced prices or included as part of an ongoing promotion (e.g., “This week only!”).
Don’t be rude to the people around you while you’re at work as others can see it too!
You may think that your job is as simple as scanning items, ringing them up, and bagging them. But it’s not just about that!
The cashier has an important role in customer service to make sure the customers are happy with their experience at the store.
If you’re rude to people around you while working, then it reflects poorly on the store. Customers will see this behavior and will not want to come back themselves or tell other people about how bad of a service they received from one of your coworkers.
Customers are literally there every day, so remember that they have feelings too!
The customer is always right, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be nice to them! Make sure to greet customers with a smile and ask them how they’re doing today.
Just because someone is buying a pack of gum and water bottles doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings. They might have had a bad day at work or they might have seen an upsetting piece of news that morning, so be sympathetic when you interact with your customers.
If you treat everyone like they’re human, it will make your job easier because people are more likely to return if they feel welcome at the store.
When interacting with someone who isn’t being pleasant (such as someone who’s blatantly rude), it’s still important to remain polite yourself and stay calm throughout the interaction. Don’t let other people take away from what makes working retail awesome: getting paid for talking about fashion all day!
Conclusion
Being a cashier can be hard sometimes especially when you are the only one around to help out the customers. I’m sure these tips will help you become a better cashier and keep your job on the right track.
