Can I get some tips as a new cashier. I use to work at another kroger when I was fourteen, but as a bagger. Now I'm 18, and have gotten a job as a cashier. How can I be fast, remember the codes, coupons, how to be friendly and charismatic, and everything under the sun I could be faced with. I want to know about all the different situations cashiers deal with on the daily, and how to approach and/or fix them.
There are way too many scenarios to even try and post them all and how to handle them. Plus, policies and procedures vary by division, state, and store. Just pay attention when taught something and try to memorize it. Don't worry about speed for at least the first month, period.
Basically, keep scanning. Always ask for a Kroger card. If they don't give you a Kroger card, scan one for them and put it with their groceries.
If an error pops up and you don't know what it's for, call your supervisor over, or ask the next cashier. You'll eventually pick up on how to resolve errors and such.
Never do price overrides unless you (a) KNOW that the price is not correct, (b) your supervisor or someone higher (i. e. management) says it's ok.
Always assume customers are lying through their teeth when they're arguing over price reduction. Be on the lookout for those "I found these in the markdown section" even though the item has no markdown sticker. Again, best course of action is to contact your supervisor or someone from management.
Basically, keep scanning. Always ask for a Kroger card. If they don't give you a Kroger card, scan one for them and put it with their groceries.
If an error pops up and you don't know what it's for, call your supervisor over, or ask the next cashier. You'll eventually pick up on how to resolve errors and such.
Never do price overrides unless you (a) KNOW that the price is not correct, (b) your supervisor or someone higher (i. e. management) says it's ok.
Always assume customers are lying through their teeth when they're arguing over price reduction. Be on the lookout for those "I found these in the markdown section" even though the item has no markdown sticker. Again, best course of action is to contact your supervisor or someone from management.
Ditto. And never ever leave your lane without locking your register or signing off. Had some dumbass cashier lose $320 because of this.
I should also ask to never allow customers to get behind you or to reach over the counter, especially when you're about to handle money. If they need to see something or you need to point something out, YOU lean over to them. Aside from that, everything they wanna know/see should be anything that's on the main monitor facing them.
Oh and yes, always card people for alcohol/cigs. Unless they're on the verge of death. If you're not sure of someone's age (like myself often), ask. It's not worth losing what job you have over an ID, or over one irate customer. Besides, that irate customer won't be supporting you if you get fired.
Produce codes may seem baffling, but you'll eventually pick up on them, especially common items like onions, lemons, and avocados.
In addition, it's best to keep a copy of the store's ad circulation for the week. It saves time if someone buys an item on sale but doesn't ring up correctly, especially if they say that it's advertised. The ads also outline conditions for the sale, such as quantity and/or limit. If someone asks why X product didn't ring up Y less than regular price, it's because they haven't met or exceeded the criteria for the sale.
-- Edited by NutritionWhore on Friday 28th of November 2014 12:08:48 AM
I should also ask to never allow customers to get behind you or to reach over the counter, especially when you're about to handle money. If they need to see something or you need to point something out, YOU lean over to them. Aside from that, everything they wanna know/see should be anything that's on the main monitor facing them.
Oh and yes, always card people for alcohol/cigs. Unless they're on the verge of death. If you're not sure of someone's age (like myself often), ask. It's not worth losing what job you have over an ID, or over one irate customer. Besides, that irate customer won't be supporting you if you get fired.
Produce codes may seem baffling, but you'll eventually pick up on them, especially common items like onions, lemons, and avocados.
Yea and most states are very anal about alcohol and ID's. Some states may even revoke your driver's license and or throw you in jail if you end up selling beer to someone under 21.
Oh, and if you can, try to count out cash in their view. Counting out loud also is a good idea. Every now and then you'll have a customer who will claim that you didn't give them enough change, or that they gave you a $50 instead of a $20. And with that, you should also count back the change in front of them, bill by bill. If you're worried about being slow to do that, again, don't worry since you'll pick up the pace about as quickly as the pace that you scan.
With checks, try to get it through the first time. It's a pain having to correct checks, since, at least at my store, corrections have to be done and initialed by the customer. Always ask for an ID and write down details that the store/division requires you to write on the check (name, DL#, phone number, etc.).
Ask your supervisor if customers can use corporate checks or company credit cards. Normally it's only an issue when the register asks you to check their ID and put in a DL number.
Oh, and if you can, try to count out cash in their view. Counting out loud also is a good idea. Every now and then you'll have a customer who will claim that you didn't give them enough change, or that they gave you a $50 instead of a $20. And with that, you should also count back the change in front of them, bill by bill.
I'd say that's a good idea for someone new to cash counting. However, once you get used to doing it (like a couple years down the road) its not worth the time, at least for me. Once the customer takes what you hand them and leaves, my understanding is they legally accepted it as correct and if they come back, they can't force you to give them any change back they say you owe them. Of course, you'd always just have someone count your till and unless it's over by roughly what they say you owe them, you've done nothing wrong.
The main problem I deal with as a cashier is an item not scanning and/or a customer complaining that the item rang up for the wrong price. Either way you have to do a price check. First, I ask the customer what they think the price is. If their answer seems plausible or is within $10 of what the item rang up for, I just give it to them with a price override (that's the policy at my store, but I don't know about yours). If that doesn't work, you have to call the department and at least 50% of the time they don't care and either won't answer the phone or will tell you to wait. I've had plenty of coworkers give me attitude for needing a price check. Meanwhile the clock is ticking, your ring tender is going down by the second, and the customer is probably gonna write a bad Yelp review or customer survey. Yep, price checks are by far the most horrible thing about cashiering, and they are the WORST around this time of year.
You also have your crappy customers. There's two kinds of crappy customers: blithering idiots and outright jerks. The former are irritating -- they do stuff like deserting the checkstand mid-transaction, putting their unloaded basket on the belt, digging around in their purse for 5 minutes for their loyalty card, etc. Annoying but harmless. Honestly, a lot of customers fall into this category, although you get used to it. The outright jerks are fairly rare, but when you get one, it's hard not to cry (and I have cried at the register, believe me - it's horrible!)
As for counting change, I always count out loud to the customer, unless I'm giving them a single bill. Many customers do appreciate that you took the time to make sure you did your job right, believe it or not.
Make sure to bag with care. Ask if they want non-food items like cleaning products in the same bag as food, or if they want raw meat separate, etc.
-- Edited by snailshell on Saturday 29th of November 2014 03:57:59 AM
Oh, and if you can, try to count out cash in their view. Counting out loud also is a good idea. Every now and then you'll have a customer who will claim that you didn't give them enough change, or that they gave you a $50 instead of a $20. And with that, you should also count back the change in front of them, bill by bill.
I'd say that's a good idea for someone new to cash counting. However, once you get used to doing it (like a couple years down the road) its not worth the time, at least for me. Once the customer takes what you hand them and leaves, my understanding is they legally accepted it as correct and if they come back, they can't force you to give them any change back they say you owe them. Of course, you'd always just have someone count your till and unless it's over by roughly what they say you owe them, you've done nothing wrong.
That may be, but you know how Kroger values customers over employees. I know one of our cashiers had to sit in the office with a customer and the manager while they viewed the security camera over the register because the customer claimed he was $20 short. Turns out she never did pay the amount she initially claimed.
I just don't want myself (or anyone) to have to go through the hassle over that.
And it's also why I put coins that customers forget into donation boxes or back in the till, since they can be accounted for one way or another.
Can I get some tips as a new cashier. I use to work at another kroger when I was fourteen, but as a bagger. Now I'm 18, and have gotten a job as a cashier. How can I be fast, remember the codes, coupons, how to be friendly and charismatic, and everything under the sun I could be faced with. I want to know about all the different situations cashiers deal with on the daily, and how to approach and/or fix them.
That in bold cannot be taught or hinted at. You either are or you aren't. being fast is simple as not looking at the stuff as you scan.. use both hands to grab and scan, if you don't know the code for something or even what that something is, set it to the side for last and ask the cashier behind or in front of you if they know it while you are scanning the rest. Ask for the loyalty card and form of payment at the beginning and have them slide if they are using a credit/debit so you can just hit the eft payment button. If they have large items on the bottom of the bascart, have your CC scan them for you while you go(assuming you're lucky enough to get one haha)... and trust your bagger to get the stuff sacked and stacked until you have handled your side of the transaction(taken payment and stored in drawer).
After reading some of the responses, I thought I should add something. "Ask customer if they want cleaning supplies with food": I strongly suggest you avoid that entirely. Bag them separate. If you have a bagger that you can't trust to NOT put chemicals and pesticides in with food, I strongly suggest putting them to the side in your bag rack by themselves. You face all kinds of problems with that:
Chemicals leak onto the food== food ruined== customer comes back and complains that you put them in danger== bye bye job, even if they told you to put them together. You know they WILL come back and lie their a**es off and say they said no.
Chemical/pesticide leaks onto the food-- Customer doesn't know it when they make that peanut butter and jelly with unscented raid poison soaked bread for their kid(s)... Dead kid(s), lawsuit for wrongful death against you and Kroger.... and the guilt to haunt you for the rest of your natural days...
In short: JUST DON'T DO IT. PERIOD.
When counting back the change, count up to the amount they paid you. I.E., the bill was 19.09 and they gave you a $50 bill... count 20.00 (place the 91 cents in his/her hand), 30, 50.... This eliminates the question of what they gave you.
-- Edited by FESlaveHouston on Saturday 29th of November 2014 08:42:41 PM
When counting back the change, count up to the amount they paid you. I.E., the bill was 19.09 and they gave you a $50 bill... count 20.00 (place the 91 cents in his/her hand), 30, 50.... This eliminates the question of what they gave you.
-- Edited by FESlaveHouston on Saturday 29th of November 2014 08:42:41 PM
We were also taught not to put the bill they hand us in the drawer until after you give them their change. That way if the customer says they gave you a 20 when in fact they gave you a 10, you can show them the bill they just handed to you
When counting back the change, count up to the amount they paid you. I.E., the bill was 19.09 and they gave you a $50 bill... count 20.00 (place the 91 cents in his/her hand), 30, 50.... This eliminates the question of what they gave you.
-- Edited by FESlaveHouston on Saturday 29th of November 2014 08:42:41 PM
We were also taught not to put the bill they hand us in the drawer until after you give them their change. That way if the customer says they gave you a 20 when in fact they gave you a 10, you can show them the bill they just handed to you
But then that opens up the liability of someone grabbing their change and the original bills. Especially with big bills or large amounts of cash, I'd say what you've been taught is the opposite of what you should do.
When counting back the change, count up to the amount they paid you. I.E., the bill was 19.09 and they gave you a $50 bill... count 20.00 (place the 91 cents in his/her hand), 30, 50.... This eliminates the question of what they gave you.
-- Edited by FESlaveHouston on Saturday 29th of November 2014 08:42:41 PM
We were also taught not to put the bill they hand us in the drawer until after you give them their change. That way if the customer says they gave you a 20 when in fact they gave you a 10, you can show them the bill they just handed to you
But then that opens up the liability of someone grabbing their change and the original bills. Especially with big bills or large amounts of cash, I'd say what you've been taught is the opposite of what you should do.
Ditto! I dunno how many dumbass people I've encountered that actually believe leaving a bill on top actually helps. We have security cameras if anyone is really concerned about being shorted by their cashier.
After reading some of the responses, I thought I should add something. "Ask customer if they want cleaning supplies with food": I strongly suggest you avoid that entirely. Bag them separate. If you have a bagger that you can't trust to NOT put chemicals and pesticides in with food, I strongly suggest putting them to the side in your bag rack by themselves. You face all kinds of problems with that:
Chemicals leak onto the food== food ruined== customer comes back and complains that you put them in danger== bye bye job, even if they told you to put them together. You know they WILL come back and lie their a**es off and say they said no.
Chemical/pesticide leaks onto the food-- Customer doesn't know it when they make that peanut butter and jelly with unscented raid poison soaked bread for their kid(s)... Dead kid(s), lawsuit for wrongful death against you and Kroger.... and the guilt to haunt you for the rest of your natural days...
In short: JUST DON'T DO IT. PERIOD.
Well, ok. That's a bit excessive. I've been doing that for a year and a half and so far nobody has died, although I almost always separate out any non-food item that isn't soap without asking. Most cashiers just shove whatever into the bag and don't care about what goes where. 99.99% of cleaning containers don't just spontaneously open. The packaging for most dangerous household items is designed specifically to prevent accidental spills.
Sometimes customers don't want to pay for an extra bag (I live in an area where bags cost money) and will take items out of my "cleaning supplies only" bag, insist that I put it all together in one bag and get mad at me if I try to separate it.
It's actually kinda funny that you're being so alarmist about it. I haven't heard of a single person dying due to careless bagging. LOL
-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 30th of November 2014 02:05:21 AM
After reading some of the responses, I thought I should add something. "Ask customer if they want cleaning supplies with food": I strongly suggest you avoid that entirely. Bag them separate. If you have a bagger that you can't trust to NOT put chemicals and pesticides in with food, I strongly suggest putting them to the side in your bag rack by themselves. You face all kinds of problems with that:
Chemicals leak onto the food== food ruined== customer comes back and complains that you put them in danger== bye bye job, even if they told you to put them together. You know they WILL come back and lie their a**es off and say they said no.
Chemical/pesticide leaks onto the food-- Customer doesn't know it when they make that peanut butter and jelly with unscented raid poison soaked bread for their kid(s)... Dead kid(s), lawsuit for wrongful death against you and Kroger.... and the guilt to haunt you for the rest of your natural days...
In short: JUST DON'T DO IT. PERIOD.
Well, ok. That's a bit excessive. I've been doing that for a year and a half and so far nobody has died, although I almost always separate out any non-food item that isn't soap without asking. Most cashiers just shove whatever into the bag and don't care about what goes where. 99.99% of cleaning containers don't just spontaneously open. The packaging for most dangerous household items is designed specifically to prevent accidental spills.
Sometimes customers don't want to pay for an extra bag (I live in an area where bags cost money) and will take items out of my "cleaning supplies only" bag, insist that I put it all together in one bag and get mad at me if I try to separate it.
It's actually kinda funny that you're being so alarmist about it. I haven't heard of a single person dying due to careless bagging. LOL
-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 30th of November 2014 02:05:21 AM
Well, I wouldn't call it alarmist, actually. It's just a prudent course of action. And you living in a place that charges for bags puts you in a situation that's unique, not the norm.
After reading some of the responses, I thought I should add something. "Ask customer if they want cleaning supplies with food": I strongly suggest you avoid that entirely. Bag them separate. If you have a bagger that you can't trust to NOT put chemicals and pesticides in with food, I strongly suggest putting them to the side in your bag rack by themselves. You face all kinds of problems with that:
Chemicals leak onto the food== food ruined== customer comes back and complains that you put them in danger== bye bye job, even if they told you to put them together. You know they WILL come back and lie their a**es off and say they said no.
Chemical/pesticide leaks onto the food-- Customer doesn't know it when they make that peanut butter and jelly with unscented raid poison soaked bread for their kid(s)... Dead kid(s), lawsuit for wrongful death against you and Kroger.... and the guilt to haunt you for the rest of your natural days...
In short: JUST DON'T DO IT. PERIOD.
Well, ok. That's a bit excessive. I've been doing that for a year and a half and so far nobody has died, although I almost always separate out any non-food item that isn't soap without asking. Most cashiers just shove whatever into the bag and don't care about what goes where. 99.99% of cleaning containers don't just spontaneously open. The packaging for most dangerous household items is designed specifically to prevent accidental spills.
Sometimes customers don't want to pay for an extra bag (I live in an area where bags cost money) and will take items out of my "cleaning supplies only" bag, insist that I put it all together in one bag and get mad at me if I try to separate it.
It's actually kinda funny that you're being so alarmist about it. I haven't heard of a single person dying due to careless bagging. LOL
-- Edited by snailshell on Sunday 30th of November 2014 02:05:21 AM
Well, I wouldn't call it alarmist, actually. It's just a prudent course of action. And you living in a place that charges for bags puts you in a situation that's unique, not the norm.
My point was, CYAAYBF (Cover Your A** And You'll Be Fine)... I realize that it was a pretty extreme example, but it was to prove a point..... Thank you Tech for that.
Another note. The golden rule applies as cashier and as bagger... Treat your customers' groceries the way you would want yours to be treated. Keep mashables and breakables to the side til the very end, i.e. eggs, breads, chips, delicate fruits... things like gravy or koolaid packets should be handed directly to the bagger to prevent slipping down through the crack at the end of conveyor belt... magazines, greeting cards and similar items can be handed to the customer in their own separate bag...
It takes at the very least 2 bags to make sure that gallon of milk doesn't fall through.
Lord help you if you decided to put boxes with 90° corners in the bag.
Honestly I'm glad that I live in a place that hasn't banned plastic bags (or are charging for 'em).
In the store I worked at, it was the store policy with gallons of milk to just put them straight in the cart unless requested by the customer. It was like that with most items that had handles actually. Though I usually would double bag half gallons of milk together.
It takes at the very least 2 bags to make sure that gallon of milk doesn't fall through.
Lord help you if you decided to put boxes with 90° corners in the bag.
Honestly I'm glad that I live in a place that hasn't banned plastic bags (or are charging for 'em).
In the store I worked at, it was the store policy with gallons of milk to just put them straight in the cart unless requested by the customer. It was like that with most items that had handles actually. Though I usually would double bag half gallons of milk together.
It's that way here too. Anything decently big with a handle just goes in the cart unless requested otherwise.
