My ring/tender is usually in the 125-130 range. I don't do anything in particular, although I am quite fast with the produce codes, but that's about it.
Sometimes when a customer pays with cash and is being slow about it, I'll tender them out, hold my drawer closed, then no sale enter and give them their change. When I do this my tender time goes WAY down. For example today my tender time was 0.35 when I was doing that, and it went up to 0.45 when I didn't hold the drawer closed.
I think it's unfair that we are evaluated using a metric that mostly relies on our customers. When a cash transaction takes me a long time, it's normally because the peabrained customer is saying "Hold on, let me dig in the bottom of my purse, my jeans pocket, and my pet's butthole for change" while I stand there waiting in agony. I can ring up an order very quickly, but if the customer makes me do a price check then I'm screwed. I feel like the primary way to get a good ring/tender is to have little "tricks" that game the system in some way rather than being a genuinely good cashier.
-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 5th of December 2014 03:55:13 AM
Also, I thought cashiers with the best ring/tender scores were put in the Express lanes. However, in my store, that doesn't seem to be the case. I've seen the slower cashiers put in the Express often. I'd go as far as to say that manager's favorites get put in the Express rather than the most effective cashiers.
I agree - do not tender the sale until you have the cash. Customers can change their mind and decide to pay by a debit card and you've already tendered the sale as cash. If your ring tender is usually 125 - 130 you really don't need to improve.
Yeah that's definitely bad. I've had NUMEROUS customers change their mind on using cash vs check vs card. Ring tender means nothing in my store. I really wouldn't worry about it.
but damn, this one employee checked out in my lane.. she effing works here and took like 10 mins because she couldnt find her kroger card (kept saying one of the cashiers stole it), then kept adding **** in the last minute. The dude next was pissed since he only had like 5 items. When i check out in a lane I make sure i have everything out for the cashier and try to be fast about everything. **** that really pissed me off.
1. Do NOT tender them out unless you're absolutely sure of what they're going to give you.
2. Slow cashiers are in the express lanes. They're a burden to the regular lanes and will most definitely sink that store's Q-vision score.
And #2 is one of the many reasons why Kroger sucks internally. Relying way, way too much on tech and computers to tell them what they should do next.
I think if a computer told a store manager to pour a can of cranberry sauce on his head and cluck like a chicken in the foyer next to the shopping carts, he would do it.
Also, I thought cashiers with the best ring/tender scores were put in the Express lanes. However, in my store, that doesn't seem to be the case. I've seen the slower cashiers put in the Express often. I'd go as far as to say that manager's favorites get put in the Express rather than the most effective cashiers.
I am always in the top three tender scores - and I am almost always on express.
They put the slow pokes on express here because the orders should be smaller and they should get faster. The reality is that folks will use whatever register they want and most slow cashiers don't care. Always funny when customers yell at each other for bringing too much to the express lane.
They put the slow pokes on express here because the orders should be smaller and they should get faster. The reality is that folks will use whatever register they want and most slow cashiers don't care. Always funny when customers yell at each other for bringing too much to the express lane.
At my store, we can direct customers away from express if they're making their way towards us. However, if the customer insists anyway and starts unloading their items, we can't tell them to **** off and have to ring them up.
And then they get pissed at us for being to slow with their 100+item order. Mind you, our express lanes are like the department store counters (single, long counter with registers spaced every two or three feet apart).
They put the slow pokes on express here because the orders should be smaller and they should get faster. The reality is that folks will use whatever register they want and most slow cashiers don't care. Always funny when customers yell at each other for bringing too much to the express lane.
At my store, we can direct customers away from express if they're making their way towards us. However, if the customer insists anyway and starts unloading their items, we can't tell them to **** off and have to ring them up.
And then they get pissed at us for being to slow with their 100+item order. Mind you, our express lanes are like the department store counters (single, long counter with registers spaced every two or three feet apart).
Anytime someone brings an unreasonably large order through my express lane, I just go ASAP -- as slow as possible. I get paid by the hour, not by customer count.
They put the slow pokes on express here because the orders should be smaller and they should get faster. The reality is that folks will use whatever register they want and most slow cashiers don't care. Always funny when customers yell at each other for bringing too much to the express lane.
At my store, we can direct customers away from express if they're making their way towards us. However, if the customer insists anyway and starts unloading their items, we can't tell them to **** off and have to ring them up.
And then they get pissed at us for being to slow with their 100+item order. Mind you, our express lanes are like the department store counters (single, long counter with registers spaced every two or three feet apart).
I got to point where I wouldn't say anything, because the customers get pissy and then they want to talk to management and then you get yelled at again. Glad I don't cashier anymore.
Sometimes when a customer pays with cash and is being slow about it, I'll tender them out, hold my drawer closed, then no sale enter and give them their change. When I do this my tender time goes WAY down. For example today my tender time was 0.35 when I was doing that, and it went up to 0.45 when I didn't hold the drawer closed.
-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 5th of December 2014 03:55:13 AM
Don't do this. Popping your drawer open outside of a transaction is a loss prevention red flag. The number of drawer opens appear on an accounting report every day and gets reviewed. If money goes missing you'll come under suspicion.
2. Slow cashiers are in the express lanes. They're a burden to the regular lanes and will most definitely sink that store's Q-vision score.
This is a problem. We've tried putting slow ones there to speed them up but I doubt it works. Best practice is to put the fast ones there but that takes some thought going into scheduling, depends on availabilities, isolation, etc.
Sometimes when a customer pays with cash and is being slow about it, I'll tender them out, hold my drawer closed, then no sale enter and give them their change. When I do this my tender time goes WAY down. For example today my tender time was 0.35 when I was doing that, and it went up to 0.45 when I didn't hold the drawer closed.
-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 5th of December 2014 03:55:13 AM
Don't do this. Popping your drawer open outside of a transaction is a loss prevention red flag. The number of drawer opens appear on an accounting report every day and gets reviewed. If money goes missing you'll come under suspicion.
I disagree. Your division may care about that enough to track it, but most don't because of the widespread use of this tip to increase ring tender scores. I know my division doesn't even have a report that will show this.
Anonymous wrote:
NutritionWhore wrote:
2. Slow cashiers are in the express lanes. They're a burden to the regular lanes and will most definitely sink that store's Q-vision score.
This is a problem. We've tried putting slow ones there to speed them up but I doubt it works. Best practice is to put the fast ones there but that takes some thought going into scheduling, depends on availabilities, isolation, etc.
Scheduling doesn't have to be changed at all. When the faster cashier clocks in, they take over on the express lane. Boom, problem solved.
What are the repercussions, if any, for slow cashiers? Are they harassed and threatened to be let go?
Sometimes, yes. Our ELMS scores are posted each week and there is always a blatant mark made on the sheet singling out the ones that are high, the ones that are close, and the ones that need to do better.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
It is kinda fun to see on paper that you're working hard. But after a couple years you realize there are no winners on the list.
1. Do NOT tender them out unless you're absolutely sure of what they're going to give you.
2. Slow cashiers are in the express lanes. They're a burden to the regular lanes and will most definitely sink that store's Q-vision score.
Oh, that's not what I meant. If someone takes a long time with change, I wait until they give me the change, then I tender it out, hold my drawer closed, and no-sale enter it open. That way hopefully the effect on my tender time will at least be lessened.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
No, elms gives you the same allotted time for every item you scan, from a packet of kool-aid to a 50 lb bag of dog food. However, how you do things makes a difference. Using the hand scanner earns you less time than the scanner/scale. Using the quantity key earns you a bit of extra time, but not much, and you still only earn the time for scanning 1 of the item.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
No, elms gives you the same allotted time for every item you scan, from a packet of kool-aid to a 50 lb bag of dog food. However, how you do things makes a difference. Using the hand scanner earns you less time than the scanner/scale. Using the quantity key earns you a bit of extra time, but not much, and you still only earn the time for scanning 1 of the item.
You shouldn't be timed at all. Granted, no one likes to wait in line, but if I go through somewhere and get a cashier that obviously knows what he or she is doing, is respectful to me and about my purchases, I don't really care about the wait. Kroger is so full of crap like that.
Work on your IPM speed and bag only after you have tendered the sale.
Well, the thing is that I can't. The way that our registers are structured, there's physically no place for me to put the items. I'm right in front of the scanner, and there's a ledge to put the bags adjacent to the scanner, and then there is a small space behind me. To my left is the customer and to my right is the keyboard, receipt printer, and screen. It takes as much time to turn around and place things on the counter behind me as it does for me to shove them in the bag. I also don't have a bagger.
I try to set as much stuff aside as possible, but I don't think it would be possible for me to bag everything up at the end for larger orders.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
No, elms gives you the same allotted time for every item you scan, from a packet of kool-aid to a 50 lb bag of dog food. However, how you do things makes a difference. Using the hand scanner earns you less time than the scanner/scale. Using the quantity key earns you a bit of extra time, but not much, and you still only earn the time for scanning 1 of the item.
Hmmm. I've heard theories that big items like 24/32 packs of water "earn" more time for you. And using PLU codes on produce supposedly earns you an extra 4 seconds as opposed to scanning the label. Theories though.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
No, elms gives you the same allotted time for every item you scan, from a packet of kool-aid to a 50 lb bag of dog food. However, how you do things makes a difference. Using the hand scanner earns you less time than the scanner/scale. Using the quantity key earns you a bit of extra time, but not much, and you still only earn the time for scanning 1 of the item.
Hmmm. I've heard theories that big items like 24/32 packs of water "earn" more time for you. And using PLU codes on produce supposedly earns you an extra 4 seconds as opposed to scanning the label. Theories though.
Nope. What you scan is meaningless; it's how you do it that counts. Scan with the scanner/scale, get x seconds earned time. Use the gun, get y time. Type a UPC or plu, get z time. It just goes on and on like that. I've seen the actual standards in elms and there are literally hundreds of different possible earned time standards, especially once you include all possible tendering methods.
I wish I knew why a guy with a low items per minute, about average tender time per customer and customers per hour, gets high 90's low 100's productivity. Everyone, including me, seems to focus on speed, but I'm always at like 96% or so despite having a much higher items per minute. But then since I basically earn minimum wage no matter how fast I go I might as well stop being concerned.
Items per minute doesn't seem to mean much. I'm new to Kroger so feel free to correct me, but I think ring/tender takes into account what type of item you're ringing up whereas IPM is just a raw score. My IPM is usually about 17-18. My tender time is ~0.4 range usually. Yet like I said I have a ring/tender% of 125-130 most weeks. Customer count 25-30/hr. I personally don't see how I have a good score while being so slow! At my old store my IPM was 30, but we didn't have to bag as we go like we do at this Kroger.
-- Edited by snailshell on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 01:04:27 AM
No, elms gives you the same allotted time for every item you scan, from a packet of kool-aid to a 50 lb bag of dog food. However, how you do things makes a difference. Using the hand scanner earns you less time than the scanner/scale. Using the quantity key earns you a bit of extra time, but not much, and you still only earn the time for scanning 1 of the item.
Hmmm. I've heard theories that big items like 24/32 packs of water "earn" more time for you. And using PLU codes on produce supposedly earns you an extra 4 seconds as opposed to scanning the label. Theories though.
Nope. What you scan is meaningless; it's how you do it that counts. Scan with the scanner/scale, get x seconds earned time. Use the gun, get y time. Type a UPC or plu, get z time. It just goes on and on like that. I've seen the actual standards in elms and there are literally hundreds of different possible earned time standards, especially once you include all possible tendering methods.
And this is why Kroger sucks. Well one of the reasons why. Too much reliance on computers and math, loss of reliance or thought on human behavior and human judgment.
Sometimes when a customer pays with cash and is being slow about it, I'll tender them out, hold my drawer closed, then no sale enter and give them their change. When I do this my tender time goes WAY down. For example today my tender time was 0.35 when I was doing that, and it went up to 0.45 when I didn't hold the drawer closed.
-- Edited by snailshell on Friday 5th of December 2014 03:55:13 AM
Don't do this. Popping your drawer open outside of a transaction is a loss prevention red flag. The number of drawer opens appear on an accounting report every day and gets reviewed. If money goes missing you'll come under suspicion.
I disagree. Your division may care about that enough to track it, but most don't because of the widespread use of this tip to increase ring tender scores. I know my division doesn't even have a report that will show this.
In our division, this is a report (it also shows how many coupons a cashier took and how many voids a cashier did for the day among other items) that only the bookkeepers will see at the store and for the most part it not a huge problem unless it is a high amount of no sale enters or it is a loss prevention issue, so it will not be shared with anyone other than other people that open at the store
