Q&A for How to Be a Good Cashier

Being nervous is perfectly fine, and most people will understand. Everyone makes mistakes, including experienced cashiers. Go at whatever pace you feel comfortable with, even if it is slow; you will eventually get faster. If you try to overachieve and make everything perfect, you may end up stressing yourself out.

Stay calm and explain to the customer what the store policies are; never raise your voice or get angry. If the customer continues to give your trouble, ask a manager to help you with the situation. As soon as the customer leaves, take a deep breath, and try to clear them from your mind.

Try practicing on cashier/cash counting games (the ones "for kids"). They are really helpful for pounding those basic numbers into your brain for those panic moments, spend a few hours on these games and it'll be easier to trust yourself in those panic moments when your mind goes blank.

No, you should not ask. No matter how long the line is, count the change to make sure it's correct. Otherwise, you'll be short at the end of the day. Even if the customer says "Here is $4.56", you cannot be certain of that as even an honest customer may have made a mistake in counting, being distracted by the shopping and other things on their mind. On the other hand, counting is part of your job.

It depends on how much money is missing from the register, and how often. If it is only a few cents, you don't have to worry. If it is a large sum of money ($20, $50, or even $100+), you and anyone else who was on the register may receive a warning or face disciplinary action. The managers will usually ask the cashiers what happened, move them to another register (to see if it happens again) and review the security cameras.

Speak with your manager about this. If you share your register with these employees and some cash goes missing, everyone who was on that register (including you) might face disciplinary action.

The manager or another superior usually shows you how to count your till, and will watch as you count yours. Sometimes, he/she will count yours for you. The till should have a fixed amount of change in it. At smaller stores, this may be $75; at larger, it may be more. Try to clock in just before you grab your till. Once your till is counted and in the register, you can begin cashiering.

Signatures for credit card receipts are rarely, if ever even, needed at most stores. At the end of the day, systems are still able to charge the card without the receipt being signed. Try to remember to ask the customer for his or her signature next time, however.

Yes, you can. Most modern cash registers do the math for you anyway, so as long as you can count out money to give to the customer, then you shouldn't have a problem being a cashier.

You will probably do some sort of computer/video training, or a workbook of some sort. You'll shadow (watch) an actual employee for while until you feel comfortable on your own. Then they'll watch over you. Once you're able to cashier without their help, your training will be complete.

It probably will. Being a cashier requires direct interaction between you and your customers. Moreover, you want to give each and every customer a personal approach, not just blurt out the same generic line to everyone. You should probably try to work on your language skills before you take a job as cashier.

It depends on your previous experience using cash registers and how comfortable you are learning something potentially brand new.

No probably not since you spend at least half your time looking at the computer screen to make sure that everything rings in properly and that there are no mistakes. Also for codes and stuff you need to make sure you get the right product. However, you can learn tricks, so talk to your employer about getting help.

It's okay to make mistakes, just alert your manager or supervisor when this happens. If you're confused, make sure to ask questions. Reading procedure manuals again may be helpful as well.

Talk to your manager immediately. You will likely need to clock back in to have your time counting your till on the clock.

Report it to your supervisor without causing a scene. Do not draw the attention of customers or other employees, and do not disrupt the transaction flow. Tell tell your supervisor at the end of your shift.

A few of the qualities of a good cashier include being kind, friendly, and helpful. Try smiling at your customers in line and asking them about their day to strike up a friendly conversation. Try not to complain about work or other people so you don't come off as bratty or mean. Learn the ins and outs of your store and the locations of items so whenever someone asks you for help, you're able to assist them. If you have an angry or irate customer, stay calm and try to be as helpful as you can. If there's nothing you can do, ask a manager to lend you a hand.

While it may not be difficult to do a cashier's job, it takes commitment to be good at it. Cashiers deal with a lot of different people, each with different moods, personalities, and needs. A good cashier needs to be patient and kind, even after working a long shift. It's also important that a cashier knows the store's policies and the locations of items so they're able to assist customers who are looking for something or have questions about a policy.

Cashiers often have many other responsibilities besides manning the checkout lines. They may help restock shelves, assist customers who are looking for something, and even retrieve shopping carts from the parking lot. They also need to be knowledgeable about the stores policies as well as know how to honor coupons and deal with problems that arise in the day-to-day business of operating a store.