One of the most common first jobs for many students entails working behind a cash register. Cashiers must learn and work a specific register or point-of-sale device to help customers check out their items, which takes solid training in order to provide quality service. These tips will help first-time cashiers easily perform their job and earn their keep at their workplace.
Be Personable, But Don’t Hold Up the Line
It’s a kind gesture to the customer if you take the time to be friendly and ask how their day is. These short interactions will build a solid ground for you and a stranger, and showing that you care about how their day is going will incentivize them to show a little more kindness in turn. It also paints the store or business as a friendly place to patronize. But don’t forget that a cashier’s essential function is to supply efficient customer service. Keep interactions brief, but show kindness so customers will leave feeling like their visit to the store was a good experience.
Keep Your Cool With Upset Customers
One of the potential downsides of customer service is the upset customers you may encounter. First-time cashiers will have a hard time with these customers since the job is new and you’re still adjusting to the work. A customer may come to you angry and raise their voice because a certain item is out of stock or their card was declined unexpectedly. It’s important to understand that this is not a personal problem with you but with the store, and you, unfortunately, are the closest worker they can associate with their problem in the establishment.
The customer isn’t always right, but it’s better to let them feel right for an efficient workday. Let them air their grievances and calmly try to help them. Look for another way to help them with their problem, offering a coupon or checking if there is an item in the back that they can have instead. These issues are common and, at times, jarring, but resolving them quickly is important for getting other people checked out and getting on with your shift.
Be Patient With Yourself as You Learn
When you begin any new job, it’s important not to hold yourself to an unreasonably high standard; instead, be patient with yourself. You’re still learning the processes of your workplace, and there are many things to learn as a first-time cashier. Take your time learning the POS pin-pad system and its pros and cons; ask questions about the proper way to do something and try your best.
Being a cashier is not always easy. First-time cashiers will need to learn numerous things to be good at their job, and these tips will help you get a head start when you begin your first week behind the register.
