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paidtosmile

Former Team Leader
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May 19, 2013
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How do you handle shortages? I double checked all of my steps today and still came up short during the final safe count. part of it was because I didn't enter the change fund at one point, but there was another cash shortage that i couldn't find. I went back and checked all my math, start funds, the deposit, advances, I just could not find where I went wrong.

What do you do in this situation? I emailed the sales auditor and my APTL, but what is the standard procedure for dealing with shortages?

I had 1.5 training days in the CO and this was only my third time working in there by myself, first time I've encountered any problems.
 
I'm in the same position myself. Two of the GSA's at my store left and they just promoted me to GSA. I'm good at the front but they only gave me 1 cash office training day. The first day I was short and I had to call a hardlines team lead who used to be cash office to figure out what I did wrong. It ended up being some change. Now I always make sure I triple check that I accounted for all change. Also did you account for the bundles that weren't used the night before?
 
I used to have really bad shortage. I usually forgot to count a bundle, missed a tray of quarters from change fund, or didn't count my loose bills in the safe correctly.

A strong routine will lead to less/no shortage. If you have a shortage, don't worry. The person the next day will have an overage, and it will even out!
 
What Static said rings true: until you get your routine down, things will be missed. Until then, verify verify verify.
Suggestions: when doing your opening count, make sure you can physically lay hands on what's inside the safe & verify the advance before you send it out.
When you finish counting locations (and BEFORE you transfer to safe) check your totals of each denomination. While still in the window of your last location, slide the scroll bar at the bottom of the bills window all the way to the RIGHT. It will show you the grand total of each of your bills. While it's in that position, click your cursor on the LEFT side so you can run bills thru without adding to the total (verify). Start with the largest bills (the fewest) & work your way down to the ones. If the physical count doesn't match with the counted total, consider the variances (forgot to count start funds for those unbanked locations? counted under $50s instead of $100s?). If there's any corrections to be made that's the point in which it can be done. Once you've done 'transfer to safe', there's no going back.
If you're finding the error at the end during 'safe balance', click on the adjustment line & it will tell you where it's coming up short/over ($1s, $5s, $10s, $20s, coin, etc). If it's something like $100 in ones, $100 in fives, $60 in tens & $40 in twenties, you've most likely missed 2 start funds.
Again, as Static said a steady routine will curb a lot of this. If it's happening consistently tho, you might have another COTM take a look at your routine.
 
My first two times I was OVER in the cash office. Once by $20 and the other by $80.

Since then, I've changed a couple things to my routine:

-When counting locations, I start with the EMPTY bags first just make sure I have counted them.
-When I transfer to the safe, I run the bills through the counter first THEN make up the bundles. My trainer told me to create the bundles, then hand-key the amounts into the ATS system. I just hand key the amounts from unused locations, hand key the unused bundles from the registers, then run the loose bills through the counter. Then create the necessary bundles.
-Double-check everything before the final safe balance. If there is a varience, re-count the safe, check change fund, check start funds, check SDesk funds.
 
Thanks for all the answers! I really appreciate the feed back and it's nice to hear I'm not the only one who's messed up. I figured out where I went wrong; I messed up the change fund setup in 10000 different ways, but I was able to fix it. Once again, thanks!
 
You were right to email the auditor. They can usually sort it out. Honest mistakes happen. I found it helpful to fill out the manual count sheet, so that if there was an error I can double check my numbers.
 
My auditor never responded to me.

I gave up emailing them.
 
My auditor never responded to me.

I gave up emailing them.

Our auditor actually sent an email to another GSA at our store with a complete list of when we should email them. I'll try finding a copy of it to post next time I go in!
 
Our auditor is in India & doesn't respond until the next day.
 
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