Archived Cash office

[PinkZinnia]

It's mostly because of the way the other person showed me how to do it.. I'm still learning to do things my way.. She has me lay all the bags all over the counter (guest service bags, self check out bags and funding bags) then put all the bills strapped the way I need it for each bag on top of the bags..The bundles for the registers are on another part of the counter. When all that's done - all spread all over the place. She told me to do transfer to safe and count the ones. when it matchesThen get the ones that I need out of the safe.. Then Do it the same for the 5’s, 10’s 20’s. I have to find a different way. I feel like I'm all over the place counting and pointing to each area that I logged in and if someone on the floor calls me for something stupid in the middle of it, I have to start all over.

Maybe she has me doing it this way to keep me confused.

The self check outs are different because when you get the red bag in you will have the stack of ones, 5’s and 10’s. also in that bag will be a huge stack of mixed bills. They are the ones that the guests inserted into the machine. You have to separate them into the right piles.as if you are dealing out cards... Be careful when you are doing it because you can easily stick a large bill in with the ones or vice versa, if they are stuck together. I try to do a quick flip through the bills before I put them in the counting machine. Once I found a 20 in with the 5’s and another time a one in with the 20’s

 

[thetargetman]

Thank you thank you for all your tips.. I did make my own 'cheat sheets' and I try to strap as I go, even though I feel like it's taking me longer when I do that..but I'm getting there.. I'm sure the more I do it the faster I will get.

The other person who does the co feels like it is her room and doesn't like things moved.. She also doesn't give me much advise on how to improve myself in there. (But she is quick to tell me my mistakes)
When I asked her how much I should be leaving in the safe(10’s and 20’s) she said well you know, not too much...umm, no I don't know can you tell me how much not too much is. I'm not even up to ordering money - I will have to start paying more attention to see what is in there so I can figure out ordering.
People are funny about their jobs. Some don't like to give out info in fear of losing their job. I am a big believer in getting everyone trained to do everything so that things run smoothly.

I think the hardest part (most confusing part) is transfer to safe then taking the money from the safe to make the remainders of the bundles.. At that point I feel like I have money all over the place and I hope no one calls me or interrupts me when I'm at that point because I will get confused..

I know it's going to take time.. but being pressured by the lod the other day really stunk. Today I had a little extra time and I was able to search the problem I had that day - now I know what to do if that ever happens again

Do any of you who answered me have self check outs? I feel like I am dealing out cards when I am making the piles to count out. Self check outs (especially on weekends) are time consuming.

I don't know about you Pinkzinnia but my CO guide sheet is full of my own notes and tips, hints, ect. I am always glancing at it.

I don't have a guide sheet.. Where can I get it

It should be in the CO. you could always ask your trainer if your store has them.

 

[Randomness]

She told me to do transfer to safe and count the ones. when it matchesThen get the ones that I need out of the safe.. Then Do it the same for the 5’s, 10’s 20’s.

That does sound confusing.

What I do is set aside the money I need for the next day's advances while I'm counting. We're a low volume store, so I don't know how that would work for you, but for example...I know I need $300 in ones strapped in $25 increments, 5 $100 straps of fives, 11 $100 straps of tens, 3 $500 straps of twenties, and 1 $200 strap of twenties so I strap those as I'm counting. We use magazine holders to sort the loose bills while counting and this all goes right on top (strapped ones above ones, etc.). Everything else I leave loose except the ones which I continue to strap in $50 increments as I'm counting.

During transfer, as I'm recounting, I move the pre-strapped bills off to the side into 3 columns: one for the change fund, one for GS funds, and one for pharmacy and the $150 straps I have to replace (that's the loose bills). There should be a transfer to safe chart in your CO that tells you how many of each you need to rebuild those straps. If I'm short in any denomination of bill for my advance, I write it down on scrap paper. After the transfer to safe is done, I get any bills I need out of the safe at the same time I'm putting any extras in. After that, it's just an assembly line of filling bags.

Don't worry about speed. Concentrate on accuracy and getting into a routine that you feel comfortable with and the speed will come naturally.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

I was told that the yellow/orange bags are used for large cash advances. So large that you can't stick the bills in your pocket. I haven't had to ask for an advance yet and I don't see it happening. We have green and red but nobody cares if they're mixed up. Aaaaargh

My sweet baby Jesus you put Target funds in your pocket, EVER?! I don't even put the random spare change I collect in the CO in my pocket on my way to putting it in a register. That's a huge no-no.

 

[Nauzhror]

Yeah, our GSTL is quite worried about handling money that goes in registers. A few times he's found cash on the floor and asked me to follow him over to the jewelry counter and watch him put the money in the register.

 

[RedMan]

I was told that the yellow/orange bags are used for large cash advances. So large that you can't stick the bills in your pocket. I haven't had to ask for an advance yet and I don't see it happening. We have green and red but nobody cares if they're mixed up. Aaaaargh

My sweet baby Jesus you put Target funds in your pocket, EVER?! I don't even put the random spare change I collect in the CO in my pocket on my way to putting it in a register. That's a huge no-no.

As I said earlier, we're a little lax. I think I'm gonna try to change all the bags to one color for each night. I wonder if anyone will even notice.

 

[PinkZinnia]

She told me to do transfer to safe and count the ones. when it matchesThen get the ones that I need out of the safe.. Then Do it the same for the 5’s, 10’s 20’s.

That does sound confusing.

What I do is set aside the money I need for the next day's advances while I'm counting. We're a low volume store, so I don't know how that would work for you, but for example...I know I need $300 in ones strapped in $25 increments, 5 $100 straps of fives, 11 $100 straps of tens, 3 $500 straps of twenties, and 1 $200 strap of twenties so I strap those as I'm counting. We use magazine holders to sort the loose bills while counting and this all goes right on top (strapped ones above ones, etc.). Everything else I leave loose except the ones which I continue to strap in $50 increments as I'm counting.

During transfer, as I'm recounting, I move the pre-strapped bills off to the side into 3 columns: one for the change fund, one for GS funds, and one for pharmacy and the $150 straps I have to replace (that's the loose bills). There should be a transfer to safe chart in your CO that tells you how many of each you need to rebuild those straps. If I'm short in any denomination of bill for my advance, I write it down on scrap paper. After the transfer to safe is done, I get any bills I need out of the safe at the same time I'm putting any extras in. After that, it's just an assembly line of filling bags.

Don't worry about speed. Concentrate on accuracy and getting into a routine that you feel comfortable with and the speed will come naturally.

You way sounds so much easier. We only have a chart on the wall for the amount that goes in the bundles for the regiaters. not for what goes into guest services and self check out

 

[Retail Girl]

I was told that the yellow/orange bags are used for large cash advances. So large that you can't stick the bills in your pocket. I haven't had to ask for an advance yet and I don't see it happening. We have green and red but nobody cares if they're mixed up. Aaaaargh

My sweet baby Jesus you put Target funds in your pocket, EVER?! I don't even put the random spare change I collect in the CO in my pocket on my way to putting it in a register. That's a huge no-no.

As I said earlier, we're a little lax. I think I'm gonna try to change all the bags to one color for each night. I wonder if anyone will even notice.

If they see you stuff money in your pocket, and see you take money out (say they see this all in the camera) how do you plan to prove that the money you put in is the same money you took out?! Do NOT do this! They may be already watching you waiting to term you as soon as something is off.

 

[RedMan]

The money stuffed in the pocket was in regard to cash advances from CO. In my two months, there's been no need for a cash advance. I have put money in my pocket when I was en route to fill a request and got stopped by a guest. Better to stuff it in my pocket than set it down on the counter while I'm looking something up on the LPDA. It hasn't happened often, but it does happen. What's your solution?

 

[commiecorvus]

When I was running the office for the book store and doing the daily cash, during Christmas a till came out 3,000 short.
After I recounted it, I called in the manager explained what I'd found and stood in front of the camera and emptied my pockets just to make it clear I wasn't walking out of the office with anything.
(It turned out a manager had done a cash pull and left the bag sitting out on the front end. Amazingly it was never touched.)

 

[Retail Girl]

The money stuffed in the pocket was in regard to cash advances from CO. In my two months, there's been no need for a cash advance. I have put money in my pocket when I was en route to fill a request and got stopped by a guest. Better to stuff it in my pocket than set it down on the counter while I'm looking something up on the LPDA. It hasn't happened often, but it does happen. What's your solution?

If it's front lanes, I'd tell the guest I would be right back, drop off the money and come back to the guest. If I'm going to guest services, electronics, or pharmacy, I will either invite the guest to walk with me or tell them I need to drop the money off and I will be right back. Or I would flag down another and give them my PDA.

 

[Cel]

I always just kept it in my armpit. The skim bag, that the money is inside of, which is zipped closed, whenever it's outside of the change fund, a register or the CO....Please tell me you guys aren't walking around with fistfuls of cash? A couple coin rolls, ok, but paper money, no.

 

[Retail Girl]

Yes. I just grab the bills or coins out of the change fund register and walk off and distribute them...always keep them in my hands. That's how I was taught and how everyone in the store does it...even as other LODs have come and gone, they have all done the same thing around here.

 

[Barcode]

Use a skim bag if you're going to carry bills, and deliver em right away!

 

[Nauzhror]

I always just kept it in my armpit. The skim bag, that the money is inside of, which is zipped closed, whenever it's outside of the change fund, a register or the CO....Please tell me you guys aren't walking around with fistfuls of cash? A couple coin rolls, ok, but paper money, no.

Wait, maybe I'm interpreting this wrong, but if a cashier requests 5 $20 bills you use a bag to deliver a measly $100? I can see if skimming a register on black friday, or delivering an advance to the change fund drawer, but that seems a bit unnecessary if delivering money to a cashier.

 

[mrknownothing]

I always just kept it in my armpit. The skim bag, that the money is inside of, which is zipped closed, whenever it's outside of the change fund, a register or the CO....Please tell me you guys aren't walking around with fistfuls of cash? A couple coin rolls, ok, but paper money, no.

Wait, maybe I'm interpreting this wrong, but if a cashier requests 5 $20 bills you use a bag to deliver a measly $100? I can see if skimming a register on black friday, or delivering an advance to the change fund drawer, but that seems a bit unnecessary if delivering money to a cashier.

This. Our GSTLs and GSAs just carry the bills when delivering our change. Then again, we were told never to request 20s at the lanes (I think only the service desk gets 20s), so they're usually not carrying a large amount.

 

[Nauzhror]

Weird, we certainly request 20's, we break way too many 100's and 50's to break them with 10's all day.

 

[Retail Girl]

We have cashiers who, the first thing they do when they jump on a lane that hasn't been used yet during the day, request 20s immediately. I hate that. Eight times out of ten there is no need for this. The other two times out of ten, I will happily get them 20s if they run out due to large bills.

 

[Cel]

At my store that fistful of cash deal would've never flown with AP. Thing is, when you're rifling through the change drawer, there's a camera with a perfect angle to peer over your shoulder, same with everyone at a register on a lane. Once that cash is loose elsewhere, there's not a brightly colored bag to track it, and it's much easier to mess with (or appear to mess with thus generating a false alarm). It's not so much to prevent a guest from robbing the joint for $50 as it is to make the movement of cash both traceable and accountable on camera.

Keep in mind we kept a lone skim bag where the coupon drawer would be for the register with the change fund, it's not like we were going into the CO to get one.

 

[Retail Girl]

Yeah, AP wants you to think there is a camera angled perfectly on that change fund drawer and every register on the lanes. But there isn't. I've seen ap move cameras around too many times to cover various registers to know that there are serious gaps in camera coverage, even at the check lanes.

 

[mrknownothing]

Weird, we certainly request 20's, we break way too many 100's and 50's to break them with 10's all day.

We only have that problem in the first hour or so after opening when we don't have much more than the start fund. We take in a lot of 20s throughout the day, so it's usually not an issue.

 

[awbuckit]

It's mostly because of the way the other person showed me how to do it.. I'm still learning to do things my way.. She has me lay all the bags all over the counter (guest service bags, self check out bags and funding bags) then put all the bills strapped the way I need it for each bag on top of the bags..The bundles for the registers are on another part of the counter. When all that's done - all spread all over the place. She told me to do transfer to safe and count the ones. when it matches Then get the ones that I need out of the safe.. Then Do it the same for the 5’s, 10’s 20’s. I have to find a different way. I feel like I'm all over the place counting and pointing to each area that I logged in and if someone on the floor calls me for something stupid in the middle of it, I have to start all over.

This sounds like pure chaos! It doesn't have to be this complicated. I think I've stated how I do it in another post but you should really try it. We used to count all of the money from the bags, do transfer to safe and then make the start funds (24 lanes + 4 service desk) from wherever we needed to get the money, from money we just counted or the safe.
Now, as we count the bag's money, we make the start fund after saving the location. So after counting all of the bags the start funds are essentially already made up. A lot of the lanes are hardly used so the start fund amount is really close to what it should be. If I have 12 bundles from the bag money and there is 12 more in the safe still, then I know I'm good. We have a note stating what each denomination would be and we just enter that when doing the transfer to safe section. Then add in the "loose" money not needed for those particular start funds and voila! we balance. lol
When I've trained people for CO I always tell them YOU DON'T TOUCH THE MONEY IN THE SAFE UNTIL TRANSFER TO SAFE IS DONE!
Basically, you need to find a way that works for you. I did. I trained at another store and the way they did it (and still do) is confusing beyond belief. We have streamlined our process and it totally works.

 

[PinkZinnia]

I need to get faster, but lod's are making me so nervous.. It seems as though just before I get to transfer to safe part, or right when I'm in the middle of it they come in and ask me how much longer I'm going to be. I can't give them a definitive answer. Then they have the gstl knock on the door to ask me.. I start panicking that I am doing things wrong, and then I start making mistakes.. I start triple checking myself and it ends up taking me much longer..

This seems to happen whenever they let me in late.. I mean geez, i get scheduled to come in at 7 but some of these managers don't let me in until 7:30. I spend 1/2 hour doing push or doing bags and cleaning up the front end..Then I have to rush to get things set up for gstl.. Rush to count the bags rush to strap and constantly fight with the counting machine.

There are 2 managers who get me in the room on time and on those days I don't feel pressured and get out at a reasonable time..
Again.. Thank you for all your tips, they are helping me very much.

Who do you think I can talk to at work about this.. Not my etl he is one of the culprits. He is also vindictive and would make my life at target even more miserable..he is a liar and a cheat - just a giant snake..
Would I talk to ap? Hr? Is there really anyone to talk to about this? It doesn't seem to me that anyone is really accountable for anything in my store nor does anyone care about much...unless of course if they have to find someone to be a backup because I am taking to long (in their eyes) to do co..

Never should have agreed to learn it.

 

[redeye58]

HR might be a good start.
Keep your approach non-accusatory, that you feel you do best when let in on time & no one is banging on the door.
Whether you realize it or not, it gradually gets better & you'll eventually pick up speed but - like cashiering - you need to focus on accuracy FIRST.

 

[Randomness]

It depends on your store leadership. In my store, I'd go to HR or my STL.

I know it's easier said than done, but "challenge upwards" when they start harassing you to get done quicker. Tell them that you're still trying to get your routine down and that when they interrupt you, they're killing that and slowing down your progress.

Like redeye said, it WILL get better, and you'll get faster but you need to get into your groove with it and it doesn't seem like they're allowing it to happen.