Archived Cashier to GSA Details?

[Sanzano]

So I've been a cashier for a year now and have one of the highest conversion rates in my store for RCs. (For example I got 6 the other day on a 6 hour shift.) I'm also a trainer for the front end and do CA, service desk, and can ring pharmacy, starbucks and food ave. I'm now hopefully going to fill the GSA position open at my store, and I was wondering if any other GSAs, GSTLs, or even cashiers had any finite details or tips and tricks that currently most people wouldn't be aware of or wouldn't know to do as a GSA. I've looked at some of the other threads on this and haven't seen much details but rather more of an overview or outdated info now, I know the ins and outs of POS for the most part but do you guys have any other things I should know that maybe aren't common knowledge?

 

[Retail Girl]

Tips and tricks will vary from store to store depending on what you will be doing....some stores use their GSAs as cheap GSTLs and some stores use them as head cashiers as most shifts have GSTL coverage. Get to know and become good partners with the other GSAs. You're in a unique position where you are "just" a TM but you get stuck with so much more. So no one else will get it to know what it feels like to have the other TMs bitching at you, the guests bitching at you, and the LOD and TLs ignoring you...and you're stuck in the middle. The other GSAs can save your sanity.

 

[Sanzano]

My store def uses them as cheap GSTLs. They're basically viewed as TLs just without all the paperwork and whatnot. There's only one other GSA (an ex-GSTL) and 5 GSTLs all of which I'm very well acquainted with. But GSTLs work as a good team with the rest of the front so I don't think I'd get caught in the middle too much. Thanks for that though was good info.

 

[BadWolf4531]

If your store has 5 GSTLs, I'm guessing you'd be doing a lot of Service Desk, Cash Office, and mids (unless you're a two-story). At any rate, it varies depending on the culture of your store, as Retail Girl already mentioned. The things that helped me out most as a GSA were (1) gaining the respect of my fellow cashiers and (2) gaining the respect of other (non-front end) TLs/ETLs.

I did this by learning who my strong cashiers were and using them not only to ring guests, but to work candy, work One Spot, and cover SD and FA, when applicable. "Most" of your stronger performers appreciate not being stuck in their little box for the entire shift, if you can help it (of course there are a few exceptions to this). I'd also work with the floor and send one or two TMs out to work re-shop whenever things got slow. The other TLs definitely appreciated this, and it definitely helps balance out those shifts where you feel like you're on back-up the entire time.

Bottom line: Learn how to delegate, but be careful not to do it with a "I'm the GSA...so you have to do what I say" attitude. Good luck with the application process!