Archived Cashier Transactions

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Hi everyone! I started cashier training today after being with the store for a little over 2 years now. I'm mainly a backroom team member, but the higher-ups are having me trained because I also do instocks. It seems pretty easy to be a cashier, but I'd like to hear some thoughts about it. What are the things you like and don't like about being a cashier? Have you had any interesting transactions or weird problems with guests at checkout?
 
Things I like about being a cashier:
  • I don't have to do it often.
  • They don't usually want me to go be a cashier because I'm quick with price checks.

Things I don't like about being a cashier:
  • People with tax-exempt cards that have to be manually entered in
  • People who decide that right after I tell you the price to start writing anything on the check.
  • People who come to my register in electronics with their cart full of grocery and try to check out there.
  • People who decide to search their binder of coupons for the right one
  • People who have 50 coupons
 
Things I liked about being a cashier:
- I did not enjoy being a cashier at all. I understand it is necessary but it was not meant for me.

Things I did not like about being a cashier:
-I did not like standing around the register. I like to be on the move. Walking to the end of the lanes to greet and grab guests is not enough to move around
-Like what oath2order said I did not like scanning 50+ coupons in one transaction
-I did not like how some people cannot keep their finances in order and tried to blame me when their checks/debit/credit cards do not go through
-I did not like how some people think it is ok to be on their phones during the checkout process. They ignored everything I said or did.
-I did not like how some people were just straight up rude
-I really did not like it when the register crashed
-I really did not like asking guests for their ID when purchasing alcohol who are clearly old enough. Most elderly are ok with it but some just get offended
 
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I was a cashier at another store for about a year. I don't know how I did it! I will say though that when a guest was on his phone, sometimes it was easier to get the ESP because he just wanted me to shut up and he really wasn't listening. All of POG and in stocks at my store have avoided register training.
 
What I like about cashing:
-It's simple. I originally applied for sales floor, but I'm glad I started as a cashier so I could "learn Target."
-Essentially no workload. You help guests as they come to you. You're not expected to get a zone done or anything like that. I help out with the front end brand from time to time, but it's not my responsibility to get everything done.

What I dislike about cashing:
-It's boring as ****. I need to move around and not do repetitive tasks for hours.
-Rude guests and scam artists.
-RED CARDS. Enough said.
-Barely any hours for most of the year. Come on, Spot, I have bills to pay.
-Few opportunities for development at the front end. Being on the floor gets me more exposure.
-My GSTLs have favorites, and I'm definitely not one of them. (Not that I really want to be.)
 
[*]People with tax-exempt cards that have to be manually entered in

This

I agree on this also. I had someone use a tax exempt form to buy one notebook .. yes a two dollar notebook and i went through the whole process of typing everything in and he said "wait. since its only 2 dollars im going to go grab another one. is that okay?" ..... so i waited while he ran to get another one, and then i had to start the process all over again
 
Red Cards are coming back Wednesday, according to my GSTL.

Beware of coupons. Read ALL OF THEM very carefully. If the item they got doesn't match what's on the coupon, too bad for them. Also, if there's a spot to write in the value of the item (in the case of a buy one get one free type coupon), PLEASE write it in.
 
Things I like:
Guests who are really nice/friendly/understanding/patient/etc
Downtime where I'm able to leave the register for a few minutes and zone or do other stuff


Things I don't like:
Coupons - I'm ok with scanning a couple of them, I'm all for saving money, it's even better if the coupons are placed directly with the items, but I do not like it at all when the guest has a shopping cart full of items and takes out a ton of coupons at the very end (when it comes to coupons I honestly feel like more than 10 is a lot), which means I have to take a second look at each item to make sure they match the coupon, while at the same time checking the expiration dates, making sure the price on the coupon is not more than the price of the item, and also taking note of the limit per transaction if there are multiples of the same coupons

The obsession with redcards - I still haven't heard anything that makes me believe getting a redcard is not based on pure luck. What if a guest wanted to sign up for a redcard and was the very next guest in my lane, but the lane next to me opened, so they went to that lane instead, when both cashiers were doing their job efficiently and still asking every guest. I'm not convinced the people who constantly push getting a redcard on the cashiers have actually stood behind the register for 4+ hours asking every guest if they want to sign up for one. I guess it could all be in the way you say it, but it's frustrating when a majority of the guests already have one, or they tried to get one and weren't approved, or they don't have a check, or they simply do not want one at all. All those factors and the number redcards you get will still make or break your job performance

Guests who are just flat out rude or unfriendly, guests who are on the phone or talking to the person next to them and don't at the very least say hello, guests who stand there and watch me take their items out of the small baskets, guests who put packs of water and big bags of dog food on the belt, guests who don't put similar items together

Guests who don't hand me their bills/coins and instead place it on the counter - I just find it so rude and necessary. Especially if it's only a few dollars. I understand germs and not wanting to touch other peoples' hands but it still makes no sense. Do people not realize how dirty money already is? Did you steal those gross one dollar bills and you're hiding it? Did you not want the next guest to see what you're paying with? Thank you so much for placing five dollars worth of every kind of coin on the counter and not telling me how much it is. I'm sure if I put their change on the counter instead of their hands they'd realize how annoying it is. I'm just getting into my cashier pet peeves now, let me stop. It's amazing how people will treat you just because you have a name tag and you're behind a register.

but regardless of all of this, you'll get used to it. Good luck
 
I'm sorry, but this part is ridiculous.

"I guess it could all be in the way you say it, but it's frustrating when a majority of the guests already have one, or they tried to get one and weren't approved, or they don't have a check, or they simply do not want one at all. All those factors and the number redcards you get will still make or break your job performance":.

It is most certainly in the way you say it. If you just continue to say the typical statement over and over again, you shouldn't be surprised if you don't get any RC's. Also, this is why conversion is a percentage. It takes all of that into consideration. People with RC's don't get prompted. Besides, you should already know before the transaction hits total if they're getting an RC. It'll make your conversion higher if you do it before the prompt. Get your (whatever your store/district goal percentage is) and don't worry about it.
 
[*]People with tax-exempt cards that have to be manually entered in

This

It seems as though we have to enter all the information for all tax exempt....each time they come to the store. I've had one guest come through my line several times and have had to enter everything each time.
 
Re: snoboy's comment .....there are plenty of times when people pay with a credit card that is not a RC...when they don't use the RC, and you ask the guest about getting a RC, that's when they tell you that they already have a RC.......well, then why don't you use it and save me from having to ask about a RC???

Or, the guest is very interested in getting a RC debit card and then when you tell them that they need a check....well.....that is annoying.

When people say that they don't carry their checkbook, I will take one of the tri-fold brochures and write "CHECKBOOK" and have them put it in their wallet or purse. This way, the brochure is in their way and it may help them to remember to bring in a check on their next visit. I've actually had 2 guests come back to me with their brochure and then thank me for the reminder. I've had several people say that the brochure helped them to remember to bring in a check for their next visit and they got the RC.

If I don't have the tri-fold brochures, I'll take a comment card and write "CHECKBOOK" on it and let that be the guest reminder card.
 
I hate cashiering. If I'm there for a while, my back hurts. Since it's the last part of the trip, guests get all antsy and they're in a hurry. Then they put the stuff on the belt one way, then want it bagged another. I have no problem bagging things in your particular crazy way, but put things on the belt in a way that makes sense. Sheesh. I hate that I have to laugh every time someone says "I only came in here for 3 things! Target always gets me!!" or whatever variation of that. I hate that I can't hide from "leadership" when I'm up there lol, because I'm horrible sometimes and don't wanna see their faces. I hate when the gs-person calls for backup and doesn't give me a chance to respond, but then lectures me about not using my walkie to respond. I could go on and on. I'd rather fold t-shirts for 8 hours. Honestly.

And I hate asking for redcards. Some people have them but the 5% isn't enough when they're comparing it to whatever rewards their cc offers. I always get "I have one, but I get points (or whatever) when I use this card"
 
And I hate asking for redcards. Some people have them but the 5% isn't enough when they're comparing it to whatever rewards their cc offers. I always get "I have one, but I get points (or whatever) when I use this card"
I've been hearing this more and more in the pharmacy - the 5% off isn't worth it to them. Not even with the stack with a Redcard. I want to tell them - get it and bring it to me please!! (but I don't)

Oh well, I'm sure I'll suck at RedCards in the coming weeks and my "amazing customer service skills" won't be enough to make them happy. Maybe I can just beg for express lanes each time I work. I like working express.
 
I was originally hired as hardlines seasonal but I've been a cashier for four years now. I used to hate going to back up cashier because I didn't really know what I was doing. I'm happy to talk to people and I meet interesting people and regulars say they always look for me. You have a lot of power to make peoples' days as a cashier. I get a lot of people set up with Cartwheel when I know there are big coupons on there for things they are getting (especially bedding and furniture). For example, the other day someone who didn't know about Cartwheel got $40 off their $200 mattress topper from it and they were certainly happy.

I've only had a couple of people get angry at me for asking for their ID for alcohol purchases. One lady started swearing at me, calling me an "f-ing b*tch" and such, so I cancelled out her order and started to call AP to have her escorted out of the building (she didn't apologize but did get her ID out so I started ringing her again, although after she paid she started off on me again, the next guest in line was sympathetic). Certainly, when we go through hundreds of guests every day, they'll be a few crazies in there. I've had some people (clearly old enough) refuse to buy alcohol here because we require ID (even after I offer to obtain an override so I don't have to scan it). But I think people eventually learn that many places are requiring ID now for every purchase.

So mostly I love being a cashier. We don't get scored on attachments (except service plans) but I'm always convincing people to get deals ("Hey, if you buy two of these diapers, you get $10 back"). Other than the occasional crazy person or fraudster (tag switcher, people with stolen credit cards, usually people AP warns me about as they're coming to the lanes), the only negative to being a cashier is REDcards.

Not having to ask for REDcards for a month was very nice (and according to comments online, pleasant for the guests as well). It's not the asking, it's the "Why haven't you got at least two REDcards today?" Now, I understand that corporate puts pressure on down the line until it gets to the cashiers. Corporate says, "Why haven't you got at least 30 REDcards today?" and so I'm required to get my share. I don't really blame the GSTLs but threats and punishments don't get people to sign up for them -- if the GSTLs threaten my job for not getting REDcards, can I threaten guests if they don't get one?

The easiest way to force everyone to get a REDcard would be to simply change Target to a membership-only club, like CostCo, where you have to have a REDcard to shop there. See, 100% conversion!

Before it was 5%, getting REDcards was even harder because the point system was pretty bad and sometimes there'd be problems getting the 10% off first purchase to come up right, so it was a surprise when someone actually got one. I didn't even get one until we went to the 5%. Plenty of people signed up when we first switched over, I think the the most I had in one day was 8. Spot wants conversions to constantly increase but it's simply getting harder and harder because people have either already got them or they really don't want one (such as cash-only or paper check-only diehards). After the breach, it's now even harder.

Some people absolutely hate backup cashiering but it forces you to learn how to deal with the public (now we're training all new hires as cashiers first). If it wasn't for conversions, I would have no complaints. But people complain about conversions so much on here (and IRL) because they are a major problem.
 
Well I only had two red cards this past year and both I was backing up guest service and the guest asked me if they could sign up hehehe!
Thank you for all your tireless work cashiers!!! :)
 
I don't push Red Cards. I asked a guy once when I was still new (he was buying a $1.50 drink, he told me I could take that nickel he would've saved and to go fuck myself). NEVER AGAIN.
 
My very first RedCard (the old school Target store card) was some poor sap just buying a greeting card and a soda.

I pretty much learned quick when to ask and not ask.
-Any time the transaction is over $25, I ask.
-If they are just buy a soda and candy bar, I don't ask.
-If they are kids, I don't ask.
-If their total is $25 or less, I may or may not ask. If they are buying anything from electronics, toys, or such which leads me to think they will need to buy more, then I ask. If its just junk items, I don't ask.


@RetailTherapy : Making Target a member store. That won't likely happen. It would be easier give RedCard holders exclusive deals or open the store earlier for them. Give RedCard holders first dibs an hour early on Black Friday.
 
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