Archived First week as a cashier

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So this week was my first working at Target. It was a little rocky to say the least. They knew it was my first job. They had me watch someone the first day of training for about 15 minutes. She was doing a lot really fast. After a little bit of standing there they asked me to take her place and start. Since it was a Sunday and the store was really full the whole situation was very overwhelming. All week long I’ve been struggling to keep up and having to call someone every 5 minutes because i dont know a lot stuff sucked. They acted as if i was supposed to know everything yet they refused to do any actual training... Ive seen some people say they threw them in the register after just giving them a little book or training on the computer yet i wish i was at least that lucky. Anyways today is Friday and was my best day so far. I finally felt comfortable handling everything by myself i knew how to go about all the little things that come up every 2 minutes. As i was finishing up the GTL comes up to me and he’s like hey so as i told you at you interview you have to smile all the time and interact with them show them the app ask them about the red card this and that.. other than asking about the REDcards which I haven’t done yet bc again i was trying to concentrate and make as few mistakes as possible. I have been smiling, interacting, striking up conversation with them the whole damn day. I mean every guest that came in i was like hi how are you and smiling at them and some people don’t even look at you. It’s not like i can force someone to talk. You kind of get the point when someone just wants to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. Anyway im sorry if this was long and all over the place i guess im just asking if anyone has any advice or similar stories etc. How do you interact with guests?
 
My guess is that you are very young. If so, let someone who may be old enough to be your mother tell you that teens especially, but even people in their early 20s are a little self-centered and take things a little too personally. It's not really a character flaw, just how it is, but the GSTL told you some very important things so that you can focus on what you need to do to get better, not to be mean and say you are bad. Professional, not personal.

When I am doing cashier work I happily greet them. Just a quick "Hello, how are you doing?" with a smile. After they respond, then I do the red card pitch. During all this I'm scanning items. If something that's scanned becomes complicated, then mid-pitch stops until I can figure it out, and then I pick it back up. Most people are patient if you say that you are new and need a second to figure it out. Sometimes they are buying something that I can use as a friendly talking point, like pet food.

Someone else will have to explain how they work cartwheel in at the register. I avoid that topic like the plague unless the guest is asking me directly about it. There's no way in hell I'm going to volunteer to have to void a $200 grocery run because the person didn't know about cartwheel and wants to use it that trip.
 
I try to make small talk with the extremely friendly guests. I will comment on something they are buying " Oh I haven't tried these. Are they good?" " How is the weather outside?" Try looking at their cart and see what they are buying. Bunch of party stuff " Throwing a party?" Bunch of clothes and kids hanging on to a cart " Did the kids outgrow their summer clothes?" The guest who clearly wants to be left alone. I will smile say hello and thank you for coming in. All you can do. If they complain about something " you didn't have what I needed in stock?" Offer to get them help. Worse case they say "No".
 
It'll probably take you around 10 shifts before you'll feel comfortable. You are correct when you say there is very "minimal training." The lack of training at Target IMO is staggering.
When I worked retail 15 years ago I spent nearly an entire week in computer training. Target lets you read a pamphlet for 15 minutes and then pushes you in...
It's probably why so many people quit the first week. It's beyond stressful. I've been there awhile and I still find new things I didn't know on a weekly basis.
You will never please every guest. Some will want to tell you their life story. Others won't interact with you. I always feel like I'm walking on eggshells.
I'd say 30% of guests are looking for a fight.... They are middle aged white women full of hatred.
I learned to sell red cards on my own. What I would suggest is this. Focus on the basics, but try to incorporate something new each shift either it be red cards, selling warranties, engaging guests, etc....
There's noway to do it all at once until you master each separately..... What you're experiencing is normal....
 
I haven't been on a regular register for a long time, but this was my pattern:

Me: Hi, how are you doing today?
Most guests: I'm good, how are you?
Me: I'm good too. Did you find everything you were looking for?
Most guests: Yes. I got a lot more than I came here for.
Me: Yeah, that happens to me too here. It's nice that I can save 5% with a Red Card on it...

Just a skeleton of a conversation that guests can take where they want.
 
Every time I ask this question the guest gets angry and complains we don't have a certain item or brand...... I avoid that question like the plague.

Didn't get that often TBH. But, it's an easy one. If it's something we actually do have, then call someone to go get it. If we don't have have the item/brand it's easy at my store. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. We're a smaller Target and we just don't carry a lot of things because of all the specialty stores that are nearby. Your best bet to find that is at Store X. It's just a couple of minutes away."
 
It took me a while before I became comfortable at a register too. I was pretty young when I started at Target and it was my second job and I felt really overwhelmed for a good while. I felt alone and like no one cared to help me or be friends. After a while everything was ok. It will be ok for you too. Just stay positive
 
It took me a while before I became comfortable at a register too. I was pretty young when I started at Target and it was my second job and I felt really overwhelmed for a good while. I felt alone and like no one cared to help me or be friends. After a while everything was ok. It will be ok for you too. Just stay positive
We are here to help you too:)
 
Every time I ask this question the guest gets angry and complains we don't have a certain item or brand...... I avoid that question like the plague.
At my store, "Did you find everything you were looking for?" used to be obligatory for cashiers. Then after seeing the survey scores plummet with complaints about what guests couldn't find, they made it absolutely forbidden.

On the original poster's question, Sadly, the training is not nearly as good as it used to be or ought to be. Keep the opening conversation quick and simple, and you'll be OK. I usually greet the guest, "Hi! How are you today?", followed by a mention of the Redcard, "Will this be on your Target card today?" If the answer is yes, I thank them for choosing the Redcard. If it is no, I give them the sales pitch (This is a bit long, but it can be tailored to fit your style), "Would you be interested in one? You save five percent when you use it, plus you get free shipping at target.com and an additional thirty days for returns." Knowing the Redcard benefits is a great selling tool. If the guest says yes, I thank them, and when I am done scanning their order, I scan the brochure and do their Redcard application (Make sure you do the application yourself. Otherwise, you don't get credited for it). If not, I leave it there. You can't really pressure someone into it. After that, you make conversation based on how you read the guest. Some just want to get in and out, others love to chat about whatever comes to mind. When the order is rung, let them know the total. End the transaction by thanking them, and you're gold.
 
One other thing. Square Trade doesn't get nearly the love it should. This might be an ASANTS (All stores are not the same) thing, but at my store they are tracked, so one can rack up brownie points for becoming proficient in selling them. It's not hard to work it into the conversation. <scanned an item that triggers the prompt> "Would you be interested in protecting this with a two year (three year for TVs) replacement plan? It's only (fill in the amount shown by the add plan option)" Most guests will decline, but there will always be guests who are willing, especially if it is a high value item, and the cost of the plan seems a bargain compared to the cost of replacement
 
Those things are just shy of a scam though, and I'm not talking about Target specific. Everything that store extended plans cover are also covered by the manufacturers warranty, and the likelihood of spontaneous failure following the end of the manufacturers warranty is really, really small because the manufacturers warranty covers the time defects will hit failure point. Most things that break a covered item won't be covered by an extended warranty because it's a use/misuse issue. It'd be far better to take the money and get a rider to your renters insurance for high value items. I had a rider that covered dropped laptops or soda spilled in desktops in full after deductible.
 
One tip for a newbie regarding making change: once you accept their currency and coins, ledger it in and press K1, don't get distracted if the guest wants to offer you extra coins or bills to get an even amount back. :eek:Reason: you increase the risk of making a mistake and getting confused. 😱 Proceed with counting out the change as shown on the screen, then offer to the guest to count out the change, take their extra bills and coins to roll it up. Some guests won't like it but few things are more embarrassing to a new cashier than losing track of the correct payment and correct change, you don't want to screw this part of the job up.
 
One other thing. Square Trade doesn't get nearly the love it should. This might be an ASANTS (All stores are not the same) thing, but at my store they are tracked, so one can rack up brownie points for becoming proficient in selling them. It's not hard to work it into the conversation. <scanned an item that triggers the prompt> "Would you be interested in protecting this with a two year (three year for TVs) replacement plan? It's only (fill in the amount shown by the add plan option)" Most guests will decline, but there will always be guests who are willing, especially if it is a high value item, and the cost of the plan seems a bargain compared to the cost of replacement
Our store has never emphasized this. We don't get encouraged to promote Square Trade. I always mention it to guests, and if there's even a glimmer of interest mention it provides two years of coverage... emphasize it's a reputable service also offered by Costco. This gives it some credibility, many of these extended-protection plan companies have a bad reputation among consumers. I have signed up a few of these. It does annoy me that I often can't find the Square Trade brochures to hand to the guest, I end up telling them to look at the receipt, register their product at square trade's web site.... One thing that is strange is when Square Trade is offered for low-priced products like razor-blade replacements or electric-toothbrush replacement heads, the 2-year coverage price often is almost as much as the product price. It's inexpensive for a lot of other products.
 
One thing that is strange is when Square Trade is offered for low-priced products like razor-blade replacements or electric-toothbrush replacement heads,
Yes, that is bizarre, especially when you're offering a two-year plan on toothbrush heads, which are supposed to be replaced every three months. Someone could really milk that one for all it's worth.
 
One other thing. Square Trade doesn't get nearly the love it should. This might be an ASANTS (All stores are not the same) thing, but at my store they are tracked, so one can rack up brownie points for becoming proficient in selling them.
As I'm not being offered actual brownies (OR cash incentives) for selling them, I rarely bother pushing them tbh.
 
Care more about getting good at cashiering first then start asking about red cards. Once that happens then start asking. Be subtle about in conversation. Also ask questions don’t be afraid to ask it’s the only way to learn considering they didn’t take the time to train you properly.
 
Those things are just shy of a scam though, and I'm not talking about Target specific. Everything that store extended plans cover are also covered by the manufacturers warranty, and the likelihood of spontaneous failure following the end of the manufacturers warranty is really, really small because the manufacturers warranty covers the time defects will hit failure point. Most things that break a covered item won't be covered by an extended warranty because it's a use/misuse issue. It'd be far better to take the money and get a rider to your renters insurance for high value items. I had a rider that covered dropped laptops or soda spilled in desktops in full after deductible.

So not true.

For the most part, square trade covers accidental damage for the first two years, and for many items they don’t make you send the product in. They just send you a gift card. It is great for small appliances and non screen electronics. If you are willing to lie you can basically get anything under $100 for free with it.
 
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