Archived GSTLs: how many lanes should we leave open?

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We have a GSA that always closes as many as she can as soon as possible, and this has led to huge back ups. Once, she closed all but two, even though we had three cashiers closing. I've seen TMs come to back up cash to find no lanes left open, and all we can do is apologize to the guests. Tonight, she had closed all but one at 10 minutes to close (both electronics registers were closed at 15 minutes to close). Should she be leaving more open?
 
Yes. It sounds like someone needs a coaching from their GSTL. At my store (which is higher volume than yours, mind you), we always leave at least three checklane registers open until closing even on the quietest nights. Our GSTLs and GSAs always close Food Ave and Starbucks first because those areas are closed for the night anyways, then they proceed to the back row of lanes. 10-15 min before closing, they'll go back to electronics to close their registers, then they'll come back up front and close three of the four service desk registers. Unless it's very quiet, they'll wait until the store is closed to start closing the front row of lanes. Depending on how much guest traffic there is and how long it takes the LOD to get the box out of 239, it could be as late as 15 min after closing before they're finished.
 
That's pretty much how we do it, except we close all the GS registers first thing after getting the change fund, since our desk almost always closes at 9. How many should be left open, do you think? I usually leave one open for every scheduled cashier, plus an extra one (maybe two if it's during the holidays or something). I feel like it's really lazy of the other GSAs to close almost everything so early, especially since it doesn't take that long to close two registers. :/
 
What you're doing sounds reasonable to me. It really depends on guest traffic and how many cashiers you have at closing.

Any other ULV GSTL/GSAs care to comment?
 
I start with Starbucks and food ave, then I go from our least used to our most used registers. I leave no less than three open...usually no more than two are needed, but there are times that third one has come in handy. We generally only have two closers, or one that leaves at a half hour before close and one that leaves at close.
 
Around the 30 minute before close, my stores will start closing lanes leaving the lanes on the back line with the scheduled cashiers open. Thats usually lanes 4 & 6 with 2 closing cashiers. Then 2-3 lanes on the front line (lanes 3, 5, or 7)
 
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We leave a minimum of 5 plus 1 at Service Desk until all guests are clear. That being said, you know you can reopen a register if there's a mad crazy rush at the end.
 
you know you can reopen a register if there's a mad crazy rush at the end.

I don't think she knows that. Or she doesn't care. :/

Thanks so much everyone, I will be speaking to my Sr GSTL if her closing habits begin to impact guests again.
 
1 hr before closing, after LOD walks cafe- get the cash cart.

Close cafe, start at one end of the lanes and start closing. Leave how ever many closing cashiers you have, plus 3. After you close the unused front lanes, close photo (if separate from GS), jewelry (if needed), and then electronics.
 
you know you can reopen a register if there's a mad crazy rush at the end.

Yes, but then that register has to be re-banked. At my store, leadership makes a huge deal about having to re-bank the registers, so our GSTLs and GSAs avoid it at all costs.
 
We usually leave our guest service/express lane open until store close, along with two or three regular lanes depending on how the night is going.
 
I usually close electronics 15 min before closing. Leave one guest service register open until closing & depending on how busy the night is and how many people I think are in the store still 2-4 registers. (2 of the registers at my store are never closed for overnight)
 
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