Archived New Cashier Questions

[doge]

Hi all. Just did my training today for cashier and made some transactions on my own. It was terrible! I messed up a lot and felt so embarrassed. Just have a few questions:

1. I wasn't able to get any Red Cards today, but from my understanding, you just scan a Red Card pamphlet in order to apply the customer. What happens after that?
2. Is a team leader usually watching the lanes? My trainer told me if I ever needed help, I have to turn on my blinker. I'm afraid someone won't come readily enough and I'm just standing there and waiting for help while the customer gets impatient.
3. How do you get the damn bags to separate without getting flustered?!

Thanks!

 

[Kaitii]

1. The guest pretty much does everything on the card reader, all you really need to do is scan their ID (press total if you're done scanning everything) and insert their check if they're getting a debit card
2. A GSA or GSTL will always (hopefully....) be watching the lanes. Not to worry you or anything, but you will absolutely have that awkward 5-10 minutes of standing there while you wait for someone to help you if it's busy and/or your help is helping someone else. Just... don't make eye contact. Always apologise for the wait.
3. Okay so hear me out here. This is going to sound weird and probably won't make sense because I do it on instinct. When you finish bagging a thing, stick your hand in it and in one quick motion, from one end to the other, kinda like run your hand through it. Grab one end with that hand and using the same hand grab the other side once you pull out the first end. I found doing that somehow makes the bags come apart a bit. Every now and then one will stick, just pull it off throw it on the ground (pick it up when you get a chance!!!) and carry on. You'll find a way that works for you. Some TMs preseparate their bags during downtime. Some just YOLO it

Here's a (bad) diagram of what I do

Arrow starts on the right side then moves to the back, to the front and up to the handle, where I swerve my wrist, pull the handle out and grab the other end with that same hand.

Good luck!!

 

[BrohemianRapcity]

1. After scanning said RedCard pamphlet it'll ask them if they want to apply for the credit or the debit card. I usually like walking them through the process because guests can occasionally get a bit flustered and say "I'll just try later." So the application goes like this:
- Choose the card you're applying for (usually credit since not many people carry checks anymore)
- Enter your gross annual income (you can do the math for them but always assure them that you just need an estimate since they can always change it online later)
- Enter your primary phone number
- Enter secondary phone number (if they don't want to add a second number just press continue)
- Confirm information and then press continue (if wrong you can always edit and it'll take you back to that screen)
- Insert Social Security Number (it'll ask them to insert it twice just to make sure the numbers match and you're not just making one up)
- Scan their I.D. (you can always enter their I.D. number, one letter then a few numbers. Or just insert their address manually using your keyboard)
-Confirm information (if wrong, you can select to edit and it'll have you edit it at the very end)
- Create 4 digit pin
- And then it's just a two or three continue screen with a bit of info for the guest
-Have them sign
- Hit SUBMIT
- Last but not least congrats, you just got a RedCard and let your GSTL know!

Also, if a long receipt comes out, they've been approved. If a small one comes out, I usually just say "Okay, we just need to gather a bit more information on you but either way you should get something in the mail within the next 10 days. If you get approved all you have to do is activate your card by calling or online."

The small one usually means they didn't get approved but I just lie and say that it's happened before where they get approved within those 10 days. Just to ease the fact that they were declined.

 

[BrohemianRapcity]

2. If it's something small like getting more bags or you need a gift card, just tell the guest you'll be back and go to an unmanned lane or ask other cashiers.

If it's something you absolutely need GSTL for but they're taking a long time just ask the guest of it's okay that you help out the next guest. Suspend the transaction by hitting the Suspend Trans button around the Price Inquiry/Enter/Total one and DON'T LOSE THE SMALL RECEIPT THAT PRINTS OUT. When everything is ready to go, you'll scan that small receipt and the system will retrieve it but it's important to know that since it's suspended, it means the transaction it's not yet complete so don't let them leave with the bags or anything. I usually just keep the bags at my side or by my reshop bin and say it's for their convenience so they don't have to carry it.

If they for some reason refuse to let the other guest go first while they wait (unlikely but still can happen) then just wait and let them know that it'll be a bit longer. They sometimes might even resolve the problem with you and decide to leave an item or what have you.

 

[doge]

1. After scanning said RedCard pamphlet it'll ask them if they want to apply for the credit or the debit card. I usually like walking them through the process because guests can occasionally get a bit flustered and say "I'll just try later." So the application goes like this:
- Choose the card you're applying for (usually credit since not many people carry checks anymore)
- Enter your gross annual income (you can do the math for them but always assure them that you just need an estimate since they can always change it online later)
- Enter your primary phone number
- Enter secondary phone number (if they don't want to add a second number just press continue)
- Confirm information and then press continue (if wrong you can always edit and it'll take you back to that screen)
- Insert Social Security Number (it'll ask them to insert it twice just to make sure the numbers match and you're not just making one up)
- Scan their I.D. (you can always enter their I.D. number, one letter then a few numbers. Or just insert their address manually using your keyboard)
-Confirm information (if wrong, you can select to edit and it'll have you edit it at the very end)
- Create 4 digit pin
- And then it's just a two or three continue screen with a bit of info for the guest
-Have them sign
- Hit SUBMIT
- Last but not least congrats, you just got a RedCard and let your GSTL know!

Also, if a long receipt comes out, they've been approved. If a small one comes out, I usually just say "Okay, we just need to gather a bit more information on you but either way you should get something in the mail within the next 10 days. If you get approved all you have to do is activate your card by calling or online."

The small one usually means they didn't get approved but I just lie and say that it's happened before where they get approved within those 10 days. Just to ease the fact that they were declined.

My trainer said if they are declined, that we give them a 5% discount anyway. He showed us how to give a discount for EACH item, but I'm afraid I'm going to encounter a customer who has just bought a long list of items and I wouldn't want to go through each item to discount. How can I give 5% off their entire purchase, without going through one by one to do so?

 

[BrohemianRapcity]

My trainer said if they are declined, that we give them a 5% discount anyway. He showed us how to give a discount for EACH item, but I'm afraid I'm going to encounter a customer who has just bought a long list of items and I wouldn't want to go through each item to discount. How can I give 5% off their entire purchase, without going through one by one to do so?

I don't know about that one, it may be ASANTS but just confirm with your GSTLs. I've been told before to NEVER give the 5% if they were declined or if they forgot their card at home. Guests can always lie, y'know?

If your GSTLs say yes then what we do at the service desk sometimes when a guest calls the card company and they give us the green light to do the 5 percent is that we take it off of the total.

Total x 0.05 = Whatever has to be taken off.

Say their total is $60.47
60.47 x 0.05= 3.02

So we create a Target Coupon by selecting (this using the K1 -K8 buttons) Discounts, Target Coupon and entering 3.02. Then they pay the remainder but just remind them that the 5 percent is the Target Coupon you added so it's already subtracted from the total.

I know by taking 5 percent off each item may be a little more accurate but ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[Anelmi]

If you are allowed to do the 5% at your store, then it should be off the subtotal (before tax). No guest gets %5 off the total including tax when using their RC so neither should someone who has a declined RC application.

 

[BadWolf4531]

My trainer said if they are declined, that we give them a 5% discount anyway. He showed us how to give a discount for EACH item, but I'm afraid I'm going to encounter a customer who has just bought a long list of items and I wouldn't want to go through each item to discount. How can I give 5% off their entire purchase, without going through one by one to do so?

I would check with your GSTL on this before issuing any 5% discounts to declined apps. This is against best practice, even though I know several stores do it regularly as an incentive to get more guests to actually apply. It's possible your trainer does this without your team leaders being aware. Or your team leaders approve this without your ETL knowing. At some point along the leadership hierarchy, somebody will likely shut this practice down if/when it comes to their attention.

 

[glittergirl]

I have a question sorta related, hope it's okay to ask here. I'm on the sales floor and do back up cashier sometimes and one of my biggest worries is not having enough change for a guest. I sort of know how to do the "request change" from the home screen but it can take awhile (and I only hopped on the lane for a second.) If I'm at the end of a transaction, the drawer opens up and there isn't enough change, what are my options? Sometimes the GSA/GSTL's are busy or on lunch, do I have to flag them down? Of course at this point the guest is just staring at me waiting for their change so they can leave.

 

[Sanzano]

I have a question sorta related, hope it's okay to ask here. I'm on the sales floor and do back up cashier sometimes and one of my biggest worries is not having enough change for a guest. I sort of know how to do the "request change" from the home screen but it can take awhile (and I only hopped on the lane for a second.) If I'm at the end of a transaction, the drawer opens up and there isn't enough change, what are my options? Sometimes the GSA/GSTL's are busy or on lunch, do I have to flag them down? Of course at this point the guest is just staring at me waiting for their change so they can leave.

The ideal situation is turn your light on, apologize to the guest for the wait and communicate that your supervisor will be over momentarily with additional funds. GSTL or whoever is covering for them should respond promptly.

Now the non-ideal situation if you can't get a GSTL to respond, is to pull funds from a different register and hand it to the guest but make sure you write down the date, time, amount taken, and register number. Give it to your GSTL as soon as you see them. Check with your GSTL before doing this though...some stores consider it too risky.

 

[pellinore]

At my store we usually give the guest a 5% discount even if the guest has to wait for further review. We don't usually get people who apply over and over again to try to beat the system and save 5% all the time by trying to get a Red Card.

In my store it is NEVER acceptable to take money from another register. If we run out of change (of course cash is different) then round the "change" for the guest to the nearest coin and give them the higher coin. For example...you have no pennies and the guest is supposed to get 6 cents back, then give the guest 10 cents so they can be on their way. At that time you turn the blinker on and the GSA/GSTL will come over to help and bring you the needed change. Now if the problem is with the cash and if you don't have the one dollar bills to cover the money the guest needs, it is then that you turn on the blinker and wait for the GSA/GSTL and have them bring the cash over. Most guests are OK when having to wait for the cash to be brought over.