Self-checkout machines running out of change

Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
1,203
From what I understand, corporate rules don't allow us to refill SCO machines during the day. Some guests are inserting $100 and $50 bills, buying something really cheap like a $1.49 travel-size toothpaste or stick of gum, and getting back lots of paper bills, with the result that other guests later in the day end up angry that they aren't getting all of their change from the machines.

How is your store handling this? Any chance that corporate might reprogram the SCO machines to accept no bills larger than $20, to reduce the chances that our SCO machines run of of paper money for making change during the day?
 
We refill them. My issue is that the TM has to flag someone down to find someone with keys to get the money to refill the machines. There’s no way to request the money like the checklanes. Not that TMs on the checklanes get their money in a timely manner usually.
 
We refill them. My issue is that the TM has to flag someone down to find someone with keys to get the money to refill the machines. There’s no way to request the money like the checklanes. Not that TMs on the checklanes get their money in a timely manner usually.
Whoever is running SCO should have keys. It’s apart of modernization.
 
I'm usually on self-checkout but I just don't agree with modernization in that if the self-checkout advocate had the keys and was responsible for getting change, they would leave self-checkout unattended for that time period and guests might ticket-switch or otherwise do something shady.
At my store, the change fund is at one of the registers in the middle of the checklanes so it would take some time to get the required change before getting back to the self-checkout registers.
 
I'm usually on self-checkout but I just don't agree with modernization in that if the self-checkout advocate had the keys and was responsible for getting change, they would leave self-checkout unattended for that time period and guests might ticket-switch or otherwise do something shady.
At my store, the change fund is at one of the registers in the middle of the checklanes so it would take some time to get the required change before getting back to the self-checkout registers.

while I agree is some ways honestly I tend to let AP do the AP job. Of course a self checkout advocate should be looking out for things like that and tipping AP if they notice an issue but ultimately it comes down to AP to look into shortage. An advocate is there for the guest and assisting them which includes making sure the scos are full with change so they can be used by the paying guests. A sco advocate will not catch all potential shortages and shouldn’t be required to. There are a second pair of eyes for a reason
 
while I agree is some ways honestly I tend to let AP do the AP job. Of course a self checkout advocate should be looking out for things like that and tipping AP if they notice an issue but ultimately it comes down to AP to look into shortage. An advocate is there for the guest and assisting them which includes making sure the scos are full with change so they can be used by the paying guests. A sco advocate will not catch all potential shortages and shouldn’t be required to. There are a second pair of eyes for a reason
I would also add that I don't want to inconvenience the guests if they need a price changed or they need help with grocery items by causing them to wait while I go get change. It would be great if the ETL-SE or GSTL were around to help with that while I was gone, but then what would be the difference if they could get the change for the registers while I stayed at self-checkout?
 
The person running SCO has a walkie & a Zebra. We only have one set of SETL keys so the SETL carries those. We refill the SCO as needed. We have two money bags; one for SCO, one for regular registers.
 
we don’t give our SCO keys. it’s too hard to watch 8 SCOs and then have to walk like 7 checklanes down to unlock the change thing all while five red lights are probably going off.

if it’s coins that are running out, the closer should be filling better at night when closing or someone opening could if they have time. if it’s bills, someone should try emailing target banking and see if they can up your start fund for bills in SCO. we don’t constantly run out except during Q4. or cash office could always advance extras during weekends or if you always need more (which is tedious since they’d have to do it for each SCO, but if it’s a constant issue??!)
 
It really depends where your change fund is kept. We have an IGS and the money is kept in a lock box behind IGS. Whoever is working IGS will look out for SCO if they need to leave for a minute. And my SD doesn’t expect SCO to catch shortage/theft, they are there to help. Now something obvious should be dealt with or communicated to AP, but that’s not what they’re there for.
 
You can, of course, refill sco during ours. There's funds set up to do just that. What corporate means is dont take cash out for the closing when there still guests roaming around.

Whoever is running the front has keys, can get change, and refill. In the meantime, give guest change needed out of a register. Repay the register once the sco is refilled.
 
if it’s coins that are running out, the closer should be filling better at night when closing ...

That’s what we do. We hardly ever need to add bills during the day; but if that’s an issue for you, you could advance your SCOs first thing in the morning out of CF 16!
 
Whenever I open SCO first thing I would do is open all the machines and write down which machines were low on which change and ask the GSTL to bring it to me. And then during the day anytime someone gets cash back I watch and if they’re getting $5s instead of $10s I will call the GSTL on the walkie, tell them to switch channels and then ask them to bring me $10s. Money would barely run out during my shifts but then you get the people that just stand there and then suddenly a guest needs $78 in change and the machine only has $1s so they have to wait for the GSTL to grab the funds and then refill the machine so the guest can get their change and leave
 
You can, of course, refill sco during ours. There's funds set up to do just that. What corporate means is dont take cash out for the closing when there still guests roaming around.

Whoever is running the front has keys, can get change, and refill. In the meantime, give guest change needed out of a register. Repay the register once the sco is refilled.
This is what we do. It's very rare that we have to refill multiple SCO registers, let alone one but when needed, I just walkie the SETL.
 
Back
Top