If you see someone standing behind the checkout counter with a cash register in front of her, that’s no less than the cashier herself. Her job is to scan the merchandise and then accept payments from customers. They are expected to keep and organize the area and at the same time, they need to be accommodating and customer friendly. Gender is never an issue with this kind of job, but for some cases, females are preferred.
Cashiers are needed in different establishments like restaurants, offices, retail stores, and theaters. Actually, their duties would largely depend on the kind of business or company whom they work for. And at the end of every shift, the cashier needs to balance her sales for the day and the money in her cash register.
Almost 50% of cashiers in restaurants and fast food chains work only as part timers. However, for big companies and establishments, where a person is employed as a full-time cashier, she is required to work for forty hours each week.
Cashier’s Assigned Duties
A cashier may be required to stand all day long. Along with this, comes several tasks and responsibilities such as:
- Greets the customers with a pleasant smile as they enter the establishment;
- Answers some of the customer’s inquiries regarding their product;
- Communicates with customers and associates;
- Accepts payments like cash, bankcard, and checks;
- Keeps the check out counter neat and clean and complete with the necessary office supplies to be used;
- Processes the payments made by the customers;
- Makes sure that she gives the exact amount for change and issues proper receipt for the purchase;
- Calculates for the necessary discounts;
- Balances the cash as well as the receipts and keeps track of discrepancies,
- Processes refunds and exchanges for those unhappy and unsatisfied customers, and
- Many others
Education, Skills, Training, and Salary
Nowadays, most employers prefer applicants who have finished their high school education and those who are good in mathematics. They need to know the basics of math to perform their duties efficiently. Actually, there are schools that offer short cashier courses and eventually, applicants will also be trained to use the different equipments that they need. Past experiences can also be an advantage for the applicant.
The salary of a cashier may vary according to how big the company she is working with and her qualifications. However, the median hourly income is usually a bit above the minimum wage. Also, benefits depend on the status of the company. They may be offered paid vacations and health insurance while employed.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Conclusion
Lastly, working as a cashier can be very challenging, too. Cashiers are always the front liners of a company which is why they need to be very approachable, nice and of course, friendly. They face different people from different walks of life so they have to be very courteous all the time. Also, cashiers need to be honest and trustworthy since they deal with cash or money all the time.