Take a look at the cashier’s new role

Service-minded or mathematicians? The role description for a cashier has changed significantly in recent years. This blog entry will take a closer look at what has changed – and how this benefits your business.

Before: Highest grades in maths

Previously there was huge importance placed on the cashier having a head for maths and being good at mental arithmetic. Money would be counted; the change would be correct and the till balance would be the right amount at the end of the day. This was a responsibility that focussed on money handling rather than the customer. This often lead to stressed employees that couldn’t get the till to balance at the end of business – despite it being counted three times over. Were you a happy person that was appreciated by the customers but poor at calculations? Then you weren’t right for the business.

Read about how you can reduce lines in our blog post “The self-checkout paradox – faster or slower?”.

Now: A ray of sunshine

Today there is no need to be quick at mental arithmetic in the same way. With the technology that exists for handling, storing and calculating money, other personal qualities are increasingly important. A feeling for service, a positive attitude and attentiveness are now three key personal attributes when meeting customers. These are qualities which previously had taken the back seat to the need for comprehensive and complex money handling. Nowadays there is a strong focus on the customer –which creates the right environment for increased sales and high scores in future customer surveys.

The result?

What result can this role shift mean for retail in general? Besides the customer getting a pleasant reception, employees will feel that the pressure and stress is reduced in their work. Instead they have more time with each customer, make fewer mistakes and avoid feeling personally responsible for any errors in the till. The result? You have happy customers who recommend you to their friends and who themselves return happily to your store. You also have till takings that do not need to be double-checked. So much better all around, don’t you think?