by Basically, what cashiers do is provide goods and services in exchange for money.
In the article below, we will explore the responsibilities, training and experience requirements for the position.
Similar to other jobs in the customer service area, the job of a cashier may vary depending on the workplace.
We are going to talk about the career outlook and working hours as well.
Article Table of Contents
What Does a Cashier Do
Cashiers take care of the checkout areas.
Along with their primary responsibility, they have a wide range of tasks.
Their primary responsibility is to offer products and services in exchange for cash, checks, credit cards and other forms of payment.
Cashiers are also responsible for other tasks around the store.
These tasks may differ depending on their work as well as on the amount of money the employer wants to save.
They can include dusting, washing floors, watering plants, and other small tasks like that.
Responsibilities
The job of a cashier can get pretty stressful due to the responsibilities that come with this position.
The most common responsibilities of a cashier include:
- Selling products and services to customers.
- Receiving payments in the form of cash, credit cards, checks, debits, or vouchers.
- Processing refunds, issuing receipts, credits according to the policy of the store.
- Opening and closing the cash register and the establishment.
- Keeping the count of money in cash drawers at the beginning and end of the shift.
- Ensuring that there’s enough money in cash registers to provide change to customers.
- Giving change to customers.
- Keeping the checkout area well-ordered and clean.
- Using calculators, optical price scanners, and cash registers to tabulate bills.
- Issuing coupons, trade and redeeming food stamps.
- Providing information on the procedures and policies of the store.
- Answering customers’ questions and resolving issues.
- Weighing items sold by weight.
- Calculating the amount of money received within a specific period.
- Ensuring that the money in the cash register and total sales match by amount.
- Recording and computing the totals of transactions.
- Keeping balance sheets of amounts and numbers of transactions.
- Boxing, bagging, wrapping merchandise.
- Preparing packages for shipment, and dealing with merchandise returns and exchanges.
- Paying the bills of the company and requesting the required information from the superiors.
- Setting up display cases, stocking shelves, and labeling products with price tags.
- Training other staff members to be cashiers.
- Helping customers carry bags to their cars.
Essential Skills
Customer service:
Cashiers should have a customer-oriented personality and be able to establish a connection with customers since they work with them directly.
Field knowledge:
Cashiers should be knowledgeable about collecting payments and have basic math skills.
They should also know how to operate a cash register, collect money, and give change.
Time-management:
Cashiers should be time-efficient to perform their duties in a timely manner.
Communication:
Excellent verbal and written skills are essential for this job.
Cashiers also should have strong ethics and a sense of morality.
They should be able to interact with difficult customers and patiently handling any type of situation.
How to Become a Cashier
The job of a cashier can be fairly stressful and tiring, and it isn’t suited for everybody.
However, it is one of the most sought-after positions in the customer service area.
The reason for this is that you don’t need much education and experience for this position.
Additionally, with college courses and some ambition, you can move up to management positions.
Training and Qualifications
Mostly, cashiers receive training on the job as soon as they are hired.
It usually includes rules and procedures on how to use cash registers and POS systems.
Besides this, the newcomer will typically be shown around by the older employees.
As of 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a cashier was $20,180, or $9.70 hourly.
Experience
Since the position is entry-level, cashiers don’t need much education and experience to get the job.
However, the experience can put an impact on the salary.
PayScale reports that the starting median wage of a cashier is $19,000 per year.
Over 20 years of work, cashiers can increase their income by about $2,000.
This is the amount without counting bonuses and promotion options.
So, very few people work in this position for more than five years.
Working Hours
Another thing that attracts various people to this position is the possibility of part-time work.
However, regardless of the type of schedule, cashiers have to be there to open and close the store.
Even though the schedule can vary greatly depending on the workplace, cashiers may have to be there at 6 am or 12 pm, for example.
Often a cashier has to work extra hours for one reason or another.
They may have to work on holidays, on weekends, or at night.
However, overtime is paid at the rate from $4 to $18 per hour.
The average workweek of a cashier can last from 30 hours for part-time to as much as 60 hours.
Career Outlook
The employment rate of a cashier should increase by 2% through 2024, according to the BLS.
This percentage is a lot slower than the average growth for other occupations.
There are a few reasons for this that are tied to the profession.
One of the main reasons is the increasing development of technology.
Slowly but steadily, technology is replacing cashiers.
Additionally, there is high job competition.
Even though the position is entry-level, many people prefer to gain some experience in the occupation.
Conclusion
The position of a cashier is very popular among the working-class citizens in America.
It provides experience, even though the job can be tiring and stressful.
The salary is below the minimum wage, but there is plenty of room for promotion.