The Complete Cashier Training Guide: Plan and Tips
Cashiers play one of the most crucial roles in your store. They are the last people to interact with shoppers before checkout, and their influence could impact your store’s success. A well-trained cashier can boost sales, while an untrained employee could cost you valuable customers.
With this in mind, you must implement a detailed cashier training program when onboarding new hires. Without one, your employees will need to fend for themselves and may jeopardise your business.
Keep reading to see our complete cashier training guide!
What to Cover in Your Training Plan
No matter what cashier training plan you follow, be sure to address the following topics.
Store policies
Before an employee gets behind the cash register, they need to understand the rules and regulations of your business.
Items to cover:
- Opening/Closing: How do your cashiers clock in and clock out? How do they balance the till before closing? Who locks up and sets the alarm?
- Retail Displays: How are your displays supposed to look? Who cleans and organises the displays? Are clothes folded a certain way?
- Dress code: Does your store have a uniform? Are there restrictions on hairstyles or piercings?
- Hierarchy: Who is in charge, and what are their responsibilities? Who is the point of contact during days and evenings?
- Emergency procedures: What happens in the event of an emergency? Does your store have a silent alarm? What is your evacuation plan?
After training, you should give your employees a handbook. Also, keep a copy of your standard operating procedures at the cash register to help cashiers find answers to common questions.
Company philosophy
The next step in the cashier training plan covers your store’s identity and beliefs. Cashiers are the face of your business, and you want to make sure they represent your store accurately.
First, make sure you instil your company culture that drives everything you do. You want your cashiers to internalise these concepts and embody them. With time, they will instinctively respond to situations naturally.
Next, you want to cover your messaging and make sure employees are prepared to handle every interaction. They need to know what to say and when to say it.
Also, do you have trademark responses? For example, Chick-fil-A employees say, “My pleasure” instead of “You’re welcome.”
Sales and Customer Service
Once your employees understand your store’s policies and purpose, you can begin reviewing general skills. Since cashiers spend most of their time with guests, they need to understand how to create a welcoming environment and promote products.
Customer service topics to cover:
- Attitude: Make sure your employees are upbeat and positive but not overbearing. You want customers to feel comfortable asking for help.
- Greetings: Most guests like to be greeted when they enter a store. Just a friendly, “Hello! Let me know if you need anything!” goes a long way.
- Conflict resolution: How will your employees handle angry customers? Make sure they can de-escalate a situation and know when to involve management in complaints.
Sales topics to cover:
- Upselling: This sales tactic involves suggesting customers buy a higher-priced version of a product. For example, when a customer wants to buy a $200 purse, your cashiers can recommend a $400 bag and highlight its value.
- Cross-selling: Unlike upselling, cross-selling is when your employees recommend related products that complement a purchase. For example, if a customer buys a suit, your cashiers can suggest buying a shirt, tie, and shoes.
- Urgency: Your employees need to make sure guests don’t leave empty-handed by creating a sense of urgency. They want to entice shoppers to buy items now before they’re all gone or prices increase.
Cash handling and operating the POS
Cashiers touch nearly every dollar that enters your business. If they get the count wrong or mismanage money, you could lose income without even realising it. With the right cashier training plan, you can prevent cases of shrinkage like this.
First, make sure your employees are comfortable handling cash. They should be able to count quickly and make change effortlessly. Most importantly, your cashiers need to know how to detect counterfeit bills. To help, you can include a bill marker or UV light at your retail counter.
Secondly, each cashier needs to know how to use the point of sale system. Your retail POS is the most important part of your store. Not only does the system track each sale you make, but it manages your inventory, tracks employee hours, and calculates important business reports.
While cashier training doesn’t have to cover all of these aspects, it should focus on the following:
- Ringing up orders
- Taking payments
- Applying discounts
- Balancing the cash drawer
Cashier Training Tips
Factor the following tips into your training plan to ensure all your bases are covered during customer interactions.
Tips for Better Customer Service
The in-store shopping experience depends on face-to-face interactions. Customer service will help your customers find what they need and show the value of your store.
- Treat the customer like a friend: Shoppers often ask for help and want professional recommendations. Instead of offering the most expensive options, suggest items that truly will match their lifestyle.
- Stay professional: Although customers want you to be friendly, never get too comfortable. One wrong word can offend a shopper and lose a sale.
- Show your personality: Customers want human connection, not boring conversation. Don’t be afraid to share details about your life if they will help establish rapport.
- Maintain your inner peace: If a customer yells or threatens you, take a deep breath and try to think rationally. The customer might be upset, but do not argue back.
- Listen: Customers often want something. Even if they are mad and yelling, try to listen and determine what exactly the customer needs.
- Focus on solutions: No matter the situation, think about what action will resolve it best. Never end a conversation with, “I don’t know.” If needed, ask management for help.
Tips to Sell More
The math is simple. The more you sell, the more revenue you generate. Your cashiers may not be responsible for making all sales, but having a basic understanding of retail sales strategies will help.
- Identify the shopper’s need: You need to be a problem solver. Understand what shoppers are looking for (even if they don’t know).
- Understand their budget: Ask probing questions to figure out how much the shopper wants to spend. Suggesting items that are too expensive or too cheap can turn shoppers away.
- Don’t show too many options: Keep it simple. By limiting a customer’s options, they won’t feel overwhelmed and will be more confident in their decision.
- Encourage touching: Studies show that customers are more likely to buy an item after touching it because they can imagine owning it.
- Close the deal: Once a customer seems to like a product, close the sale. Prompt them to buy it now and offer to take it to the store counter for them.
Tips for Checking Out
The checkout process should be smooth and fast. Cashiers need to ensure customers leave wanting to come back.
- Ask questions: Make sure the customer found what they wanted and that they are leaving satisfied.
- Watch for scams: Fraud happens, so watch for common scams like swapping out bills, changing price tags, and using stolen credit cards.
- Pitch your loyalty program: Ask the customer if they are a rewards member and let them know what they could save and earn for signing up for your loyalty program.
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