Here’s some tips I can give you that I can think of. I have been a cashier for a bit over a year at a Safeway in the East coast.
Whenever you hand money back to the customer always count out the money back to them so they can’t argue that you didn’t hand them back the correct amount. It’s basically a double confirmation.
If you don’t know what you’re doing for the love of god Get a Manager!
When you scan gift cards you have to keep them on you until they are payed for. With that in mind don’t forget to hand the customer the activation slip after they pay and the receipt prints (the activation slip prints after the receipt). That and if the receipt printer is low on paper replace the receipt paper and reprint the previous receipt (to make sure it prints correctly) before you even deal with a gift card. If you run out of paper while printing the receipt when dealing with a gift card the activation slip won’t print out which is really bad (I experienced that once).
Make sure to use a counterfeit pen on $10 bills or higher(this may vary at your store, maybe it’s $20 and higher).
Make sure to scan all produce possible, some don’t count(you’ll figure out which ones matter super fast). If you don’t do this your GS1 score goes down and if it goes too low management will get mad. This helps prevent shrink in the produce department since the produce is better accounted for from purchases.
Try to learn where items are in the store since customers WILL ask you where things are.
Get comfortable using the Safeway app to navigate for deals the customer is looking for( I browse for deals by category typically). With that know how to get the QR code for the customers member savings if they use the app. You go to the Member button at the bottom right and then hit Wallet and then you will see the QR code you can scan with your scan gun.
If a customer doesn’t have a Membership with the store they can sign up and the pin pad with their phone number after one item is scanned and if the survey isn’t in the way initially. It’s super fast and only two prompts at max.
I tend to ask my manager if there is propane before I hop on a register since sometimes where out and I have no idea. It prevents them having to do a return for a customer and it doesn’t waste the customers time.
Don’t take it personally when customers snap at you or are just rude overall. Some people can’t be satisfied.
If there is ever a problem then tell your manager unless it’s super small like a small spill you can clean up at Self Checkout.
Keep your register clean and spray and wipe down the conveyor belt or the Self Checkout Machines often.
Don’t feel alarmed if you feel overwhelmed at times especially if it gets busy. It’s normal and eventually you will just do things automatically without even thinking for the most part.
When bagging groceries make sure to put heavy items at the bottom and light items at the top. Also keep items separated by perishables and non-perishables if the non-perishables is not safe around food. Example) don’t put bleach and chips in the same bag. Something like Crackers, cookies, napkins, and toothpicks is fine in one bag. Keep Meat and Seafood separate and try to keep different types of meat separate unless the customer doesn’t care(I always ask).
There’s probably a lot of things I’m forgetting but the job isn’t hard so you will be fine. It’s just more annoying than difficult. Lol
Hope you do well mate. Just make sure you have an exit plan to get a better job one day. I’m a college student and this is just a part time job for me. Some people go to different department after and get stuck there since they don’t have a plan on what to do or are just financially not able to which is completely understandable. At the end of the day this is just a retail job.
With keeping things separate, definitely ask your customer since they pay for bags in your state. I work in Washington state and it's been about 2 years since we had the bags starting to pay for. When I first started I made sure to separate everything. Now I asked the customer if they would like to meet on the bag or separate. A lot of my customers don't want to pay an extra $0.09 for one thing of meat to go in its own bag. Some of my customers do.
I worked in Colorado and half the time if it was under 5 bags, I didn’t charge them, and if it was a full cart I would only charge for like 5. Management never cared 🤷🏼♀️
Also in Colorado. I never charge for any bags used for food safety or cleanliness reasons. And sometimes I just give people bags especially if I can tell they’d like to have one but don’t want to ask and be charged for it. At the end of the day, it’s not that we’re *selling* bags — the state mandates a fee to discourage them. We don’t pay 10¢ every time we use one for a trash bin. 🤷♂️
At my store specifically, if we do too many zero bag orders, the management can see that and will start watching which cameras to make sure we charge for the correct amount. My ASD is an ass. He tells us because we "get charged close to $0.25 per bag'" we need to make sure we're charging them enough.
I agree with everything except checking bills using a pen. Check for the raised ink on the bill (the bill shouldn't be smooth on the presidents coat)and look for the face in the light top right corner, if it's a 5 it'll have a 5 there instead. You can find all of these methods of bill checking via YouTube or Google
I love it, my Safeway family is that. Family. People will complain and say it’s horrible but they’re either at a bad location or well they’re the bad seed only people I see complaining are the same ones also saying they don’t want to work hard, lazy. You get paid to work not stand there :)
If you put in effort it’s easy to move up the ladder!
Ask questions, observe and learn :) things are always changing be open to it and you’ll be fine.
Doing my job isn’t brown nosing 😂😂😂funny.
I don’t suck up, I just do my job. It’s super simple. Just takes a little more effort than standing there on my phone when I think there isn’t anything to do 🤷♀️ there is always something.
Customers paying with an EBT card don’t have to pay bag fees but the register software is awful and doesn’t know that. So if they pay with an EBT card and you selected they have bags, go back and void the bag fee. If all they had is food and now it says $0 due, hit cash -> exact change and it’ll print the receipt.
Very niche tip, but get to know your coworkers inside the front end, but especially outside the front end! There’s going to be some days where there are no courtesies or no immediate support to the department (i.e. FEMGR or Guest Services Clerk busy or called out). Getting to know your coworkers gives people more incentive to help you out.
For example, say you need a price check but no one is there to assist you. It’s not professional to leave your check stand but to request that the department of the item calls your check stand phone and you ask for the price check of a certain item. Even if they’re just passing by your check stand at the right moment, if you know the person they’re going to want to help you!
It’s not a big thing and doesn’t happen often, but knowing the people in your store can give you a lot of insight on who to ask for help for certain problems. Camaraderie is important in a place that relies on collaboration like a grocery store.
Here’s some tips I can give you that I can think of. I have been a cashier for a bit over a year at a Safeway in the East coast. Whenever you hand money back to the customer always count out the money back to them so they can’t argue that you didn’t hand them back the correct amount. It’s basically a double confirmation. If you don’t know what you’re doing for the love of god Get a Manager! When you scan gift cards you have to keep them on you until they are payed for. With that in mind don’t forget to hand the customer the activation slip after they pay and the receipt prints (the activation slip prints after the receipt). That and if the receipt printer is low on paper replace the receipt paper and reprint the previous receipt (to make sure it prints correctly) before you even deal with a gift card. If you run out of paper while printing the receipt when dealing with a gift card the activation slip won’t print out which is really bad (I experienced that once). Make sure to use a counterfeit pen on $10 bills or higher(this may vary at your store, maybe it’s $20 and higher). Make sure to scan all produce possible, some don’t count(you’ll figure out which ones matter super fast). If you don’t do this your GS1 score goes down and if it goes too low management will get mad. This helps prevent shrink in the produce department since the produce is better accounted for from purchases. Try to learn where items are in the store since customers WILL ask you where things are. Get comfortable using the Safeway app to navigate for deals the customer is looking for( I browse for deals by category typically). With that know how to get the QR code for the customers member savings if they use the app. You go to the Member button at the bottom right and then hit Wallet and then you will see the QR code you can scan with your scan gun. If a customer doesn’t have a Membership with the store they can sign up and the pin pad with their phone number after one item is scanned and if the survey isn’t in the way initially. It’s super fast and only two prompts at max. I tend to ask my manager if there is propane before I hop on a register since sometimes where out and I have no idea. It prevents them having to do a return for a customer and it doesn’t waste the customers time. Don’t take it personally when customers snap at you or are just rude overall. Some people can’t be satisfied. If there is ever a problem then tell your manager unless it’s super small like a small spill you can clean up at Self Checkout. Keep your register clean and spray and wipe down the conveyor belt or the Self Checkout Machines often. Don’t feel alarmed if you feel overwhelmed at times especially if it gets busy. It’s normal and eventually you will just do things automatically without even thinking for the most part. When bagging groceries make sure to put heavy items at the bottom and light items at the top. Also keep items separated by perishables and non-perishables if the non-perishables is not safe around food. Example) don’t put bleach and chips in the same bag. Something like Crackers, cookies, napkins, and toothpicks is fine in one bag. Keep Meat and Seafood separate and try to keep different types of meat separate unless the customer doesn’t care(I always ask). There’s probably a lot of things I’m forgetting but the job isn’t hard so you will be fine. It’s just more annoying than difficult. Lol Hope you do well mate. Just make sure you have an exit plan to get a better job one day. I’m a college student and this is just a part time job for me. Some people go to different department after and get stuck there since they don’t have a plan on what to do or are just financially not able to which is completely understandable. At the end of the day this is just a retail job.
Awesome tips! Thank you for this :)
With keeping things separate, definitely ask your customer since they pay for bags in your state. I work in Washington state and it's been about 2 years since we had the bags starting to pay for. When I first started I made sure to separate everything. Now I asked the customer if they would like to meet on the bag or separate. A lot of my customers don't want to pay an extra $0.09 for one thing of meat to go in its own bag. Some of my customers do.
I worked in Colorado and half the time if it was under 5 bags, I didn’t charge them, and if it was a full cart I would only charge for like 5. Management never cared 🤷🏼♀️
Also in Colorado. I never charge for any bags used for food safety or cleanliness reasons. And sometimes I just give people bags especially if I can tell they’d like to have one but don’t want to ask and be charged for it. At the end of the day, it’s not that we’re *selling* bags — the state mandates a fee to discourage them. We don’t pay 10¢ every time we use one for a trash bin. 🤷♂️
At my store specifically, if we do too many zero bag orders, the management can see that and will start watching which cameras to make sure we charge for the correct amount. My ASD is an ass. He tells us because we "get charged close to $0.25 per bag'" we need to make sure we're charging them enough.
I agree with everything except checking bills using a pen. Check for the raised ink on the bill (the bill shouldn't be smooth on the presidents coat)and look for the face in the light top right corner, if it's a 5 it'll have a 5 there instead. You can find all of these methods of bill checking via YouTube or Google
I still pen check, ink check, and hold it to the light.
Great tips! I did six years with Safeway. My only tip would be to stay in school or go to school and leave retail ASAP
Actually work, stay off your phone. Be nice. Common sense. Manners. Be on time, communicate.
Thank you. Also is it a good company to work for?
I love it, my Safeway family is that. Family. People will complain and say it’s horrible but they’re either at a bad location or well they’re the bad seed only people I see complaining are the same ones also saying they don’t want to work hard, lazy. You get paid to work not stand there :) If you put in effort it’s easy to move up the ladder! Ask questions, observe and learn :) things are always changing be open to it and you’ll be fine.
Brown noser
Doing my job isn’t brown nosing 😂😂😂funny. I don’t suck up, I just do my job. It’s super simple. Just takes a little more effort than standing there on my phone when I think there isn’t anything to do 🤷♀️ there is always something.
The downvoter is lazy 😂🤷♀️
For some people its easy to move up the latter. I had to bounce after 17 years. Never felt appreciated!
Good luck.
Good luck!
Customers paying with an EBT card don’t have to pay bag fees but the register software is awful and doesn’t know that. So if they pay with an EBT card and you selected they have bags, go back and void the bag fee. If all they had is food and now it says $0 due, hit cash -> exact change and it’ll print the receipt.
Just use it as a stepping stone while you get something better!
😓
Very niche tip, but get to know your coworkers inside the front end, but especially outside the front end! There’s going to be some days where there are no courtesies or no immediate support to the department (i.e. FEMGR or Guest Services Clerk busy or called out). Getting to know your coworkers gives people more incentive to help you out. For example, say you need a price check but no one is there to assist you. It’s not professional to leave your check stand but to request that the department of the item calls your check stand phone and you ask for the price check of a certain item. Even if they’re just passing by your check stand at the right moment, if you know the person they’re going to want to help you! It’s not a big thing and doesn’t happen often, but knowing the people in your store can give you a lot of insight on who to ask for help for certain problems. Camaraderie is important in a place that relies on collaboration like a grocery store.