and continue scanning items. The cashier role is a linchpin of retail stores. You would use what is known as exposure therapy, which is overcoming an often irrational fear through gradual interaction with the object causing the fear. , agoraphobia often develops after a person has experienced a panic attack, which typically stems from a biological predisposition paired with generalized and specific learning experiences that teach the individual to perceive the physical symptoms of fear as dangerous, Chapman said. Another advantage of a career as a cashier is that you can avoid working outdoors. As part of a cashiers training, give them a list of scenarios to practice to help the cashier feel confident in their ability to handle a diverse range of situations. Some store also have cashiers to page other workers open additional registers if you line starts to grow. If you're using thewrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Thus, no job is the same and job descriptions may not completely fit your individual experiences. This is particularly tough for those in higher-weight bodies, due to internal and external stigmas and pressures. Grocery store anxiety is on a continuum, he said. To achieve this objective, allow the cashier to gain familiarity with the POS equipment and software before being asked to work the register in front of customers. Due to your rather low social standing and your low income as a cashier, you may also have a hard time in the dating market. One advantage of being a cashier is that you can work with many different clients. It makes us feel better studies show. Then you will realize there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm deathly afraid of someone thinking I've come into the store and stolen something. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. It was also really busy because it was snowing today, so it can only go up I guess :). Types of situations a cashier with social anxiety would encounter 1. Once a cashier understands the POS system, store policies and procedures, and what to do in various situations, its time to put the cashier in front of real customers. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. and I'm really nervous. If a person experiences a panic attack in a grocery store, the store could become a trigger for the fear response in the future due to a learned association between fear and the store. Introduce a new cashier to the rest of the team, and if a badge or uniform is required, provide that as soon as possible. This type of positive and uplifting store interaction could curb your own grocery anxiety, too. It might help to have your money in your hand before you go to the counter as it may calm your nerves. It'll be ok just be confident and go for it! Where does the fear come from? But could you present them in a timely fashion? People would make demeaning comments about my intelligence like I was stupid because I was working a register, says Shaw. What were seeing now, for example, is retailers curating offerings. Supermarket industry expert Phil Lempert also attributes in-store stress to the overwhelming number of options. ( *Note: We all know social anxiety can be hard to manage. Provide the new cashier with an employee handbook and an onboarding checklist immediately so they can begin learning about the company, their benefits, and other key information. While having fewer options can help those who struggle with decisions, its only a fraction of the larger problem a problem that Chapman said affects shoppers across a spectrum of stress. This means that you will not have to spend lots of money on college education and also dont have to invest many years of your life into it. Yet, you will not have to ruin your health like many other people who have to stress their bodies at work on a regular basis. Thats why theyre a hotbed of anxiety triggers, Chapman said. Having a well-trained cashier makes a big difference to a business even if you possess the best POS system. Especially if you work in big stores, chances are that you will serve hundreds of different people each day and this can be quite interesting since you can talk to people with many different opinions about important topics that might bother you right now. One problem with being a cashier is that you will just be replaceable pretty easily. Instead, it will be enough to finish high school and you will have all the qualifications that are necessary for working as a cashier. Also it would be great to be introduced to a cashier out of uniform. This is my first job and I don't know what to do or say. Cashiers are required to retain a ton of knowledge about the store. Sure, this also depends on the company you work for and also on your boss. Take it easy and bein Continue Reading Quora User Been one for almost 2 years now. if you flash them a smile or say goodbye when you leave, they might do the same for you and both of you have a nicer day. One way is try to ignore the cashier when checking out. Many people in our current state of the world just stare at a computer screen all day long and are pretty annoyed about what they have to do for a living. Try to remember that cashiers are regular people, like you and me. I have social anxiety, too, so I am sure I had just as much fear of talking to a customer as they may have had a fear of talking to me. Good since you will often not work that many hours. Also observe other cashiers for things to say/do in different situations. Working the express register. (See below for example). Being a Cashier can be mentally hard Starting at the same screen, scanning and bagging items over and over again can become boring and be hard mentally. Most cashiers also dont feel stressed at all. I know, I know, your looking at me like I'm crazy, I am but that's not important right now. We are just as nervous as you if not more and some might not seem like it because its our daily job and we've gotten used to it! In fact, while many people who work in office jobs can work remotely from home, you will be the one who has to be at work in person and this will take away some flexibility since you will have a harder time managing your private and professional life at the same time. WebBeing a cashier is scary, its scary for me. Lets walk through how you can enable your cashiers to successfully navigate the POS experience. Its really bad form to return something that youve already gotten plenty of use from. If youre ever worried about returning an item, these are the stores with the best policies. For instance, if an item was entered incorrectly, the cashier should know how to void that item. Im just doing my job. If you end up insisting on using your expired coupons, you might just be doing one of the rudest things you can do in a grocery store. It's true that there are some lame customers out there who will want to ruin your day, but they are far fewer than you'd think, and building a rapport with the awesome customers will help you get through your day, and get over the anxiety. On one end you have the people who cant wait to go to the grocery store. Robert Izquierdo is a software expert writing for The Ascent and The Motley Fool. According to Chevese Turner, chief policy and strategy officer at the. Never give up or give in,continue to face this fear every chance you get, this will help you gain courage. They may not have 100 bottles of olive oil. remember that they're all just people, working and living their lives without expecting anything from you. Given the importance of the cashier in retail operations, here are seven strategies to ensure your cashiers successfully deliver an efficient and accurate POS experience. If I'm on Disability, Can I Still Get a Loan? A general misunderstanding of how the virus spreads doesnt help. In such a case, you could just work part-time for 20 hours while you will still have enough time to pick your kids up from school if you manage your time wisely. About the experience part: start out at a chain. In addition, cover common troubleshooting scenarios as part of the cashier training. You should also not expect to make a fortune as a cashier. It's really simple. When your training be sure to pay attention and ask questions if you dont understand. Follow these suggestions to implement fraud prevention into a cashiers responsibilities. Im happy to honor your coupons, but its rude to keep other customers waiting.. You can program the memory structure in your brain to see grocery stores as shrug emoji instead of Jaws music. Cashiers have a job to do and see tens, if not hundreds, of people a day so don't think that they are focusing on you as an individual. Like other forms of anxiety, it stems from the inability to control the experience. They have made mistakes and gone through things in the past just like you have. , another form of grocery store anxiety stems from judgmental glances cast by fellow shoppers. Everyone is capable of being afraid and fear stuff but "normal" people just find a way to focus elsewhere and get over it. I have my fingers crossed for you! This is a given for any job, but I swear some customers make it their purpose in life to make a 2. As part of the feedback process, deliver positive and supportive input to encourage them to do their best. From dealing with irritable, hasty and impatient customers, to sometimes actually having an enlightening conversation with a charismatic person being a cashier is quite an interesting job with many ups and downs. This helps the new employee to feel like part of the team. Try going with someone and having them purchase something, watch the transaction without ever having contact with the cashier. There are all kinds of nightmare stories out there, like people commenting on what the person is buying, or the silent judging., To help those struggling, Turner said a smile or non-food-related conversation with fellow shoppers could help. Consequently, they dont get any physical exercise during their workday and in case they dont go to the gym or do some other workout, chances are that they will suffer from overweight or obesity sooner or later. While many other people have to work in the cold or during periods of extreme heat outdoors, you will sit in front of your register in a rather cozy environment and will have air conditioning or heating to make your working conditions as comfortable as possible. Cashiers sit behind the register and make sure that customers pay their bills. While anxiety is not a top concern among grocers, they do have their eye on it. Try going with someone and having them purchase something, watch the transaction without ever having contact with the cashier. Is it hard to think critically about something you love? Just because they are in a customer service role doesnt mean that the customer is entitled to belittle a cashier (or anyone for that matter). Due to our technological progress, many cashiers will just lose their jobs in the future since they will be replaced by machines. From my experience as a theme park cashier, I can tell you this; as a minimum wage wage slave, your going to be objectified. by Robert Izquierdo | Prepare for it mentally first. To start, have the new cashier shadow a veteran employee. What Types of Homeowners Insurance Policies Are Available? Cashiers stop fraud. Walk the cashier through the POS system. There's the sale people who will complain about how something should be on sale but they're fucking idiots and didn't read the requirements right. Then check in with the new cashier often during the first few weeks on the job. There are more thorough resources available on dealing with this fear; however, I'll share some quick tips that I believe might be helpful (I'm using my background that I've gathered here on 7Cups to answer this). They will require some monitoring and coaching in the beginning to reinforce what they learned in training, but over time, they will be in a position to efficiently and accurately process transactions while bolstering positive customer relationships. All of these factors combine to make them easy triggers for anxiety. In turn, many people will suffer from financial problems from student loan debt while you as a cashier will not have to deal with this issue. How frequent are anxiety attacks usually. It's weird.. That's a tough one! In our current state of the world, many young people take on student loans to finance their studies. Hence, make sure that you are willing to deal with snarky comments in this regard and that you have a stable mindset to ignore those people who will try to bring you down. I personally have a fear of walking into a store and leaving without purchasing anything. Thus, working as a cashier can give you a great level of flexibility in this regard. Realize that cashiers are just people. Cashiers are the last employee seen by customers, so its vital to train cashiers on customer relationship skills. And my anxiety always gets in the way. Many different occurrences take place on the job, and the more the cashier is prepared, the better they can address the issues while maintaining good customer service and efficient processing of transactions. Packed aisles, noisy carts and decision-making overload which cause pit-in-the-stomach stress on an ordinary grocery trip are now at an all-time high. I made a lot of good money as a waitress and worked barely 20 hours a week in college, a lot less than what a cashier has to work in order to make the same money. Grocery store anxiety is on a continuum, he said. First, you have to change your anxious appraisals about the grocery store in and of itself., This is cognitive behavioral therapy at its core. You dont need any courses or even a college degree. If we take a look at an average store, it has about 40,000 different products, he told HuffPost. I was one for a year and it was like I was an NPC from the Pokemon Center. If a person experiences a panic attack in a grocery store, the store could become a trigger for the fear response in the future due to a learned association between fear and the store. Many POS systems will automatically adjust prices based on a sales event or other pricing strategy, but if a customer has a question about the promotion, a reference list allows a cashier to quickly answer the question. A customer actually asked if I would not charge tax if they paid cash, says Jessica Lee, recalling one of her most questionable experiences while working in retail. There's nothing great about it. Use these tips to help cashiers familiarize themselves with the POS system and processes. WebBut don't be afraid to call a CSM (manager) at the first sign of trouble. Poor since many cashiers will be replaced by machines in the near future. WebCombine that with being a socially anxious person, AND working as a cashier (a very people centered role), one could be significantly overwhelmed! They get it, youre trying to save money and those handy dandy coupons youve so carefully clipped can add up. On the other end would be the extreme cases, like agoraphobia.. A family member thinks I am lying about where I am going but I'm not, what should I do? A cashier must be competent with a POS system to ensure accurate and efficient sales transactions. Take it easy and bein Continue Reading Quora User Like other forms of anxiety, it stems from the inability to control the experience. Also make sure to check out the following articles: Advantages and disadvantages of working as a translator, Advantages and disadvantages of working as an animal trainer, Advantages and disadvantages of working as a babysitter, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes412011.htm. Grocery stores are generally filled with crowds of people, are overwhelming to the senses as far as sound and light, and involve a huge amount of decision making and unpredictability. Most people who avoid going places like the grocery store do so not necessarily because of, say, food selections, it has more to do with being in a place where escape might be difficult or embarrassing in the event of having a panic attack, Chapman said. While most people are nice, some may even make fun of you. Without customer service training, a cashier may find themselves ill equipped to handle these situations. Neither mentally nor physically demanding most of the time. I think there's alot of evil around money, and cashiers are working with money all day. How do you process a refund? During a time when most of us are afraid to leave our homes, they brave public spaces every day so that we can still buy necessities. They are not happy at all, yet they have to work in those fields to make enough money to pay their bills. Hmm, to overcome a fear, you must first realize the root of the fear and the extent of such a fear. In fact, many cashiers think about quitting their jobs due to that and you should make sure that you have a real passion for this career path since you will likely face the same destiny in the long run. While anxiety is not a top concern among grocers, they do have their eye on it. Grocery stores are generally filled with crowds of people, are overwhelming to the senses as far as sound and light, and involve a huge amount of decision making and unpredictability. For all the nice and pleasant people they'll be 10x more assholes, people who walk up in a bad mood, people who talk on their phone, people who say nothing and look away and make the whole experience awkward. I was a cashier at a pizza place in high school, says Megan Molloy. Make the problem theirs, and just watch & learn. Of course, not all cashiers will suffer that much. Now 2 years later and its like second nature for where I work. You may also want to try interacting with other strangers/acquaintances, to improve your confidence in talking to people you are unfamiliar with. You got to be brave, take a deep breath, and relax. We all had experiences with new people at a job. Cashiers can catch these situations by employing steps such as checking ID and matching credit card signatures. Moreover, once a cashier has mastered the responsibilities around POS transactions, they can expand their cashier skills into sales techniques by recommending products and upsells during the checkout. Smiling. The job centers on receiving payment, making change, processing credit card payments and printing receipts. Since so many people can do the job and the barriers to entry are quite low, there is a huge supply of workers who want to make money in this field. In general, most cashiers report that they also have a pretty good work-life balance. Take your time and one customer at a time. Although on a quiet day this job may not present too many social challenges, on a busy day it will be filled with opportunities to challenge your social anxiety. How do I get things done? I cant. Trust me this works overtime, it worked for me. Types of situations a cashier with social anxiety would encounter 1. Everyone is capable of being afraid and fear stuff but "normal" people just find a way to focus elsewhere and get over it. In fact, many cashiers get stuck in their jobs and have to work in this field forever. By becoming a cashier, you can also avoid conventional office work. Sure, you will become relatively good at math sooner or later since you will have to give back the correct change to people. after awhile start looking at them. Cashiers must know how to check for counterfeit bills with each cash payment. Never give up or give in,continue to face this fear every chance you get, this will help you gain courage. You have something you want from them. Sure, during Christmas season when many people go shopping, you will have to work a little bit more. While it may seem like a cashier is watching your every move and judging silently, they're most likely just thinking about when their break is, or how much longer until they get off of work. Grocery stores are generally filled with crowds of people, are overwhelming to the senses as far as sound and light, and involve a huge amount of decision making and unpredictability. You will also not work many extra hours as a cashier. Yet, apart from that, you will not learn many things that are valuable in the job market. This means that you will have to work while your friends will meet up and enjoy a cool drink. And, even better? Obstacles: My fear that they'll think I'm dumb or weird might stop me before I even walk into the store. Thanks for this, it really helps. If you think it is a fair trade, that you are happy to pay X amount of money for the goods being purchased, then you can hand over the money happily and gratefully. This guidance instills confidence in the cashier and makes for positive customer interactions. I have been a cashier at many different stores. They aren't there to judge or harass you, they're just trying to help you buy whatever it is you need. As you can see, financial problems related to a low wage can cause various problems and you should make sure that you are willing to deal with those things before you decide for a career as a cashier. Here are a few important items to include in a cashiers training toolkit. Someone said being a cashier pays better than waitressing--I have to disagree. So while it may take more time to walk cashiers through a number of situations during the onboarding process, it will pay dividends for your staff. Now they have pictures of the food on the screens so it should not be that hard. Some people aren't nice, yeah, but most people are. You just have to be there for a few seconds and then your done, the cashier is trapped there for the day. They are just normal people trying to earn a living. Most often, cashiers work in similar positions for decades and can not even dream of being promoted. If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience. Being a Cashier can be mentally hard Starting at the same screen, scanning and bagging items over and over again can become boring and be hard mentally. Being a cashier is a popular job that many people can say they have experience in. There are jerks, sure, but most people aren't jerks. It's also important to note that humans are natural energy matchers, and most are empathetic and might understand being anxious about a fear of cashiers too!! Don't make it a big deal, try to calm yourself with different exercises. Mostly for me everything just falls into a rhythm and the day flys by. I only have training today, but I'm still really nervous. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Consequently, even if you work hard, it may not be enough to make real progress in this field. You may never see that person ever again so it doesn't particularly matter how the encounter goes. I have trouble with my school work due to procrastinating. Inevitably there will be one customer who parks their cart in a line and then proceeds to run around the store grabbing everything they need. Yet, working as a cashier is most often not that stressful compared to many other jobs out there where you have to face real pressure on a continuous basis. Ask alot if questions if you feel the need to. This is particularly tough for those in higher-weight bodies, due to internal and external stigmas and pressures. It is our job to give you the best experience and often we are just as scared as you having to speak to so many people we dont know everyday. Some store also have cashiers to page other workers open additional registers if you line starts to grow. I made a lot of good money as a waitress and worked barely 20 hours a week in college, a lot less than what a cashier has to work in order to make the same money. What would be the benefit of talking to one? Cashiers dont set the sales tax, so do not ask them if theres a workaround. Job prospects for cashiers are not only rather bad right now, but they will even become worse in the future. Smiling. WebBeing a cashier is scary, its scary for me. Everytime you have to walk up to a cashier and you start to feel afraid just do it anyway. Open additional registers if you work hard, it stems from the inability to control the experience part: out., sure, this will help you gain courage guidance instills confidence in the training... Make demeaning comments about my intelligence like I was one for almost 2 years later and its partners cookies. To save money and those handy dandy coupons youve so carefully clipped can add up trust this! For decades and can not even dream of being promoted the experience try. You line starts to grow, and relax can avoid working outdoors stigmas and pressures experience in many things are! This means that you will just be replaceable pretty easily cashiers work in similar positions for decades can! With other strangers/acquaintances, to overcome a fear of walking into a store and stolen.! I swear some customers make it a big difference to a cashier is that you will realize there is to! From you include in a cashiers training toolkit 'm crazy, I know, your looking me. 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