The only relevance that picture has to this wonderful topic is that debit machine in the corner. But hey, who doesn’t like a big bucket of candy?
Candy is especially relevant to the nature of where I’m working though. After all, I work at ScreamFest! If you don’t know about it, Aaron has a super awesome post that also partially served as my inspiration. Being a cashier for my first paid job gave me some “occupational knowledge” and areas of improvement, big and small, that I need to work on. I’m excited to share that with you, just not the candy. (HA.)
1) Plastic bills and their tendency to curl up
Out new plastic bills are still a fascinating sight, but the nature of the polymer means they don’t tend to fold easily. When they are crisp, they are easy to flatten, but we all tend to bend a bill or two in our wallets. Unlike paper bills when they are bent, the folds tend to curl up the bills. Sure, they look more presentable as they don’t crease, but the curls don’t fare well in a till or in a bundle!
2) My horrific attempts at ripping receipts
The POS (point-of-sale) machines (A.K.A debit machines) we use don’t have strong blades, so extra attention must be given as to not tear the receipt in half or something. I’m not a very delicate person, so my brute force sometimes resulted in receipts like this:
I will always remember for once and for all to rip a receipt from the top, and to do it sideways gracefully.
3) Oh, the wristband issues (festivals only)
Event wristbands can be horribly uncomfortable; the only thing that was good about Sled Island being cancelled this year was that I could get rid of the wristband I got as a volunteer. It’s uncomfortable having them on, but it’s even worse being the one to put them on. Having them stuck to hair, too loose, or too tight; you name it! I don’t blame people for coming back and requesting a new one cause I sincerely bombed learning that skill.
4) Till organization in general
I work in a trailer pictured above, so we are side by side to each other. While we do get a very nice share of space to work in, disorganization means sometimes I end up dropping something on the floor, which leads confusion as to who dropped what. Thankfully, it’s always been a wristband from my till, not a bill or anything. Other times, it means I end up getting confused as to what pattern of putting bills and items is. I’m slowly learning what’s my preferences are, but I need to get on it fast.
5) An eye contact dilemma
Eye contact is an important aspect of the service industry, and of course it’s always nice having a welcoming cashier. In this position, I’ve often found myself working under a lot of stress, whether it’s to serve customers quickly or to quickly tend to ripping some wristbands and all that. Sometimes, that meant my eyes were fixed on till, and not really towards the person I’m serving. Attentiveness is especially important when the customer has questions, so this is especially important as the first step.
The bottom line is, I just love this first job, cash handling and what not. Now that I’m done with my observations, what “occupational knowledge” have you gained? Tweet or comment away! I’m going to check out the alleged maple syrup flavour scent of our plastic bills in the meantime. 😀
