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So it's me again going on my job at the dollar store and my probationary period. I really don't know what is going on. My boss is back from his 2 week vacation, and neither he or the assistant manager have been there my last 2 shifts this week. Apparently, he and the asst. manager have been out having a reunion or something. I know this is the last week of 3 months I've been working there. I guess maybe I'll be getting extra time. The boss did show up yesterday for something work-related and let me know that an inspector/customer told him that there was speed missing on my part at the cash area, and told me to work faster.
This is my last shift scheduled for this week so hopefully things will me made clear to what's going on with my probation. So any tips on how to be faster at the cash area. I think that I am fast, just not all the time. Some ideas I have in mind are to not be distracted by other cashiers and what they're doing or saying with others, or not constantly checking how long the line is when I'm serving someone. Any other ideas? Does anyone also have an idea what's going on with my probation?
Nobody other than your employer can tell you what's going on with your probation. Practice makes perfect where cash register speed is concerned and of course you shouldn't be distracted by what other cashiers are doing or saying. They may be able to chat and keep up their speed at the same time but, until you can do likewise, keep your attention on what you're supposed to be doing.
You are correct, the way to be more efficient at cashiering - or any job for that matter - is to focus on what you're supposed to be doing and tune out what is going on around you. Granted, you sort of have to keep one eye out for someone who might be trying to slip out without paying for something, but that's fairly passive and shouldn't interefere with ringing up merchandise.
I have no idea about what may be going on with your probation deal, though.
Do you move items quickly or do you take your time? Listening to other people's conversations, trying to carry on conversations, examining what you are scanning, etc. are all distracting. If the line is long, you don't need to look at it; you simply need to pick up your pace.
Your first problem from the get-go was making your three month probation this big, scary, all-important thing when most people who are assigned a probationary period accept it, but never dwell on it or even give it another thought. You have actually been counting down the months, weeks and days, that's a big no no.
I think you need to self-reflect on your actions towards your job. Over-analyzing a minimum wage job to this extreme isn't healthy and won't help you keep your job or advance in the workforce.
if they told me to go faster, i would just tell them to go to hell. its a cashier job....either that or tell them to pay you more
Brilliant advice to a youngster who has had major problems finding a job because of some issues beyond his control, finally got one and is trying to make it work. If he were stupid enough to follow your idiotic advice he'd be out on his butt in a heartbeat but, fortunately, he seems to have more on the ball than that. You seem to be of the opinion that the job of a cashier is something that anyone can do. As an employer who has employed people in many different arenas which involve cashiering I can assure you that it's not. Your attitude won't take you far.
Your first problem from the get-go was making your three month probation this big, scary, all-important thing when most people who are assigned a probationary period accept it, but never dwell on it or even give it another thought. You have actually been counting down the months, weeks and days, that's a big no no.
I think you need to self-reflect on your actions towards your job. Over-analyzing a minimum wage job to this extreme isn't healthy and won't help you keep your job or advance in the workforce.
Why? What was wrong with counting down the time? I don't think I "over-analyzed the job to the extreme". I was thinking about it alot though, so maybe I was. But other than not being healthy for my mind, how else does it affect me or was a problem?
Some ideas I have in mind are to not be distracted by other cashiers and what they're doing or saying with others, or not constantly checking how long the line is when I'm serving someone. Any other ideas? Does anyone also have an idea what's going on with my probation?
Here is something that may help. Forget how many people are in your line. Forget what the other cashiers are doing. Focus on the customer in front of you. That customer has one goal, to get out of the store as fast as they can. If they wanted to hang out longer they wouldn't be in your line just yet. When you are with that customer no one else exists to you, not the other customers or employees or your friends or family. It is just you and that one customer. Talk with them, ask if they found everything that they were looking for, do all that while you are moving items past your scanner or what ever it is you use to ring up their items. I would go so far as to make a competition of it. Can you beat your last time of ringing up any former customers.
When the transaction is complete and that customer has left get them out of your mind and focus on the next customer.
As far as your probation the only people that can answer that are the people managing your store. Maybe ask them.
Some ideas I have in mind are to not be distracted by other cashiers and what they're doing or saying with others, or not constantly checking how long the line is when I'm serving someone. Any other ideas? Does anyone also have an idea what's going on with my probation?
Here is something that may help. Forget how many people are in your line. Forget what the other cashiers are doing. Focus on the customer in front of you. That customer has one goal, to get out of the store as fast as they can. If they wanted to hang out longer they wouldn't be in your line just yet. When you are with that customer no one else exists to you, not the other customers or employees or your friends or family. It is just you and that one customer. Talk with them, ask if they found everything that they were looking for, do all that while you are moving items past your scanner or what ever it is you use to ring up their items. I would go so far as to make a competition of it. Can you beat your last time of ringing up any former customers.
When the transaction is complete and that customer has left get them out of your mind and focus on the next customer.
As far as your probation the only people that can answer that are the people managing your store. Maybe ask them.
I agree. I find coworkers can be very distracting, so I ignore them as much as possible. I focus on the customer, the merchandise and the register.
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