How to be a Good Grocery Store Cashier

This is where atmosphere comes in. Right away you need to create a friendly, calm environment for your customer. With direct eye contact try and ask how their experience was, what they need help with, and in general how they are doing. You'll quickly find, if you do not already know, that being kind and caring to your customers goes a long way to make their and your day better!

Remember, direct eye contact, a kind, caring voice, and enthusiasm. If it helps, think of how you would like to be treated.

Of course the food aren't people...but that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat the customer's food with respect and care.

In my experience cashiers, unaware of them doing this, will practically throw the food into the bags not caring what goes with it. Some put tomatoes at the bottom of a paper bag! Other's have even put hot items with ice cream! But most often they just treat food like items that the customer doesn't care about. On the contrary, the food is the purpose for the trip and what every employee in the store should care about.

So don't throw them around or careless bag them with items they don't belong with! If you don't know what to do with the groceries just ask the customer! It's the surest way to have their order come out the way they want, and they love that!

Unfortunately, you will have customers who are rude to you just like in life you will meet rude people. This may be because they are rude in nature or that they have a lot on their mind. What's important to remember is that as a cashier you don't know what is going through that person's life. While no one likes to be treated poorly you will find the job easier by remaining calm, politely ignoring the rude comments (unless they are questions), offering assistance from a customer service manager, and by keeping it professional. Remember, whatever the customer is going through is not your fault and is not something to worry about. Once the customer has their groceries and has exited the store you need to take care of the next customer.

And remember, do not dwell on what the customer says or does to you. You cannot do your job effectively or have a good time with it when thinking about how rude someone has treated you. Remember, do your best to focus on the next customer. By doing so your mind and body will calm down and relax. Who knows, by the end of the shift you may not even remember the customer at all!

More helpful tips in this situation can be found here

There will be times which you won't know the answer questions or the solutions to the problems. Customers will need assistance but you won't know how to give it. Your register will act odd and you won't know how to fix it.

The simple solution to this is to ask Customer Service / Manager. Whether your new to the job or a veteran, managers would rather you ask them for a help in a situation which you do not know what to do than you act on what you think might work. As a result of taking that risk you may send a customer on a wild goose chase or on a tirade. They are trained for these questions and are happy to help and interact!

P.S.: This goes for the customer as well! If you aren't sure how the customer would like something....ask!