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What does a Head Cashier do?

Carol Francois
Carol Francois

The head cashier is responsible for the supervision of a team of cashiers, providing training, hiring, monitoring, and assistance with operational issues. Cashiers are responsible for the correct calculation of the total invoice, based on the combination of goods and services purchased by the customer. A head cashier is typically found in a large operation, where there are multiple cash registers or check out stations available. Cashiers find employment opportunities in retail stores or outlets.

Work experience that teaches the skills required in this job include cashier, customer service, and supervisory positions. These positions can be either as a volunteer or as an employee. All head cashier positions require candidates to have basic computer and accounting skills to properly operate the cash register, reconcile the transactions, and understand how the entire inventory management system works.

A head cashier supervises other cashiers.
A head cashier supervises other cashiers.

There are two primary tasks required in this role: customer service and supervision. Attention to detail, communication skills, and basic accounting are all required to become a head cashier. These attributes increase customer satisfaction and are necessary when supervising staff.

There are no formal education or training programs to become a head cashier. Instead, most companies provide in-house training that covers the internal procedures, policies, human resource issues, workplace safety, and other issues. The training typically requires five to eight hours of time and is usually paid for by the company at the standard hourly rate.

A head cashier may handle returns and exchanges and help deal with disgruntled customers.
A head cashier may handle returns and exchanges and help deal with disgruntled customers.

A significant amount of a head cashier's time is spent on the hiring, training, and selection of staff. Cashier positions tend to have a high rate of turnover, resulting in an ongoing recruitment process. All such cashiers must be intimately familiar with the company’s human resources policies and the rules that surround workplace behavior.

Teaching is a great skill to use in this role, as all new staff must be trained on the cash register, dealing with customers, store policies, and other issues. Reconciliation of the shift total and counting money are tasks the cashier completes and is verified by the head cashier. These skills are based on core accounting policies and should be closely managed.

Cashier jobs tend to have high levels of employee turnover.
Cashier jobs tend to have high levels of employee turnover.

In many organizations, this position meets regularly with store management to discuss issues and concerns. Some items may include the management of the store product data, security, introduction of new business practices to address a problem, and more. This is a collaborative position, and teamwork is an essential aspect of this job.

Discussion Comments

latte31

Moldova-A head cashier salary is a little more than a regular cashier, the difference is in the benefits.

Usually a head cashier will be offered full time status and a series of benefits as opposed to working part time with no benefits.

Full time positions are limited, so the best performing cashiers get a promotion and a step up in benefits. Publix Supermarkets offers its full time cashiers stock options and profit sharing along with medical benefits and paid time off.

Their schedule is usually set so they can also plan around their week. Some cashiers also consider going into management and often transfer over to the aisles and begin stocking various aisles in order to get into management.

Moldova

Icecream17-Usually the cashier is the last person that the customer sees so the exchange needs to be positive.

A head cashier job is similar to a regular cashier but there are training responsibilities along with additional cash handling experience.

For example, in Publix Supermarkets, the cashiers that operate the customer service desk were promoted. The cashiers that work the back office are considered having the head cashier job.

They usually train all of the line and office cashiers as well as reconcile all of the tills for the store. The job requires attention to detail because head cashiers have to count a lot of money and keep track of each register as well as the scheduling and training of other cashiers.

Significant cash transactions should be on any head cashier resume.

icecream17

Cashier responsibilities include balancing the till and counting back the change correctly to the customers.

Often cashier qualifications include positive cash handling experience along with good customer service skills.

Both cashier responsibilities are important because being able to balance a till is not enough, a cashier also has to have great customer service skills. A cashier must greet the customer and maintain eye contact when they talk. This is important because it sets the tone for the exchange.

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    • A head cashier supervises other cashiers.
      By: manipulateur
      A head cashier supervises other cashiers.
    • A head cashier may handle returns and exchanges and help deal with disgruntled customers.
      By: michaeljung
      A head cashier may handle returns and exchanges and help deal with disgruntled customers.
    • Cashier jobs tend to have high levels of employee turnover.
      By: bst2012
      Cashier jobs tend to have high levels of employee turnover.
    • There are no formal training programs to become a head cashier.
      By: pressmaster
      There are no formal training programs to become a head cashier.