THE FRONT END OPERATION OF A SUPER MARKET Thesis for the Degree of M. A MICHiGAN STATE COLLEGE Lewis Steinberg 3954 W \\\W\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\‘W 110111118111 3 1293 01411 ngwzmv 7 Miahigsm mate Unéversfiy w.“ PLACE ll RETURN BOX to roman thin checkout from your record. TO AVOID FINES Mum on at More data duo. MSU I. An Affirmatm Action/Emil Oppomm 1m Wanna-o; THE FRONT END OPERATION OF A SUPER MARKET B! Lewis Steinberg A THESIS Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of General Business Curriculum in Food Distribution 195M ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincerest appreciation to Dr. Edward A. Brand, Director of the Curriculum in Food Distribution,and Dr. Kenneth Wilson, Director of the Division of Business, under whose guidance and supervision this investi- gation was undertaken. Special appreciation is hereby expressed to Mr. Paul Fairbrook for his valuable help in editing this study and in assisting in many other ways. To the food chain industry, the author appreciates the seeperation that was always given to the many requests which were made in connection with this investigation. The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness and eXpress his gratitude to all the many other sources of assistance. Lewis Steinberg ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . . 1 Need for the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Scope of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Definition of Terms . . . . . . . Procedure for Obtaining Material . . . . . . 5 Organization of'a Front End . . . . 5 II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PERSONNEL IN THE FRONT END OF A SUPER MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Front Section Head . . . . . . . . . . 7 Head Cashier . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Bookkeeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Cashier. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16 Bagger . . . . . . . . . . .. 18 Parcel Pick- -up Boy . . . . . . . . . .. l9 Unloader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Store Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 III. TRAINING OF THE PERSONNEL IN THE FRONT END OF A SUPER MARKET. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Front Section Head. . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cashier Training . . . . . . . . . . 29 Greeting the Customer . . . . . . . 32 Arranging the Order. . . . . . . 33 Procedure for Making Change . . . . . . . 35 Procedure for Cashing Checks. . . . . . . 35 Redeeming Empty Bottles. . . . . . . . 36 ReSponsibility for Cash. . . . . . . 8 Courtesy. . . .7 . . . . . . l Pilferage by Customers . . . . . . . . 42 Bagging the Customer' 3 Order . . . . . . 43 Bagger Training . . . . . . . . . . 46 Orientation to the Job . . . . . . . . 48 Steps in the Bagging Operation . . . . . 50 General Policies . . . . . . . . . . 58 Courtesy and Service. . . . 60 Parcel Pick-up Boys and Unloaders Training . . 61 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued CHAPTER Page IV. EQUIPMENT IN THE FRONT END or A SUPER MARKET . . 63 Check-outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 The Conventional Check-out. . . . . . . . 65 The Push~pu11 Type Check-out . . . . . . . 65 The Split Counter Type Check-out. . . . . . 65 The Simplex Check-out. . . . . . . . 66 The Belt Type Check-out. . . . . . I . . 66 The Disc Type Check-out. . . . . . . . . 67 The Redi-chek Check-out. . . . . . . . 68 The “No Wait" Check-out. . . . . . . . 69 Cash Registers . . . . . . . . . . 7O ShOpping Carriages . . . . . . . . . . 70 Other Equipment in the Front End . . 71 V. SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 iv f: l. LIST or FIGURES FIGURE Page 1. Sample Register Receipt . . . . . . . . NO CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study During the last thirty years, the retail food store has grown from the small "mama and papa” store to the present day modern super market. These years have seen customers en- Joying the advantages of shepping in increasingly modern stores. Super market Operators have made shopping a convenience for the housewife through improved methods of merchandising. The pres- ent day super market is more efficient and more convenient than the food store of ten or twenty years ago, but there is still room for improvement. The purpose of this study is to examine one part of a super market Operation, namely, the front end, which includes the check-out and related functions. In this study the writer will present the different parts which make up this important part of a super market. It is hoped that the information here— with presented will be used as a guide to better operations for the whole industry. Need for the Study With the advent of complete self-service, the front end of a super market has become one of the most important parts of the entire retail food store operation, since this is the only area where employees enjoy daily contact with the lifeblocd of the business - the customer.1 The purpose of the front end Operation is service to the customer. This in- volves Operating and maintaining the check-outs in such a fashion as to give rapid, efficient, and courteous service to the customer, since store sales are directly affected at this point.2 Check-out and other procedures of the front end have long been neglected. The increasing inadequacy of present day front end Operations in general use is becoming more ob- vious as the super markets grow larger. One has only to watch any large super market on a busy Friday or Saturday to see the truth in this statement. Customers do not like to wait in line to be checked out. A customer who is not satisfied with the present service may tend to shop elsewhere. Much has been and is being done in the way of bright new stores, self-service meats and produce, and many other devices intended to enable the customer to do her shopping more conveniently. But what good is all this if she has to wait an equal amount of time to get out of the store? 1Anderson, Harry. Training People for the New Store. Super Market Merchandiging. 15 (June 1953), p. 212. 21D a letter to the writer from Mr. John J. Harrington, Assistant Sales Manager, First National Stores, East Hartford, Connecticut, dated June 22, 195a. 3 This part of a super market Operation cannot be over- emphasized because the long check-out line is presently “store enemy number one."3 The front end of the store is the first and last contact with the customer. Therefore, the super market Operator should organize a strong team, give it OXpert coaching and then should act to eliminate the causes of the front end problem. Besides being of service to the customer, the front 3 end must be Operated efficiently. The super market Operates on a very small profit which leaves little room for inefficien- U cy. . In the front end Operation of most super markets there are a number of procedures which could be made more efficient. Because of the need for more information on this subject, this study has been undertaken. ScOpe of the Study This study will cover the efficient Operation of the front end of a modern super market. The responsibilities of the personnel who make up this part of the store are presented, their training and the different types of equipment being used by super markets in the operation of the front end. In general, this report will present as complete a picture as possible of 3Schapker, Ben L. Pointers on Licking Store Enemy Number 1 - That Long Checkout Line. grogressive Grocer. 27 (September 19MB), p. 65. the:mmmrtant parts of this Operation according to the way it istming done by certain companies in the industry. Definition of Terms The meaning of the term'Tront section head: as used in this study, will refer to a super market employee who super- vises the work done by the baggers, unloaders and parcel pick-up boys. The meaning of the word/baggert as used in this study, will refer to the super market employee who bags customers' orders. He is sometimes referred to as the seeker, packer and wrapper in some super market Operations. The meaning of the word'unloaderfi as used in this study, refers to the super market employee who unloads the customers' shOpping carriages at the check-out during rush periods. He is sometimes referred to as a booster. Thenhead cashier: as used in this study, refers to the super'market employee who supervises the work done by the cashiers. The meaning of the term'cashier: as used in this study, refers to the super market employee who Operates the cash register. She is sometimes referred to as a checker. The’hookkeeper, as used in this study, refers to the super market employee who does the administrative and book- keeping wOrk related to the Operation of the. super market. (r v‘ fflm meaning of the term front end, as used in this study, refers to the front end of the super market. This in— cludes the Operation of the check-outs and other related functions which are carried out in the front part of the super market2fin'the convenience of the customers. Procedure for Obtaining Material The material for this study was obtained from a number The writer visited with twelve super market Opera- of sources. Other information was obtained through personal observa- tors. tion of their Operations. The second major source of information for this study was from a number of training manuals related to different parts of the front end Operation. Additional information was secured from periodical magazines relating to the Operation of retail food stores. Organization of a Front End In a super market the two most important factors of management are good organization and good personnel. An organ- ization has been defined as aIdivision of labor among people to achieve a given objective: Similarly the organization of a front end Operation is set up to achieve a given objective, that of being of service to the customer. “Moscrip, Ezra VI. Organizing for Effective Store Employee Performance. Superlarket Merchandising. 18 (June 1953). p. 214. 6 All super markets have front end operations. Although they are not set up exactly the same way, they do have the same objectives and the same duties and responsibilities are assigned, but not necessarily tO the same person in each com— pany. From research conducted for this study, it was found that there are basically two different organizational set-ups for the front end Operation in a super market. The first set-up is found when there is a store manager or grocery manager in charge of the front end operation in the super market.In other words, it is considered a part of the grocery department. He is directly responsible for the Opera- In this type of a situation, there is tion of this section. no front section head, but there is a head cashier. This person, besides being responsible for the front section, is also responsible for the other normal functions of running a grocery department or the whole super market. In the second case, the front end Operation is Operated as a separate section or department. In this instance, there is a front section head and head cashier. Both of these peOple are responsible to the store manager and this part of the super market is not considered part of thegrocery depart- ment, tuit rather as a service department. CHAPTER I I RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PERSONNEL IN THE FRONT END OF A SUPER MARKET In the Operation Of the front end of a super market it is very necessary that the employees be aware Of their indivi- dual responsibilities. This chapter will present the respon- sibilities of all the personnel that make up the staff in this section of a food store. It should be noted that these func- tions are carried out in all super markets, but the actual person having a particular responsibility may be different in different companies. Front Section Head The front section head is usually responsible for the operations of the baggers, parcel pick—up boys and unloaders, the cleanliness in the front end of the store and for service to the customer. In some companies the front section head and the head cashier are one and the same person and the responsi— bilities of these two jobs are assigned to one person. In this study these particular jobs will be kept separate. In those operations where there is a front section head and a head cashier, the front section head is responsible for: l. The appearance of the baggers, parcel pick-up boys and unloaders . 2. The assignments of the personnel under him. He must assign these people in the morning. When there is a slack period in the front end of the store the front section head must assign the extra personnel to other jobs near the front end so that they can be quickly recalled when needed. The job performance Of the baggers.. He should check them to make sure that they 1 are courteous to the customers, that they are using the correct supplies and that they are following company policy regarding the wrapping Of the customers' orders. This should be done as Often as possible during the day. Allocating time to the personnel under him for lunch, supper, days Off and rest periods. This should be planned in advance, but it should be flexible enough so that customers still receive the service necessary. The package checking Operation in those super markets that Offer this service to their customers. The checking service pro- vides the customers with a place to check their shOpping bags and other parcels when entering the super market. 10. The cleanliness of the complete front section of the store. This applies to the check-outs, the floor, the shOpping carriages, the carton storage area, the package checking booth and all equipment in the front end Of a food store. This includes assigning certain employees to the job Of keeping the section clean as well as supplying each bagger with a cloth so that they may keep their individual work areas clean. The Operation and cleanliness Of the service booth. This sometimes involves clearing out all empty returned bottles and maintaining a full supply of empty cases. The proper packaging of delivery orders in these super markets that offer this service. He must make sure that the baggers bag these delivery orders so that these orders are not damaged during transit. Having the correct amount Of wrapping supplies in the front end of the store. This should be done in the morning during the week and the night before on weekends. Seeing that there are enough shOpping carriages available for immediate use by the customers. 11. 12. 13. 10 The training of new employees under him as' well as the retraining Of the more eXperi- enced help. Special help must be given these new employees whether they be part— time or regular employees. The behavior Of the baggers. He should especially check the following important procedures: I A. That the baggers receive permission before leaving their check-out stations. B. That the baggers are handing the cus- tomer her order and at the same time thanking her for shOpping at the store. C. That the baggers are stepping out of the check-out to unload the shOpping carriage for the customer when there is no unloader. D. That the baggers are OOOperating with the cashiers. Holding weekly meetings with his staff regarding the mistakes made during the week as well as discussing the courtesy, cleanliness, service to the customer, use of supplies and proper wrapping procedures. ll 14 The laundry used by his staff. He must make sure that the employees under him change their laundry as required by com— pany policy. 15. The shOpping carriages inventory as well as any other equipment used by his em- ployees in the operations Of their jobs. 16. Controlling the wage eXpenses of the' personnel under him. He must remain as close as possible to the figure set down by management. 17. Controlling supplies. He must make sure that the supplies are being used effi- ciently. He should try to cut his supply costs as much as possible and still give customers prOper service as required for an efficient Operation. Head Cashier The head cashier is usually responsible for the opera— tions of the cashiers and for service to the customer. In some organizations her duties and responsibilities will also include those Of a bookkeeper. In this study these jobs will be kept separate. In those companies where there is a head cashier and bookkeeper, the head cashier is responsible for: 12 The appearance of the cashiers under her. She should make sure that each cashier is properly dressed before she enters the check-out. The correct amount of cashiers being at the check-out. If it is not busy she must re- assign the extra cashiers tO other jobs near the check-out so that they may be recalled when they are needed at the check-out. Allocating lunch, supper, days off and rest periods for the personnel under her. This should be planned ahead Of time, but it should still be flexible enough to change so that the customers still get the necessary service. Special supervision of the cashier at the beginning and end of the day, when the cashier starts her work and when the cashier closes the check-out at the end Of the day. Checking the procedure Of registering cus- tomers' orders with each cashier and.she must make sure the company policy is being carried out. Checking the accuracy of all cashiers at different times during the day, as well as checking the cashiers on courtesy, handling Of money and merchandise. This should be done as Often as possible during the day. 10. 11. 13 Being Of service tO the customers. This in- cludes making refunds, in companies where she is authorized, looking after customers' requests and calling the store manager when help is needed for situations she is not capable of handling. Checking with the produce manager each morn- ing so as to Obtain price changes of those produce items which are not priced in the produce department. She is then responsible for notifying each cashier of these changes and also for recording these changes on the cashiers' price lists. Holding weekly meetings with her cashiers to discuss the importance Of their jobs in the super market operation. Other subjects which should be discussed at these meetings include courtesy, cleanliness, friendliness, customer service and the correct way they should go about achieving goodwill and satis- faction On the part of the customers. The cashiers having sufficient supplies for the cash register, such as register rolls. Checking with the cashiers to make sure that they have enough change. She must also make cash withdrawals from the cashiers a few times a day. 14 12, The training Of new cashiers in the store as well as retraining Of the more experi- enced'cashiers. 13. Controlling the wage eXpenses of the per- sonnel under her. She must remain as close as possible to the figure set down by management. 1“. The approval of all voids and refunds paid out by the cashiers. 15. Taking readings on all registers at the close Of the day's business. Bookkeeper The bookkeeper is usually responsible for part of the adnflriistrative Office work that goes on in a super market. It should be noted that this job and the job of the head cashier are sometimes combined. In those stores having a bookkeeper and a head cashier, the bookkeeper is responsible for: 1. Checking the cashiers' daily balance sheets or reports. This involves summarizing sales from the daily receipts to the daily summary of sales. 2. Balancing the entire store cash using the daily summary of sales against the actual monies received in the store. 3. Preparing a weekly summary of sales and cash taken in. 15 Making up deposits and for ordering proper amounts Of change. Making cash withdrawals from the registers, checking the amount of cash against the totals on the withdrawal envelopes. Preparing the payroll, in those companies where the payroll is not prepared at the head Office. When doing this, she must list the wages on the payroll sheet and must record the total deductions. All this is usually prepared on a special form with a copy being sent to the head Office. Preparing time sheets. These time sheets must be properly prepared with headings, social security number, number of hours worked, rate of pay, extension and proper explanation Of all deductions. Preparing the receiving sheets. Under the prOper headings, she should list retails and entries Of cost, if available. Preparing office control forms. This includes recording the amount of state tax, bottle re- turns, and other information requested by the head Office. 16 The proper handling of coupons. This in- cludes vouchers, welfare orders and merchan- dise coupons, all of which must be handled as though it were cash and kept in the safe. Checking voids and refunds. This includes all bottle refunds and merchandise returned by customers. Check cashing. In some companies she will have to maintain a set of cards which will have records and identifications of those customers who may cash checks at the store. These are sometimes called courtesy or file cards. She must, in some stores, check the identification of the person cashing the check. Preparing the change given to the cashiers at the beginning of the working day. This would involve giving rolls of change as well as singles to the cashiers and charging same prOperly. This would be deducted from the cash received from the cashier when making withdrawals. 17 Cashier Probably the most important person working in the front end of a super market is the cashier. She is responsible for courteous and efficient service to all customers in check- ing and receiving payment for merchandise. The cashier is responsible for: 1. Greeting and assisting customers whenever possible. The accurate registering of merchandise in the prOper departments. Cash control at the register. This involves making change properly, the correct handling of over rings and under rings, the correct handling of voids and refunds, coupons, vouchers, welfare orders and payments for empty bottles. Her own personal appearance while at the check-out. Her dress should follow company policy. The cleanliness of the check-out where she is working. The cash register. This involves the condi- tion of the register, maintaining a sufficient sUpply of register rolls and a sufficient supply of change so as not to interrupt the operation at peak periods. 10. 18 The work performed by the bagger. She should make sure that he performs his work according to company policy. Having sufficient and proper bagging supplies on hand at all times. Being courteous to all customers, accord— ing to her training of being a good cashier. Thanking the customer for shOpping in the store and for asking her to return in the future. Bagger The bagger is the person who must work very closely wiUI the cashier if the check-out operation is to run as a team. Like the cashier, the bagger is responsible for cour- teous.and efficient service to all customers. The bagger is responsible for: 1. Greeting and assisting customers whenever possible. Bagging the customers' orders prOperly, as per company policy, assuring the customers of a pleasant trip home. Placing the customers orders in shOpping carriages so that the bags will not tapple on the trip to the parcel pick-up station or to the customers' cars. l9 4. His own personal appearance while at the check-out. His dress should conform to company policy. 5. Having sufficient and proper bags on hand at all times. 6. The cleanliness of the check-out where he is working. 7. Being courteous to all customers, in accord— ance with his training. 8. Thanking the customers and for assisting the parcel pick-up boys when necessary. Parcel Pick-up Boy The parcel pick-up boy is the employee who is responsi— ble for the customers' orders after they leave the check—out stand till the time he puts these orders into the customers' cars. The parcel pick-up boy is responsible for: 1. Greeting and assisting customers whenever possible. 2. Giving the customer a receipt for her order. After giving the customer a receipt, he should place the shopping carriage with the order in the pick-up station. 3. Putting the customer's order in her car when she presents the receipt to him at the parcel pick-up station. He must then remove the 2O parcels carefully from the shOpping car- riage and place it in the customer's car in a manner that will prevent the order from tOppling over and breaking. 4. His own personal appearance while at the pick-up station. His dress will be governed E by company policy. 5. The cleanliness of the parcel pick-up station. This includes both the inside and outside of the station. 6. Being courteous to all customers, in accord- ance with his training. 7. Thanking the customer after putting her order in the car. Unloader During busy periods in a super market, an unloader is used by a number of super market companies. His main Job is to be of service to the customer and the cashier. The unloader is responsible for: l. Greeting and assisting the customer when- ever possible. 2. Unloading the customer's shOpping carriage at the check-out stand during peak periods. 3. Lining up the customer's order in the proper sequence which will enable the cashier to do 21 a more efficient and rapid Job of register- ing the order. This involves, in a number of companies, putting the taxable items first, then grocery, meat and produce. It also involves placing all items with the price mark up. u. Moving the shOpping carriages to the storage area. Store Manager The complete responsibility of the front end of the super market falls on the store manager or grocery manager as the case may be in a particular company. It is his respon- sibility to see that the various Jobs delegated are performed in accordance with his instructions. The store manager must continually check the front end operation to see that it is being Operated and maintained efficiently, assuring the cus- tomer rapid, efficient, and courteous service. In the front end operation, the manager is responsible for: 1. Teaching the employees of the front end what they need to know. 2. Making periodic audits at the registers and in the office to discourage discrepancies. 3. The follow-through of all instructions, whether issued by him or the head office, to see that they are retained and maintained. 10. 22 Delegating and assigning workers to different jobs in the front end Of the store so that these employees will be of service to the customers. The equipment used in the front end operation. Being present at the front end during peak periods, greeting customers and answering questions. Controlling the wage expenses of all personnel in the store, including the front end. He must Operate as closely as possible within the amount budgeted by management. Controlling the use Of supplies. He must make sure that the supplies are being used efficiently. He should try to cut his supply costs as much as possible and still give customers the prOper service as required for an efficient Operation. The appearance, training, and courtesy of all the employees under him. The cleanliness and efficiency of the front end Of a super market. 23 Supervisor Another super market employee who is part Of the front end Operation is the supervisor. Part of his visit to the store should be devoted to the front end Operation. He should check the Operation on each visit to the super market. The supervisor should also correct or explain to the manager any faults he may find and it is up to the supervisor to suggest ways for improvement. 1 The supervisor's responsibilities in the front end Operation fall into six categories, as follows: 1. Financial 2. Operational 3. Housekeeping 4. Personnel 5. Management 6. Administration The financial aspects of the front end Operation which the supervisor is responsible for are the facts and figures related to Operational controls which are indispensable to a true analysis of this section’s activities. They must be checked, interpreted and controlled. These financial facts are the wage standards and controllable eXpenses. Under the operational part of the supervisor's respon- sibilities, he must make sure that the Operational procedures Of this section of the super market are consistently maintained 21+ according to the instructions of management. Usually these policies and procedures have been established over the years and they are recognized as essential ingredients Of the over- all sectional activity. Therefore, the supervisor is respon— sible for the complete fulfillment and consistent application of all Operational practices. Another major responsibility of the supervisor is prOper housekeeping. Cleanliness and good housekeeping cover the following areas, which the supervisor is responsible for and which he must check: 1. The cleanliness of all maintenance and supply equipment used in the section. 2. The cleanliness of storage areas. 3. The application of cleanliness policies on specific days, following the termination of business. The supervisor is responsible for all the personnel working in the front end Of the store. This involves his ability to deal with all personnel classifications, to recognize their needs and requirements and to establish a program of per- sonal supervision which will enhance the dignity of the in- dividual employee. This is sometimes called personnel relations and would include training of employees, rating and upgrading, handling of employee grievances, labor turnover and human re- lations. 25 The supervisor is reSponsible for management. This nmuans leadership, direction and coordination of all the front enél's activities. The primary thought of management must coritinually be emphasized by the supervisor in order to create a teackground of management work which is truthfully reflected in the standards of Operations maintained in the front section of the super market itself. The supervisor must recognize that he represents the adnlinistration of the company. He represents the thoughts and actions Of the administrative body,and his contacts with his key people must be maintained at that level. Progressive planning, thinking, and practical application of all company pOIJJ3188 must represent his contribution to the field Of supervision. CHAPTER III TRAINING OF PERSONNEL IN THE FRONT END OF‘ A SUPER MARKET The importance of training employees of a super maxrket cannot be overemphasized because the performance of thease employees may be improved considerably by proper instruc- tion methods. In a controlled experiment conducted among super market cashiers, the training method, which gave cashiers an Opportunity to participate in a group training conference and to help develOp new procedures, resulted in superior per- formance.5 Better performance was shown by more willing ac— ceptance of new check-out procedures, closer adherence to established company policies, more courtesy to customers, better utilization of time and more employee satisfaction with the instruction rece ived . There is a great amount of value received from the Well-trained employee. A well-trained employee gives the com- pany Opportunity for increased production without capital ex- pendi ture for more equipment. It; also saves manpower and im- Proves morale. When a department head receives a well-trained \ Food 5Kriesberg, Martin. Improving the Performance of Retail 8t t Store Cashiers Through Better Training Methods. United a e3 Department Of Agriculture, Washington, Marketing Research Remr‘t No. #6, June 1953, p. iii. 27 person for his department it makes the department head's Job easier as well as increasing production and the quality of the work done. Another important fact is that training gets the new employee Off to a good start. Training the employees Of a front end section of a super market will enable these people to acquire more and greater skills, thus increasing their versatility for transfers and their qualifications for promotion. If these employees are prOperly trained, accidents, mistakes and damage to ma— chines and equipment will be greatly reduced. Training enables employees to adjust themselves to new methods and processes that are introduced from time to time. Another very important reason for training employees is that good training reduces dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and personnel turnover because it helps both the new and eXperienced employees to use fully their individual capacities. In this chapter, the writer will discuss some of the methods being used to train the employees who make up the front end of a super market. Also included in this chapter will be a discussion Of the important features which must be stressed at the place of training and on the Job. Front Section Head The front section head in a super market Operation is ‘usually trained on the Job by one of three persons; the store manager, the supervisor or another experienced front section 28 head. There is no formal training program for this position and a great part of this job is learned by the new front sec- tion head through working on the job. Most employees who are given the position of front section head have worked in a super market before at some other job. The new front section head should go through some form of training when taking on his new job. This is very important because,if he does not understand and know what he is supposed to do, the employees under him will never know what they are supposed to do. Before actually starting in the store at his new job, the front section head should be given information regarding his new duties, responsibilities and job objectives. At this time he should also be told about proper leadership techniques and training methods. Next, he should spend some time on the job under the direction Of a more eXperienced front section head. After the necessary period of time he should be given an Operation to supervise on his own. After a few months on the job he should be given a refresher course with special emphasis on his weak points. Head Cashier The head cashier in (1 super market Operation is usually trained on the job by another head cashier or by the person who trains the new cashiers. There is no formal train- ing program for this position. A great part Of her knowledge 29 is learned by working on the job. Most employees who are given the position of head cashier have worked their way up to this position. Almost always they have started in a super market as a cashier, then have become an assistant head cashier and then a head cashier. The head cashier, like the front section head, should take some form of training before taking on the complete re- sponsibility of her job. The head cashier should be told what her duties and responsibilities are and she should also be given a course in leadership. Such a course would stress human relations, how to get along with peOple and how to get the most out of people. After this she should be given the responsibility of being in charge of the cashiers in a store with another head cashier there to help out.when needed. If ‘ the new head cashier proves to be capable then she should be given the position of head cashier in a store. Cashier Training The importance of the cashier in a super market cannot be overemphasized. The cashier must have a thorough knowledge and understanding Of the basic principles of prOper check—out Operations as this is essential to the successful Operation of the store and to the success of the cashier. Every transaction is made with the purpose of satisfying the customer. The store is there for the customer, not the cus- tomer for the store. 30 Central training is preferred by most companies where store locations permit. In a survey of sixty reporting compa- nies,forty reported that they trained their cashiers at a cen- tral location while the other twenty companies reported that they trained their cashiers on the job.6 Three-day training : is the general practice, although some are two days and a few 1 for a longer period of time. Usually three or four trainees are assigned to one trainer in the central training program. ? There are certain qualifications required for cashiers. r The four major requirements are as follows:7 1. The cashier must have a pleasant personality. She must be courteous, friendly and have an easy smile. 2. She must be accurate in arithmetic, fractions and in making change. 3. She should have a good knowledge of store Operations. Some companies suggest that a new cashier be trained in the store for one week to two months prior to being trained for the cashier's job. 6National Association Of Food Chains. Qheckout Clinic. Chicago: February 1950, p. 7. 7Ibid. 31 h She should have good customer approach. This includes a background knowledge of the company and its policies, apprecia- tion of her job and good customer attitude. The training program for new cashiers usually starts ? with the indoctrination of company policy, courtesy and cus- ; tomer treatment. This would also include certain other in- formation about the compan$,such as, hospitalization, insurance, ; vacation, pay and promotion program. After this brief in- doctrination, the cashier is usually trained in the mechanics of her job. This involves learning about assembling orders, Operating the register, making change, bagging merchandise, making reports and correcting errors. During this phase of the training program, the different company policies are again explained to the new employee so that she may better under— stand her job. I The cashier training program should be conducted under the best training procedures. First, the trainer should pre- pare the worker. Second, he should present the Operation, ex- plaining key points one at a time. Third, the trainee should do the Operation and fourth, the follow—up. If these basic principles are followed, there is a good chance that the train— ing program will be a success. It is very important to remem- ber that if the learner hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught. 32 A great many peOple think that cashier training is only the teaching of how to Operate a cash register. This is not true as the cashier must learn much more than just Opera-4 ‘Ung a cash register. In any cashier training program, informa- tion regarding all parts of the cashier's job should be told to the new cashier, such as how to greet the customer, how to arrange the order, her responsibility for cash control and the part courtesy plays in the Operation of being a cashier. It was found, after conducting research for this study, that many of the companies are not stressing the importance of the cashier's position in a super market Operation. Many of the little details about the cashier's job are very Often Overlooked during the training program. The following is a very important part of the cashier's work at the check-out and it should be included in her training program. It is included in this study because it is so Often overlooked in cashier training programs. .Qgggtipg.£b§_gg§§2m§§; The cashier should greet every customer that comes to her check-out stand. She should make the customer feel welcome in the store by greeting her in a friendly manner. It is good to use the salutation, "Good Morning, Mrs. Jones", etc., whenever the name is known. When the cashier does this, the customer will feel that this parti- cular super market is her super market. 33 Agggpggpgrtbgmprgggz The merchandise should be arranged on the checking counter so as to facilitate speed and accurate check-outs. The items should be arranged in the same Order as the department keys appear on the cash register, ex- cept when the cash register has motorized department keys. f Most Of the time the keys on the register are arranged in a manner that will punch the heavier items first, like groceries. AAlso,when the cashier is punching the order, she should place the merchandise with the price mark up so that the customer will be able to check the order while it is being registered. There are certain important points which the cashier must remember when registering the order. These are as fol— lows: l. Greet the customer with a friendly smile. 2. Arrange the merchandise in proper order. a. Check the bottom racks Of the carriages for merchandise. b. Check small children for items they may be carrying. P 3. To maintain prOper inventory control, the cashier must register the merchandise in the correct de- partment. Every manager depends on the cashier for prOperly crediting his department for the merchandise purchased from his department. A, Charge the correct price. 3n 5. As the cashier registers the item price with her right hand, she should move the item with her left hand at least six inches from the order. 6. If a customer is in doubt about the price Of an article, the cashier should show her the price marking on the merchandise. If there is no price mark on the article the cashier hing-254‘. fife. 3.. should call the head cashier over so that she ‘7 may Obtain the correct price Of the item from the price list. 7. The cashier must charge the proper fractional cent on all items. 8. She must check and see that the bagger places the cash register receipt in the bag with the customer's order. 9. The cashier should make sure that the order is bundled properly. 10. The customer must be thanked for shOpping in the super market and invited to come in again. 11. The cashier must be courteous at all times. It was mentioned above that the cashier must charge the~cnistomer with the prOper fractional cent amount at all times. Most companies provide their cashiers with a fractional cent card which they should refer to so that the correct price will be charged to the customer. 35 Baasssprs-:93_aakissiphsssaz The cashier handles many thousands of dollars each week. Since she is accountable for the cash balance in the cash register, the cashier is expect- ed to be extremely careful whenever change is made. The fol- lowing procedure is sometimes followed by most super markets. Step one starts when the customer's order has been totaled and the customer has the money, and the cash register's drawer is Opened. The cashier should restate the amount of .'I ‘_m_i;miJ the order and the denomination of the bill or bills tendered by the customer. An example is, "33.6% from $10.00". Both the customer and cashier are then aware of the amount to be taken out. Step two consists Of placing the bill on the left side of the cash slab. The cashier then builds the change from the cash drawer from the amount of the order to the amount of the bill tendered. Step three is the counting of the change piece by piece into the customer's hand. Using the example given above, this would consist Of,“$3.64, (1¢). $3.65. (10¢). 83.75, (25¢), su.00, ($1.00), $5.00, and ($5.00), is $10.00. Thank you, come again." Step four consists of the customer being satisfied that she has the prOper change. After this the cashier places the bill received from the customer into the register and closes the drawer. I ggpgedure for cashing checkg: In most of the super Inarkets, checks are cashed at the check-out stand by the cashier 36 after being approved by some one responsible in the store, like the’ 53tC>Pe manager. The following is the procedure usually used in this case. 1. All checks must be approved first by employee 'designated by the head office before cashing. 2. A customer must endorse the check in ink or indelible pencil in the presence of the em- . W ployee who approves it even though it has been previously endorsed by her. . 3. The employee who approves the check must store . «h stamp and initial the check. u. When the cashier cashes the check the following procedure is usually and should be,followed: a. Give the customer the full amount of the check. b. After this has been done, the cashier should request the customer to pay for the merchan— dise in the usual manner. Redeeming empty bottles: There are two procedures Wh1‘3r1 erre used in most super markets to redeem empty bottles. One System is used where the bottles are redeemed at the che("15"0ut stand by the cashier and the other system is where the bottles are redeemed at the bottle stations. IIn those store 8 where the bottles are redeemed at the check-out stand the following procedure 18 used: 37 The cashier accepts the bottles from the cus- tomer and gives the customer the equivalent in cash. At certain intervals during the day, an employee designated by the manager or department head will count the bottles and issue a signed re- ceipt to the cashier. The cashier will also fl count the bottles to insure accurate credit, as she is responsible for a prOper accounting at the end of the day. . I The signed receipt is placed, by the cashier, underneath the cash drawer and the amount of the receipt will be included in the cashier's daily cash report. In those stores having a special place where bottles are redeemed the following is the procedure generally used: 1. The customer will receive from the person at the bottle station a receipt for an amount equal to the bottles returned. The customer, on arriving at the check-out stand, will give this receipt to the cashier for which she will be given cash. This receipt is placed, by the cashier, under- neath the cash drawer and the amount of the receipt is included in the cashier's daily cash report. “—— SF TV" 0"} 38 fiesponsibility for cash: One of the cashier's most important responsibilities in the Operation of the check-out stand is her responsibility for the cash in her register. The cashier must be made aware of the fact that she is personally responsible she must be change. In observe the of cash: 1. for the cash balance assigned to her, and therefore extremely careful when handling cash and making helping the cashier do a better Job, she should following important points regarding the handling The cashier should recount her change fund every morning. She should report any dis- crepancy to the store manager or head cashier immediately. Whenever it is necessary to leave the reg- ister, the cashier should ask the head cashier to lock the drawer in the register. When mistakes are made when registering an order, the cashier should call over the head cashier or store manager who will approve all these voids in the proper manner. The cashier should request someone in author- ity to make a cash pick-up whenever an excessive amount of cash has accumulated in the register. 39 5. She should not give extra change merely on the customer's say-so. She should call for the head cashier or store manager to handle this situation. 6. Only one cash transaction should be handled at a time. She should also be alert for "quick-change artists". 7. The cashier should never turn her back on an Open cash register drawer. She should never leave money on the cash slab after making change. x 8. Refunds should not be given without first having a signed receipt from an authorized person. Another phase of this cash handling procedure is the correct method for handling errors made while registering a customer's order. When an item is registered in the incorrect department the following should be done: 1. The cashier should complete the order and then make note of the mistake on the daily cash report or some other form, so that it will be able to be corrected at the end of the day. 2. The cashier should ask the head cashier to approve of the correction on the form where the mistake is noted. “0 When an item is undercharged, the cashier should reg- ister the amount of the undercharge as soon as it is noticed. As an example, if an item sells for 10¢ and is registered as 8¢, then the cashier should punch the 2¢ key next and then bracket these items on the register receipt so that the cus- tomer may be able to identify the error. $ 0.17GrA 3 0.73GrA $ .3 GrA Item undercharged [$.OSGrA g 0.02GrA 3 1.46MtA 0.97MtA M . : O.usGrA O 6 Gr' 3 ‘GIHEESED 3 0.90Mt‘ *3 6.98T1A ,:—’-9/ $4.338 Item overcharged FIGURE 1. Sample Register Receipt In the case of an overcharge, the cashier should com- plete the order and then should subtract the amount of the overcharge from the total and circle the item on the register receipt. An example can be seen on the sample register re— ceipt shown,Figure 1. A 29¢ item was incorrectly registered Ml as 39¢. The amount of the mistake must be noted and subtracted at the end of the day from the total sales of the particular department. The cashier should never subtract the amount over- charged from the next item. It is very important that all corrections be brought W to the attention of the customer and that prOper notations f be made on the register receipt given to the customer. Courtesy; Although courtesy is every employee's Job in. a super market, it is perhaps more so in the case of the »‘ ._. ~._.-——._. cashier. She must assist the customer in placing her order on the check-out stand and she must never keep the customer waiting while she finishes a conversation with another employee. If a customer should have several small bundles, the cashier should offer to place them in one bag or she should suggest the purchase of a shopping bag. If a customer's order is large, the cashier should re- iquest her bagger to carry the order to the customer's car. The cashier must always treat the customer as a guest of the store and she should hand the customer her order after it has been bagged, when she is alone. It must always be remembered by all the employees, as well as by the cashier, that courtesy is a powerful pull to keep customers coming back to the super market. Just before the customer leaves the check-out stand the cashier must thank the customer for shopping in the store and she should ask her to come back again. 1+2 _ilferage by customegsi Pilferage in the super markets cannot be overemphasized. Shoplifting can be controlled but it requires steady cooperation of every employee in the store. Alert cashiers who are aware that shoplifting exists can be of great assistance in controlling shoplifting. Whenever the cashler suspects anyone of pilfering in the shore, she should call the manager's attention to the person suSpected. The cashier must never let the person out of sight even for a few seconds as this would give the suspect plenty of time to dis- pose of the article. ShOpping bags,when carried through a super market, should be inspected by the cashier when the customer comes to the check-out stand. As the cashier starts to place the merchandise in a bag, a friendly comment such as, ”Would you like this in your shopping bag, M'am?", will give the cashier ample Opportunity to inspect the shOpping bag. If the cus- tomer does not permit the cashier to put the merchandise in the shOpping bag, the cashier should notify the manager so that he may watch this customer the next time she comes into the store. The store manager or his assistant are the only people usually authorized to apprehend a sh0plifter since they are better Qualified to know the procedure to follow. The cashier Should never accuse anyone of pilfering. 1+3 Bagging thg‘gustomer's order; It very often happens that the cashier will be at the check-out stand by herself. It is, therefore, very important that she know how to bag a customer's order. This is very important because no sale is actually complete until the merchandise is safely deposited in the customer's home. Super market companies spend thousands of dollars each year in an effort to create and hold customer goodwill.. All the merchandising effort, the low prices and the displays, are all made with a view to maintaining cus- tomer good-will. The cashier is usually the last person to come into contact with a customer so it is well for the cashier to re- member to make the customer's visit a pleasant one by bagging her orders properly. The following are some procedures which the cashier should be aware of when bagging a customer's order: Bags are expensive so the selection of the l. prOper size utilization of an empty box by the cashier or bagger will prove economical. 2. The bag should be Opened gently, never snapped open. A solid foundation should be made on the bottom of the bag with the heavier, non- breakable items. Cans must be placed in an upright position. When packed snugly the bag will stand in an Open position, allowing the cashier to use two hands in bagging the remainder of the order. an After the solid items have been placed on the bottom, the cashier should place glass items, meat, eggs and certain packaged foods in the bag. For tOpping, the cashier should use the highly perishable items from the pro- r- duce department. The cashier must be careful of sharp corners and glass items which may tear the bag. These items should be placed in the middle of the bag. Also,the cashier ’ should look in the small bags before placing them in larger bags as they may contain fruit or some crushable item. Bakery items should be nested at the top of the bag or bagged separately, whichever will insure safe delivery to the customer's home. Butter, yeast, and cream cheese,. should be placed in a small bag before putting them in the larger bag since they are very susceptible to odors of soap, onions, garlic and fish. When the cashier bags a large order she should equalize the load by placing half the heavy items in one bag and the other half in another bag and distribute the lighter merchan-