5 Points to Cover When Training Staff How to Handle Cash

    Oct 07 2019

    Despite plenty of features articles to the contrary, cash is going to be around for the foreseeable future. That means any business with a significant number of cash transactions will need to continue training employees on how to handle them.

    While older employees may already be well-versed, it never hurts to give employees a refresher course in proper cash-handling techniques. Whether you’re training someone for their first job or merely teaching someone your business’s specific procedures, remember to review these five points.

    1. Go Over the Technology You Use

    The first thing you should do when training staff to handle cash is go over the different devices you use. What does your point-of-sale system look like? Do you use cash registers?

    Your team on the floor may not need to know how to operate devices such as cash counters or sorters; that might be the domain of cash attendants or managers. But in most cases, showing employees the entire process can help explain why they’ll need to complete some tasks in particular ways.

    And, of course, if you use cash recyclers on the floor, you’ll need to train your team to use them effectively.

    2. Teach the Countback Method

    If your employees will be handing cash directly to customers, particularly in the form of change, you need to make sure you teach them to count back.

    Today’s technology will often display how much change is due to the customer, so it’s tempting for cashiers to just hand back the change. This can lead to errors, and your customers might not appreciate having change thrust at them. They may even stick around a little longer to count the change for themselves and contest what was handed back, which can lead to another set of issues.

    If your cashiers use the countback method, they’re less likely to make errors, and the customer can see they were handed the correct amount.

    To use this method, the cashier should start with the purchase price, then “add” the change until they arrive at the amount they tendered from the customer. If something costs $26 and the customer hands you $30, the cashier would count “up” to $30 from $26, handing back four singles.

    3. Counterfeit Detection

    Cashiers should also know how to check for counterfeit bills. Many businesses don’t take large denominations because these bills are frequently counterfeited.

    Make sure your cashiers know how to use any equipment you have for counterfeit detection. They should also know when to call a supervisor if they suspect something strange.

    4. The Float and Acceptable Overs/Unders

    Another key point you should go over with your team is the float in the till. You probably have certain rules for how much cash should be in a till at the start of the shift and how it should be broken down. If your cashiers will be preparing the float, make sure they understand the rules and why they exist.

    You’ll also want to go over any rules you have about acceptable overs/unders. Many businesses will start investigations if tills are over or under by more than a certain amount.

    Understanding the float will also help your team if they need to count up their tills.

    5. Counting the Till

    You may ask your cashiers to tally up their tills at the end of their shift, or you may leave that job to a cash supervisor. Either way, your team members should be trained to properly count the till. They should also be aware of the safety measures to take when they prepare for counting.

    With the right technology, you might be able to skip this step. If you use a cash recycler, your team members won’t need to spend time counting up tills.

    Proper training will help your team use all the cash-handling tools and devices you provide them more effectively.

    Andrea Lombardi

    Andrea Lombardi

    Andrea joined the CashTech team upon its inception in 2003. Learning the business from the ground up, she now utilizes her expertise in account management, planning, and negotiation while managing the daily operations of CashTech’s sales, marketing, and logistics departments. Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario. She enjoys travelling and has a passion for personal fitness, including obtaining her kettlebell certification. Andrea lives in Toronto with her husband and two young sons.

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