Cashiers total bills, receive money, make change, fill out charge forms,
and give receipts at supermarkets, department stores, gasoline service
stations, movie theaters, restaurants, and many other businesses.Cashiers
held about 3.55 million jobs in 2008. Twenty-four percent of all jobs
were in grocery stores. Other jobs were in gasoline stations, department
stores, restaurants, and other retail establishments. Some cashiers
worked in amusement, gambling, and recreation industries, local
government, and personal and laundry services.Any business that sells
products or services on its premises requires a cashier to conduct the
sales transactions. Whether the transaction is done on a state-of-the-art
computer or on a simple calculator, the cashier must know how to properly
receive payments and provide receipts.
Cashiers - sometimes called desk associates - are generally assigned
cash registers and are therefore responsible for all transactions made on
that register during their shifts; shortages at the end of the day can
result in a penalty or dismissal. In addition to sales transactions,
cashiers must also handle returns and exchanges, making sure that
products are in saleable condition and have been returned within the
timeframe set by the store. If the store sells tobacco or alcohol, the
cashier is also responsible for verifying a customer's age before
allowing a purchase to be made. A cashier deals directly with the
customer, so excellent interpersonal skills are required for this
position.

While many transactions are made by credit or debit cards, cashiers must
be prepared to handle payments made by cash and check. Cashiers must give
the correct change to customers, as well as file all receipts and checks
carefully. This kind of work tends to be repetitive, which is why
cashiers must also be very detail oriented and organized. Cashier jobs
can be found at any retail establishment, as well as at gaming
establishments, such as casinos. In order to work at a gaming
establishment, cashiers must usually be 21 years of age, obtain a
license, and pass a background check administered by the state's gaming
board.

Cashier and desk associate positions in retail establishments are often
advertised within the stores themselves. A person can go to a mall and
fill out applications at any number of stores, with some granting
interviews right on the spot. A good time to look for cashier positions
is during the holidays, when stores and malls expect an increase in
customers and therefore need more staff on hand. A person with little or
no work experience can be hired as a cashier, provided that he or she
demonstrates strong customer service skills. A college degree is not
needed to be a cashier, but a sense of maturity and responsibility is
needed, because a cashier often deals with large sums of cash. Cashiers
receive on-the-job training on how to conduct various sales, returns, and
exchanges, as well as any necessary paperwork and bookkeeping that is
involved at the start and the end of each shift. Articles:: Search by
Profession:: Cashier: Duties & Job Market
Cashier: Duties & Job Market
by Barbara Bellesi

Any business that sells products or services on its premises requires a
cashier to conduct the sales transactions. Whether the transaction is
done on a state-of-the-art computer or on a simple calculator, the
cashier must know how to properly receive payments and provide receipts.
Duties of a cashier