Been a cashier recently? tried to get change?

[kaneohe]

Been riding the bus a lot recently so need $1 bills and quarters. Used to make a special trip to the bank or to market to stock up . Recently had this great idea to just do it at places I pass by like McDs or Starbucks and was surprised to find they will only do it if the cash drawer is open from a previous cash customer so often have to wait.

Does anyone understand why? Seems like if security were involved, an insider, at least, would have no trouble simulating a cash sale and getting access to the cash. Is it to safeguard it from outsiders or what?

 

[CorporateSoldier]

One of many policies businesses have to mitigate their exposure to theft. None of which stops everything but as a whole can make a significant impact. A couple of examples of what the policy can help with:

It helps protect the cashier from quick change artists.

If the drawer is closed all the time except when ringing a sale, it keeps a cashier from pretending to process a sale, charging the customer and pocketing the money for themselves.

Good just to keep the drawer closed as often as possible. Lessens the chances of a cash grab by a thief.

 

[ziggy29]

Since I started occasionally working the counter at a small-town post office a few miles down the road, $1 bills and quarters -- especially quarters -- are the hardest items to keep in the drawer. We are constantly awash in a sea of nickels and dimes. We'd not have many singles or quarters to spare most of the time....

 

[braumeister]

Another factor is why the practice of pricing items at $X.95 or $X.99 began.

If the price is an even dollar amount, the cashier doesn't have to make change, and could simply pocket the payment. If he or she needs access to the change drawer, it's necessary to ring up the sale on the register and get the drawer open. This simple technique has saved small businesses untold millions (maybe billions) over the years.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Cashier memorizes the cost of a common sale. Say $6.98 Cashier asks the customer if they want their receipt. If no, they hit the "No Sale" button, which opens the drawer but does not ring up a sale. Then they make change. Say the change is $3.02 and the cashier pockets the sale amount of $6.98. To combat this, most point of sale systems can report how many "no sales" a cashier has. I have a bunch more ways that cashiers can rob a store and controls one can put in place.