A cashier is a person who has the job of dealing directly with customer monetary transactions. In a store, he or she adds up a customer’s bill and takes payment. In a bank, the cashier — sometimes referred to as a bank teller — takes deposits and distributes funds for withdrawal. In a casino, the cashier exchanges money for chips and vice versa. Cashiers can also work in other businesses, including restaurants, bars, car dealerships, and currency exchange centers. All of these positions have different responsibilities, but share the common aspect of handling money and other forms of currency.
There are a few specific qualities that make for a skilled cashier. First and foremost, a cashier must be able to accurately count money and other forms of currency. A cashier who accidentally takes too much or too little payment from a customer creates a serious problem for the business, and may be responsible for making up any losses. Next, a cashier must be knowledgeable in how to process non-cash payments such as those made to a credit card.
Businesses specifically train their employees in how to process these payments, as they may differ from one company to another. In addition, a cashier must have decent customer service skills. Cashiers always deal with customers, and so must properly and respectfully represent their employers. In addition, knowledge of a business’s policies, an understanding of transaction systems, the ability to spot counterfeit currency, and a solid grounding in mathematics may all be important.
Cashiers in a store are employees who specialize in determining a customer’s bill and taking payment. In most modern stores, this job involves entering items into a computerized register system through either scanning bar codes or entering product codes. These computerized systems add up the amount owed after applying the appropriate taxes, and also tell the cashier what change to give when payment is received. A few stores do not use these modern systems, relying on the math skills of their employees to properly add up the bill, apply applicable taxes, take payment, and make change.
Bank tellers take deposits and disperse funds. These transactions usually deal with customer accounts, but may also include non-account holders cashing checks, foreign currency exchanges, and making change for larger bills. These transactions are recorded by the teller using a computer terminal that is hooked into the bank’s computer system. Bank tellers may also hold additional customer service responsibilities such as assisting customers with opening accounts, describing bank services, and clearing up customer issues and complaints.
Casino cashiers specialize in exchanging traditional currency for casino tokens and casino pre-paid game cards. Gamblers exchange their currency for tokens or cards when they enter the casino and then trade the tokens or cards for currency when they leave. While all cashiers are expected to be on the look-out for counterfeiting and fraud, casino cashiers make this an extremely high priority.