How to Return Change to a Customer

It's an important part of any retail shop, getting customers the right change quickly can make or break your career as a cashier, teller, sandwich vendor or other cash-based sales job. Managers spend major time training entry-level employees to get the right change back to customers, and cashiers use some common techniques to get good at cashing out buyers and selling quickly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Do the "round up" technique. Start with the amount the customer hands you, then look at the sale cost. Say it's $1.52. To do this technique, start with the lowest digit, 2. Take 8 cents out of the till and mentally calculate 1.60. Then, take 40 more cents out and mentally count $2.00. Then take out $3 (you're up to 5.00 even) and round out with a 5 and a 10. Your change is $18.48.
2. Count out loud. Counting the change out loud helps you keep track and also establishes between you and the customer how much they gave you. Problem customers may come back later, claiming you short-changed them on a large bill. Counting out loud takes care of this problem while helping you provide accurate change.
3. Anticipate "tricky" customers. You may have seen these tricksters before. Seniors are among the most enthusiastic testers of your math skills. These customers like to hand you, not a large bill, but an additional amount of change, requiring you to re-calculate your change disbursement. These customers are within their rights, but you can tell them to just give you the bill. If you're more the kind of employee who likes to go along for the ride, you may have to stall for a moment while you calculate. Banter with the customer while you figure out what change you need to give.
4. Set limits on giving change. If you're swamped with customers at any given time, you may need to tell them to provide cash as exactly as they can. You can also refuse to give change for very large bills as a matter of cash flow security. Knowing your limits and managing unusual situations will help you become a better cash handler and keep you from being overwhelmed.
5. Use technology. Modern cash registers and computers help you know how much change to hand out. You can use these to your advantage, but don't rely on them too much. If they go down, you're back to relying on your own brain.