The success of your business is heavily dependent on the efficiency of your employees. This is particularly true in the retail industry. Your cashiers play a vital role in managing your customer service. Owners or managers of a business have an indirect responsibility to taking care of customers. Management has a direct responsibility to ensure that their cashiers are properly trained and motivated. Doing so will make management easier and help cashiers to feel more engaged with their jobs.

Review standard procedures with each cashier. In order to set goals for cashiers, a starting point must be established. Goal setting will be centered around improving customer service and increasing sales, the primary focus of a cashier's role. Everyone should be fully aware of the standards they need to follow. Whether a cashier is new or tenured, it is often easy to forget certain things or some things may become less of a priority in the rush of trying to take care of the customers.

A group goal should be set first. Then the group should be challenged to meet that goal. For example, if a certain item is on sale but the sales reports show that it is not being priced and sold properly, all cashiers should be challenged to reach a 100 percent goal of accurately selling the item for one week straight. This not only reinforces the established standards, it also promotes and encourages teamwork.

Set individual sales goals. If an item is not selling as well as others, challenge each cashier to propose this item to customers, or offer it as he is completing a customer's order. Have each cashier set an individual goal. This allows each cashier to practice goal setting instead of feeling forced into it. Monitor the progress over a given period of time to determine which cashiers are meeting their goals.

Identify incentives for group and individual goals. Although ambitious staff will become engaged and motivated, providing an incentive can drive the cashiers' efforts. A group incentive could be a catered lunch or refreshments during break time. Individual incentives could be free products or services, additional discounts or gift cards for each cashier who meets his goal.

Debrief cashiers to get their opinions on how effective they felt the challenges were. They often have ideas on what is most helpful. This can also provide them with an opportunity to identify any challenges that could be impeding their ability to meet certain objectives.