Cashiers are regarded as the links between a company and its customers. This is why working as a cashier is not an easy job since it entails a lot of responsibilities. As a recruiter, you must ensure you are picking the right candidate for the position. In the following article, we shall present different questions you can ask your candidate during cashier interview.
Cashier Interview Questions
- Please, tell me about yourself.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What does ‘excellent customer service’ mean to you?
- In what way a cashier can provide excellent service to customers?
- Do you feel comfortable handling cash and counting back change?
- A cashier requires excellent focus and attention to detail to avoid mistakes. How focused do you stay on the job?
- Why do you believe you would be a good cashier?
- One of the toughest parts of a cashier’s job is processing returns and deeming if a certain article is eligible for a return based on the business’ policy.
- Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team?
List of Cashier Interview Questions
1. Please, Tell Me About Yourself
To start, you may want to ask your candidate this icebreaker question. While your candidate describes themselves, pay attention to their enthusiasm level as they speak.
Be sure to assess the following:
- Communication skills.
- Your candidate’s personality.
- Your candidate’s motivation.
While the answer will vary from person to person, be sure to consider those who are more open to describing themselves.
This is an example of a good description:
“Good morning. My name is Mary Johnson, I’m 35 years old. I was born in Queensland, Georgia. I describe myself as open and enthusiastic. I love interacting and getting to meet new people”
2. What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?
Although this question may sound a bit ‘cliché’, it’s a good one to pose to your potential candidate. That way you can spot almost right off the bat if your candidate could be a good fit for the role.
In general terms, these are good qualities to consider:
- Hardworking
- Good communication skills
- Extroversion.
As the interviewer, you need to read between the lines. Pay attention to any critical weaknesses that can impact negatively your candidate’s image:
- Punctuality issues
- Gets easily distracted
- Issues dealing with numbers or math.
For example:
“I consider myself hardworking. I take a lot of effort into finishing every task I’m assigned. I believe the time is very important, so I make sure I always arrive on time, even if it’s just a meeting with friends. I have a few health problems, but I keep myself in check with my doctor, so they won’t hinder my daily routine”
3. What Does ‘Excellent Customer Service’ Mean To You?
As a recruiter, you can use this question to check if your applicant understands these important skills to be a successful cashier.
A good candidate should:
- Understand the importance of delivering good service
- Identify solutions to the problems
- Be able to resolve issues and bring satisfaction to customers.
This would be a good answer:
“I understand that being a cashier requires delivering excellent service to the customers. I always try to find a solution to problems in a way that both parties win. But our main goal is always meeting the client’s needs. After all, the customer is always right”
Additionally, be sure to pay attention if your applicant tells you a story of how they managed to make a customer happy.
4. In What Way A Cashier Can Provide Excellent Service To Customers?
Cashiers are the ‘face’ of a company before its customers. The answer given to this question will speak about their customer service skills and their capacity to deal with clients.
You must pay attention to the following:
- Candidate must show friendly and approachable behavior.
- They must understand the importance of customer service.
- They must show a willingness to strive for excellence.
This would be an example of a good answer:
“In my opinion, a cashier provides excellent service by engaging with every client they interact with. They must ensure they are giving a good impression of the business to everyone that comes in”
5. Do You Feel Comfortable Handling Cash And Counting Back Change?
Being a cashier entails the handling of cash, so your candidate must be comfortable taking and giving out money daily. Besides experience using a cash register machine, their honesty and integrity are important as well.
Your candidate should use this chance to talk about their past cash-handling experiences.
Pay attention to the following:
- Any mention of honesty and integrity.
- Their experience handling money.
- Their skills in managing a cash register.
This could be a good answer to consider:
“I have a few years of experience managing a cash register. I have never faced any shortages or any other issues. Handling money with absolute integrity and honesty is very important”
6. A Cashier Requires Excellent Focus And Attention To Detail To Avoid Mistakes. How Focused Do You Stay On The Job?
Mistakes at the cash register can cost dearly for a business, so staying 100% focused on the task is key. Managing the register is often a repetitive, routine job, so the employee can lose focus sometimes. Your candidate must prove they can stay 100% focused on the details of each transaction.
Pay attention to these:
- Thoughtful and concise response.
- They must show a willingness to focus on details.
- They must understand the importance of attention to avoid mistakes.
Here’s a good answer to consider:
“During my job, I make sure I stay focused and give my full attention to every customer I interact with. That way I can provide them an excellent service while avoiding mistakes”
7. Why Do You Believe You Would Be A Good Cashier?
A cashier’s job is never easy: they must endure long hours standing on their feet, dealing with angry (or unpleasant) customers, and on top of that, the repetitive work. This question is key to spotting your candidate’s motivation for the position.
Look out for the following:
- Your candidate is friendly and likes to work with people.
- They can handle routine work.
- Pay attention to their past experiences dealing with people.
Consider this as a good answer:
“I have been a cashier in the past, and I liked it. I’m very comfortable interacting with people and I have developed skills handling a cash register”
8. One Of The Toughest Parts Of A Cashier’s Job Is Processing Returns And Deeming If A Certain Article Is Eligible For A Return Based On The Business’ Policy.
Employees are expected to be prepared to explain the reasoning to customers and deal with them if they get angry about not being able to return the article. With this question, you can understand how your applicant may respond to a stressful situation, such as breaking the store’s policy or risking themselves to make a customer angry.
An appropriate response should show the following:
- Recognition of the store’s return system
- Respect toward the customer
- A poised and well-collected attitude
This would be an example of a good response:
“If a customer tried to return an article I’m sure we didn’t sell, I’d first ask for a receipt to double-check and compare the article’s name with the one they brought in. Then I’d explain to them our store didn’t sell that article and unfortunately, we can’t process a return. I’d apologize for the inconvenience caused, and stay firm on the store’s policy”
9. Do You Prefer Working Alone Or As Part Of A Team?
Whilst cashiers usually work independently, your candidate will also interact with other employees, such as stockers and floor managers. Although it is important that your candidate can thrive on their own, they must know how to work with a team.
Your ideal candidate should reflect:
- Ability to communicate with others.
- Willingness to support their colleagues.
- Appreciation for feedback from others.
This would be a good response to consider:
“I understand that a cashier works on their own a lot of the time, but I can get along with others. If someone else needs to give me additional support or feedback, I do always listen and take it into account for my improvement. A business is composed of a team, and as such, we have to get along with each other.”
Some Questions To Avoid
Finally, there are some questions you have to avoid.
First, do not make leading questions, because the answer you will get may be conditioned. Instead of a straight, honest answer, your candidate may tell you only what you want to hear.
Here are some examples of questions you have to avoid:
- “You know a lot about our company, right?”
- “You are good at math, aren’t you?”
Lastly, avoid any questions regarding the following:
- Gender.
- Sexual orientation.
- Marital status.
- Citizenship.
- Medical information.
- Religion.
- Race.
- Age.
- Disability.
Conclusion
You are recruiting someone because of their skills and aptitude for the job, therefore, your questions should be based on these criteria entirely. Anything else is off-limits. Be sure to keep it professional.
