If you enjoy dealing with customers and have mathematical skills, then fast food cashier is the right choice for your job! In this article, we will be sharing some of the questions with answers that you might be asked in your interview as a Fast Food Cashier.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
I am great with handling cash and people too! I have a pleasant personality and I know the food industry too. I believe I can be a great fit for this role based on my skill and experience. My main aim to join this multinational fast-food chain is to be trained as per international standards and move into the management side of the business.
2. What Are The Roles Of A Fast Food Cashier?
- Check all the stalls, review the briefing book, review the machinery and other instruments of the cashier.
- Make sure that VAT Invoices are present
- Invoice printing from the counter and calculation of discounts if any
- Report printing including sales, settlement, and card transactions.
- Record difficult problems in the briefing book for the following cases.
- End of each shift, all bills must be stapled
3. What Are The Qualities That A Fast Food Cashier Needs To Be Successful?
The more challenging aspect of having a job as a cashier is related to the customer, not the money. Related to math, it is known that the register can help you. So, even though for being a cashier, you should have sharp math skills, mainly, you should have sharp interpersonal skills. Being a cashier also requires you to be able to stand for a long time. That is why several companies usually give their employees training to operate a register and be a good cashiers.
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
I once had to deal with an angry customer in fact “hangry”! One of the food items was not available since we had a weekly menu setting. He got furious and started screaming at me. I tried to explain a few times but he was not listening to me at all. I offered him all options available on the menu but it wasn’t sufficient. I requested him to step aside from the counter while I called my supervisor. I explained the whole situation to my supervisor and we both explained the limitations.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Fast Food Cashier?
I try to reach on my shift at least 10 minutes earlier so that I have a grip on the tasks on my plate before my first customers come in. I take over the cash counter and tally with the previous cashier on shift to make sure that I am ready to start. I add loose cash in the till while I greet my fellow team members on the shift with me. When the first customer steps in, I greet them with a warm smile and ask them about their day. During the order, if they have any specific questions I make sure that I can guide them accordingly. If I don’t know anything particular, I do not hesitate in asking my relevant team member. Once an order is complete, I create a bill and execute the payment. It can be both cash or via debit or credit card. These days, People are also using mobile wallets. As the order is ready, I provide receipts and hand over the order to the customer and sign off with them. The process repeats till my ship ends. I sign off by counting cash drawer money at the close of my shift. If it is a slow day at work, I restock counter merchandise and make sure that the counter is clean throughout the day.
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience?
I have worked in the food industry for 2 years now. First, I joined in my summer break as a summer job but I kept the job after too. I worked at a local restaurant where I was also in charge of the pantry. Later, I joined a fine dining restaurant as a waitress. The experience was all different and new but I learned a lot on this journey. I am hoping to excel in this role to move into the management side of the business.
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Are Required For This Role?
With honesty and consistency, cashiers can excel in this field. The job itself gives a lot of responsibility where the holder has to show a great sense of care, accuracy, and precision. He or she is supposed to be a flexible, hardworking, considerate, and devoted person. He or she is generally well-trained in terms of handling cash and related affairs. The whole operations department is relying on the proficiency of the cashier as he or she is solely responsible for cash management.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge You Foresee In This Job?
Variety of customers all around the day since the location is a mall. I am sure that my problem-solving skills and good customer serviceability are going to be tested well in this role.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated At Work?
I like when I can meet the goals and deadlines in this job. I have always been great at organization and time management so every day I make sure that I get to learn something where I can apply these skills.
10. Describe A Time You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned?
Once in my career, I dropped two orders right outside the kitchen and messed up the whole area. To serve faster, I was carrying orders at a time. It was such a bad day that I immediately ran to the restroom to avoid the embarrassment. After composing myself, I learned that I should be more careful while completing orders because my urgency can put my team in a problem who are preparing food at the back.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are Qualified For This Role?
I believe that I am a great fit for this role since I have food service experience and also I am great at customer service too. I have worked as a waiter previously where I was already dealing with customer bills and a variety of customers. I have also earned the title of Employee of the month due to my good customer service.
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement
As I mentioned that I have earned the title of Employee of the month in my previous role as a waitress in a fine dining restaurant. During my last few months there, Customer’s started remembering me and wanted me to take their orders because I always recommended them a good dish to try in their desserts.
13. Are You Aware Of Mandatory Payback Policy?
The policy requires cashiers to pay back shortages in their tills. Usually, when this policy is applied, shortages may occur once or twice, but after paying for the shortages, a cashier is not often short again. The shortages require no investigation, no investment of a manager’s valuable time, no disciplinary action, and no complicated cash handling policies.
14. What Is The Advantage Of Using Pos Instead Of The Traditional Method?
The biggest advantage is the efficiency! Fast Food Chains use the Point of Sale system for them to deliver all their products at a very fast pace. Customers would not be congested in lines and there would be lesser waiting time compared to traditional restaurants which utilize paper and pen trading. Traditional trading involves the use of pen and paper wherein the waiters would take orders from customers and then pass the orders to chefs. Since there would be a lot of orders, especially on regular days, customers would need to wait for at least 15 minutes to order their food. With Point of Sale, the order-taking process is fast and instructions are automatically sent to the kitchen. The cashier is able to handle more customers in the meantime.
15. What Are The Other Advantages Of Pos?
- Easy Pricing and No Math Errors.
- Time in Attendance.
- Fewer chances of theft
- Fast customer service
- Enhanced Reporting
- Integrated Credit Cards.
16. Are You Aware Of Occupational Safety And Health Administration Guidelines For Cashiers?
OSHA has several guidelines for cashier workstations. It is recommended to use power belts on which item travels towards the scanner automatically. As per the guidelines, there should be space at the bottom of the register to avoid the bad posture of the cashier.
17. Many Cashiers Complain About Physical Pain- Why Is That So?
Many people develop poor movement and posture habits due to a simple lack of awareness. Here is my tip to avoid such pain- all you have to make sure is to limit the twisting pressure on your back. While scanning items on the belt, use both hands instead of using just one arm for all the work. Also, whenever you need to lift anything- light or heavy. You have to make sure that you are using both hands here too. Sometimes, the lightest of all items can put a strain on your muscle.
Also, in my experience, I make sure that I stretch myself whenever I get a chance to stand up from my desk or even at the end of the day. This helps my muscles to relax and gives me a chance to relax too. Before my shift, I do jogging and quick exercise before coming to work. It keeps me active and healthy.
18. How Can A Cashier Help In Impulse Purchase?
Fill impulse merchandise items placed at the front of the counter. At my job, I always say that full displays will typically outsell empty, disorganized displays. Always offer something to your customer who is waiting for you to make the bill. Sometimes a waiting customer at the counter can make an impulse purchase. While the kitchen staff is preparing the order; you can engage them at the counter. A friendly cashier is always a delight for a customer.
19. What Are A Few Basic Rules Of Standing At A Cashier Counter That Needs To Be Followed And Taken Care Of?
In my experience, I have learned a few things related to this job that has been helpful for me.
- Know policies, procedures, and expectations in handling transactions: Cashier should do count verification before and after shift. There should be single drawer accountability and should be able to manage authorizations for voids, refunds and closing the cash drawer after every transaction.
- Make sure that there are no calculators and unauthorized credit card “skimming” devices near the cash registers.
- Cashiers should not be privy to cash totals on the tape as they countdown their cash till. They should report what they have in their till, minus the beginning.
- As per everyday operation, Cashier should communicate cash management and security-related expectations via a written memo
- Every cashier should sign cash handling expectations and maintain their personnel files.
- As a habit, the cashier should count back the change to the customer.
- There should be a tolerable dollar amount of cash shortage or overage. Some companies have established a $3-5 range per individual cash drawer per cashier depending on the number of cash transactions and total sales per shift.
- Managers should remove excess cash and large bills from the cash register and place them in the safe.
- All cashiers should be trained to handle all transactions, including handling suspected counterfeit, and the common scams involving credit/gift cards and quick change.
20. Which Part Of The Fast-Food Industry Is The Most Important And Why?
The essence of fast food is its efficiency. Customers choose a restaurant based on its food taste and good service and for food, they do need it fast. To stay longer in the market, any fast food company should focus on kitchen management. Dealing with hungry customers is the most important part because you have to listen carefully to order details and input the correct information in the first go. Customer satisfaction is the basic goal for every job in this industry.
21. How Do You Perform Under Pressure?
I believe that I work great under pressure because it gives me less time to overthink. I make sure that I don’t panic due to any workload and I can handle customers with all my knowledge about the product variety. Even in my previous role, there were times when we faced a shortage of staff but I performed well in complete sync with my team.
22. Are You A Team Player Or Like Working Alone?
I have worked in both scenarios, depending on the job. I am a total supporter of team players because it increases productivity overall. Two is always the better one! Working with teams boosts morale overall and we all learn from each other. There are few days when customers keep pouring in nonstop, everyone needs to be in sync so that no customer leaves the restaurant unhappy.
23. What Is The Difference Between A Cashier Working At A Fast Food Restaurant And A Cashier Working At A Fine Dining?
The duty of a fast food cashier is more than the one who is working at a fine restaurant. Basically, at fast food, you are a multitasker. At the fast-food restaurant, a cashier does not only perform cashiering duties but is also taking care of incoming orders and making sure that they are packed properly and on time.
24. If You Discovered That You Had An Extra $500 In The Cash Drawer At The End Of Your Shift, What Would You Do?
First, I would check all my orders that have been processed during my shift. I would try to decipher about this extra cash in hand. Once I know then I will follow the operating standards set by the restaurant. As my shift ends, I will inform my manager about this issue and the rest can be handled at his end.
25. What Are The Standards Of Good Customer Service That Can Improve Sales?
Good customer service is entirely dependent on the type of service you are providing to your walk-ins. Otherwise, your own product has no value to any customer.
The standards can be:
- The overall quality of the products/ service
- Friendliness of staff
- Solving the problem and complaints of customers timely
- Quick Service
- Friendly and reliable staff
- Handling inquiries
- Being treated as a valued customer
- Competence of staff to serve a customer
- Ease of doing business
- Being kept informed
Conclusion
Be confident and smile as you give your interview. Make sure you have a hard copy of your resume in hand that mentions all your previous and updated responsibilities and educational records. An un-updated resume is simply a negative point because it shows your lack of professionalism. These 25 questions are surely going to help in acing the first round of interviews as a Fast Food Cashier. Good luck!
