Hiya people.

I am about to start a job where I will have a visual display unit that tells me the total amount of which my customer is spending but theres nothing for me to enter in how much money they are giving me or how much change I will need to give them. I know this is going to come across really badly, and possibley very thick, but I am so worried that under pressure I will mess up the change giving etc as I'm not very confident when it comes down to stuff like that. My fear is that I will look stupid double checking things on the calculator that either the customer or a collegue next to me could have done without the calculator, and being the talk of the firm I am going to be working for. I suppose I'd rather them talk about me for double checking than always been wrong and down on my takings etc...!

However, my other fear is what am I to do when there are big queues? It's been a while since I was at school and to be honest it's been a while since I did anything without a calculator or a till to help me out, and I think the top and bottom of it all is that I am so deadly nervous because of this. It's very sad really how dependent we can become of these things, and I dare say I am one of the many people who have, and now I feel as though I am going to come across as "the thick one" for wanting to use a calculator.

I'm really embarressed by this and if anyone can give me some great advice on how best to work out peoples change in a jiffy, then pleaasseee PM me!!!!!!!!! :)

What a bizarre request - but I am being deadly serious!

Cheers xxxx

i try to keep away from all forms of numbers as much as possible..im sure im number dyslexic, i love words but when confronted by numbers my mind goes blank.

I could never work on a till etc

Originally posted by angelgirluk
Hiya people.

I am about to start a job where I will have a visual display unit that tells me the total amount of which my customer is spending but theres nothing for me to enter in how much money they are giving me or how much change I will need to give them.

Which shop is this? It seems very odd that the tills do not allow this.

Hi angelgirl,

Firstly, no you don't sound stupid. In a new job it is natural to want to make a good impression. If I may, I'd like to give you a few tips, since I've worked in bars etc, where you have to give people change. So, without wanting to sound patronising, here goes:

- DONT PANIC!!! This should be foremost in your mind. Just repeat it to yourself if you get stressed. Its just a job, and the people you are serving will soon forget your little interaction. Its easier to make mistakes when you are stressed.

- Do it the old fashioned way. Count the change from the total cost of the items back up to the amount they have given you. So: If I buy £8.87 worth of stuff of you, and give you a tenner. Count upwards from 8.87 to 10.00. Take 3p out of the till to make it £8.90. Then take 10p out of the till to make it £9. Then take a pound out to make it up to ten pounds.

Then if you are not sure whether you've done it right, you can give me my change in the following way " 3p makes eight pound ninety, 10p makes nine pounds, and theres a pound to make ten". Its how the oldies in the post office do it and it truly is the best way.

Practice at home before you go. Also, dont assume that your customers will know how to do it better than you, cos most people have rubbish arithmetic skills. If you need to use the calculator, work out a good line, like "Got to make sure you get the right change!", and deliver it cheerily with a big smile. Your colleagues should appreciate that you need some time to get used to the job, and if they don't, comfort yourself with the knowledge that you are a much nicer person than they!

Good luck honey let us know how it goes.

Originally posted by kathythebean
Practice at home before you go. Also, dont assume that your customers will know how to do it better than you, cos most people have rubbish arithmetic skills. If you need to use the calculator, work out a good line, like "Got to make sure you get the right change!", and deliver it cheerily with a big smile. Your colleagues should appreciate that you need some time to get used to the job, and if they don't, comfort yourself with the knowledge that you are a much nicer person than they!

Good luck honey let us know how it goes.

I was about to post all that, but this post sums it all up nicely. Good luck with the job!

I HAVE a till that can tell me the correct change - but I always count it into the customer's hand jsut like kathythebean posted.

That way both you and the customer know that the change is correct. As a customer, I hate having a handful of change dumped into my hand and not being certain that it's correct.

Just take a deep breath and take your time. You wont make a mess of it and if you do ... all you have to do is say "I'm so sorry to keep you but this is my first day/week and I'm a little slow. Only a complete a*s* would be churlish in those circumstances!

Enjoy your new job and best of luck ... x

You could take all the excellent advice given above OR just make sure that you give me £19.99 change whenever I come to your till.:D

Awww best of luck AngelGirl :) You will be fine. Kathythebean's advice is excellent. I remember my first day working in a bookmakers, same kinda till, tallied up the total spent (if you remembered to press the multi-take button :( ) but didn't tell you change to give. That is exactly how I did it - counted back up the way. LOL it was scarey but you will be surprised how quickly you get used to it :) I hope it all goes well.

Originally posted by angelgirluk
Hiya people.

I am about to start a job where I will have a visual display unit that tells me the total amount of which my customer is spending but theres nothing for me to enter in how much money they are giving me or how much change I will need to give them. I know this is going to come across really badly, and possibley very thick, but I am so worried that under pressure I will mess up the change giving etc as I'm not very confident when it comes down to stuff like that. My fear is that I will look stupid double checking things on the calculator that either the customer or a collegue next to me could have done without the calculator, and being the talk of the firm I am going to be working for. I suppose I'd rather them talk about me for double checking than always been wrong and down on my takings etc...!

However, my other fear is what am I to do when there are big queues? It's been a while since I was at school and to be honest it's been a while since I did anything without a calculator or a till to help me out, and I think the top and bottom of it all is that I am so deadly nervous because of this. It's very sad really how dependent we can become of these things, and I dare say I am one of the many people who have, and now I feel as though I am going to come across as "the thick one" for wanting to use a calculator.

I'm really embarressed by this and if anyone can give me some great advice on how best to work out peoples change in a jiffy, then pleaasseee PM me!!!!!!!!! :)

What a bizarre request - but I am being deadly serious!

Cheers xxxx

I've worked in EPOS all my life, never known any system that doesent calculate change.

Maybe the Manager doesent know what he is doing.

All you need to do is "over tender" and press the cash button, change will be displayed.

Originally posted by Gazza
I've worked in EPOS all my life, never known any system that doesent calculate change.


Our banks systems do not calculate change.

The place I am going to be working for (well I started there a month ago but taking telephone bookings...) sells tickets for events, and on the screen once the booking is complete you are told the total amount due, but there's nowhere for you to input the amount of which the customer has given you, nor is there anything telling you how much change you are to give them. I can't believe how dumb this sounds, it is really embarressing to be honest, to think that at the age of 22 almost 23 I am afriad of this....!

Clearly its a new job anyway, and I naturally don't want to mess it up, but I am frightened that I can't work out how to give the correct change... and I will repeat myself, and say that I feel very embaressed about this.

I was always very bright and could read and write and do simple maths at the age of 3 or 4 before I even started school.. then as you get older, they plonk a calculator in front of you at school and you somehow become dependant on it, which leads me to the way I am feeling now - stupid!!

I have worked in department stores and natuallry there you have the till system which tells you everything you need to know, even if you already know how much change to give etc.

I thank you all for the replies to this post and I am going to try my best and practice like mad today, but once the spot light is on me tomorrow and the nerves are there, I hope I remember what to do (sounding thick again!!) and don't screw up!

Cheers guys and obviously any other help on this topic would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED too!!!

x x x x

Kathythebean's suggested approach was spot on.

The other thing you can do (in addition to Kathythebean's approach - not instead of!) is to use 'bucket arithmetic'.

e.g., the amount the customer is due to pay is £13.97. They've given you a £20 note. You round the £13.97 up to the nearest quid (£14) and take that off the £20 (i.e., £6). So you know you should be giving back in the region of £6.

This will allow you to check that you've broadly got the right amount of change before you give it back to the customer.

Cheers, Carrie

Originally posted by Andy
Our banks systems do not calculate change.

you dont need to, 99% of people give u money

Good luck....

p.s dont worry....most people use their cards these days.