Learning a new Register Procedure - The Hard Way

 

October 1, 2025

Learning a New Register Procedure—The Hard Way

I think I learned a new register procedure during my last shift. It turns out there are multiple ways to reach the same goal—kind of like my 2010 Mazda compared to my old 1999 Chevy. That Chevy had one simple way to do everything. The Mazda? Options galore. This register feels the same.

A server wanted to pay for his lunch ticket using his rewards points instead of the usual 50% discount. K, the cashier, was at the far end of the counter and overheard him. I scanned the ticket like I always do. Then she came over—not pleasantly—and told me, “Just hit the redeem rewards button,” and pressed it herself before walking away.

I followed her lead, but then I had to ask, “What’s next?” She said, “Hit cash and it’ll zero out.” The system printed a receipt.

But I couldn’t help wondering—what was wrong with the way I usually do it?

Here’s my normal process:

Scan the ticket.

Hit “cash” since the guest is paying with cash.

A screen pops up asking for their phone number.

They enter it.

Another screen shows how many pegs they’ve earned.

I hit “add to transaction.”

A final screen shows what they can redeem.

If they have enough points, I select the appropriate discount.

The system prints a detailed receipt.

I’ve only had two guests use their peg balance to pay for an entire ticket—this server and one regular guest. With that regular, I remember having to hit “cash” again to generate the final receipt.

K’s method was faster, I’ll admit. But it was also abrupt, and I had no idea why she chose that moment to intervene when she usually ignores me. Maybe she was trying to be helpful—or maybe she just wanted control. Either way, she taught me something new, even if that wasn’t her intent.

I’m not here to write perfect grammar. I’m here to help expose ground-level problems that never get addressed. I don’t have time to polish every sentence, and maybe I should run this through an AI search box to make it clearer. But the point stands: there are multiple ways to operate that register. Some are shortcuts. Some are longer. Good thing I’m interested in this stuff—otherwise I’d be lost, trying to figure it out on the fly.

What would help?

Full video trainings that walk through each register function step by step.

For me, I’d write those steps on index cards and carry them to each shift. Sure, I’d be digging through my pockets for the right card, but I’d learn faster than relying on someone to show me “if they have a minute.”

When I trained here before, it was early morning shifts with a calm, younger cashier. She walked me through each transaction one-on-one. I didn’t learn everything, but I used index cards to record what I did learn. I kept extras in my pocket to jot down new procedures as they came up. That method worked.

The “book on audio” transaction was especially long—I was glad not to deal with that one.

This time around, training was different. I watched videos on greeting and hospitality—which were helpful—but register, stocking, and especially the iPad training were scattered and nerve-wracking. It felt like “fly-by” training, not structured at all.

Side note: the server originally went to K with his ticket. I was still behind the counter after helping another guest. K sent him down to me, even though earlier she’d insisted she could “cash them all out.” Why the switch? Why send him to me this time when she’d been handling tickets all shift?

It’s like she was running the whole store—moving me around at her will—until the retail manager, L, showed up and took over.

Still, in the end, she inadvertently taught me a new procedure I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Whether she meant to or not, I picked up something useful.