When the Barcode Fails: A Cashier’s Praise Report

🛒 Register Procedure: How to Search for a Product by Name When Barcode Scan Fails

Step 1: Try scanning the product with the handheld device. If it’s not found, move to Step 2.

Step 2: Tap Price Check on the register’s home page. A full-page screen will appear with a field labeled Name of Item. Type the product name using the physical keyboard.

Step 3: Press Enter on the physical keyboard (not the touchscreen). This will initiate the product search.

Step 4: A number belonging to the product will appear. Double tap on that number.

Step 5: The price will now display. If the guest is purchasing the item, tap Add Item at the bottom of the screen. If not, tap Cancel to exit the process.

🗂️ My Personal Tip

To make things easier in the future, I wrote these steps on an index card and keep it in my pocket. That way, I’m ready the next time this situation arises. It’s a small act of preparation, but it brings peace and confidence when the moment comes.

🙏 Final Thoughts

If you’ve discovered your own register hacks or want to share a praise report from your shift, drop a comment below. 

However, I could not believe how many steps I had to go through to get a final result on a modern computerized register. Should it be this complicated or I wonder if this is a glitch that could be fixed in a way that no guest would have to wait on a cashier trying to figure out how to charge the person. 

Let’s build each other up in this New Age of everything being computerized but let us try at least to make things simpler. Perhaps AI could come up with a faster process for the cashier and guest when searching for a product by name in which the barcode failed, and the handheld device fails as well.

Tip: You can also search for a similar item to the item guest chose to see if the bar code on that item will scan, then just give the chosen product to the guest, if this test proves successful. Once again, however, a process so lengthy as this one creates "frustration" in a guest simply wanting to purchase the item. Remember, the guest's time is precious, and they do not like to be made to wait during cashing out long procedure transactions. A computerized fix to this problem would make the guest experience "so much better."

One important point to highlight in the workplace is the critical role of teamwork—especially when serving a company’s guests or customers. Delivering a seamless, enjoyable experience often requires collaboration across multiple departments to solve problems quickly and effectively. When we work together to smooth out the wrinkles at the ground level, we’re not just helping the guest—we’re also securing our own livelihood. After all, the money we earn comes from satisfied customers who choose to return.

It’s not about relying on a buddy system for personal gain. True teamwork means supporting every team member so that, together, we create the best possible outcome for the guest. That mindset—putting the guest’s experience first through collective effort—is what everyone should keep in focus.