Did you know that one small slip at the register can slow down an entire McDonald’s drive-thru line by more than a minute? Yes, it’s absolutely true. In this fast-moving world where everyone is in a hurry, the cashier’s job is often underestimated.
From handling orders, completing transactions, and keeping customers happy, there’s a lot more than that but sometimes beginners make mistakes that cost both time and money. In this article, we will tell you some of the common mistakes that new cashiers make at McDonald’s.
Apart from that, you will also learn why they happen, how to avoid them, and a few practical tips that will help you to build confidence & improve service quality.
7 Mistakes New McDonald’s Cashiers Make
Do you know that there are more than 3 million cashiers currently working in the United States? Shocking right? Yes, this job looks so rewarding to new employees but do they know that there small small mistakes impact customer experience, slow down the pipeline, and also affect the order delivery?
So, try to get rid of them and see which mistakes you are making.
1. Forgetting to Greet the Customer
One of the biggest mistakes new cashiers make is failing to greet customers warmly. It might seems like a small detail but it changes the customer experience and that’s why we have mentioned this point in our previous article on cashier duties.
A friendly welcome like “Hi, welcome to McDonald’s” makes customer feel acknowledged and valued. So, it’s better to make a habit to smile and greet every customer as soon as they step up to the counter.
2. Not Repeating the Order
Most of the time cashiers often forget to repeat the order back to the customer and this is either due to the nervousness or sometimes an attempt to save time.
But by repeating the order you actually saves your time by giving customers an opportunity to check if there is any mistake in the order before the food is prepared. So, don’t hesitate in any situation and always repeat the order loudly before finalizing the payment, especially at the drive-thru counter.
3. Improper use of POS System
Learning McDonald’s POS system can be very challenging at first and most of the time newly joined employees often make mistakes by hitting the wrong button or forgetting to apply discounts or coupons.
Moreover, the incorrect use of POS can also lead to wrong orders and delay in service. So, it’s would be great if you spend some time learning the system when the store is empty or you can also use our training app to practice McDonalds POS.
4. Not Upselling or Offering Add-ons
Whether it’s a fast food business or some other, everyone here is to make money but new employees often forget that and skips upselling. It’s not because they don’t want to but since they are new they feel uncomfortable and most most of the time they also don’t know how to add offers or add-ons.
But it’s really important because if you don’t upsell you won’t be able to maximize your sales and customers won’t also get know about those offers. You can easily do this by asking them if they would like to add fries or a drink to their meal.
5. Rushing Transactions
In an effort to move quickly during peak hours, new cahiers often rushes the transaction processes and leads to incorrect orders. I know speed is important but these mistakes costs you time as well as money because either you have to re-order the order completely or issue the refund.
Furthermore, this also creates a bad impression of the store. So, just take deep breath, listen carefully and double-check order before placing it. Also, if you are not accepting Apple Pay, Google Play, Cash App or any other digital payments then also it better to place a note.
6. Miscommunication at Drive-Thru
Drive-thru is the place where most of the new employees often struggle and I think the main reason for this is because both cashier and customer are in hurry to complete the order.
Another reasons can be the speaker which McDonalds staff uses to communicate at drive-thru because if your speaker is not clear then wont be able to hear clear responses from the customer which might lead to incorrect order. To get rid of this mistake, it’s better to send your own staff and check it every morning.
7. Not Handling Register Correctly
We all have seen that new cashiers often get nervous while handling the cash register, sometimes they give the wrong change and sometimes they forget to count the money back. These mistakes lead to a shortage of money and customer disappointment.
But you can easily fix it by counting the change patiently and soon after a few weeks you will get be more comfortable with the cash or card transactions. You can also practice such situations by playing different cashier games.
Conclusion
Everyone makes mistakes when they are new at the job but learning about them in early stages can really help you to become a better cashier. At McDonald’s restaurants, cashiers are the face of their store and that’s why they need to avoid these mistakes at any cost.
If you are also one of them who just started then don’t be too hard on yourself because everyone makes mistakes and sooner or later they learn from them. Just keep practicing and be patient.