Technology gets a bad rap for changing human interaction in unwelcome ways — teenagers using their cellphones at dinner, lack of decorum in social media, and dangerous use of texting while driving, to name a few. So it’s nice when you can point to an example of technology improving human contact.

We’re talking about the POS station at your favorite supermarket, convenience store or local corner shop. Deployment of cash management and intelligent cash drawer solutions can improve the shopping experience, allowing cashiers to focus more on the customer.

Traditionally, a cashier takes your money, counts it, places it in the till, looks at the POS screen to calculate the change, and then pulls out bills and coins to make change. This takes up to two minutes of barely looking at the customer, something retailers want to change to create a better customer experience at checkout.

Focus on the Customer

Cash, of course, remains the most common form of payment in retail settings, so the answer isn’t to get rid of if but to improve the transaction through better cash management. For instance, automated cash recyclers allow cashiers to focus more on the customer because depending on the setup:

• The employee never touches the money; customers insert it into a slot and the machine makes change
• The cashier receives the money and the machine does the rest
• Customers insert money and the cashier hands out the change

In any of these settings, the cashier has more time to make eye contact with customers, greeting them at arrival, asking if they found everything they needed and wishing them a nice day. Automated cash recyclers save shoppers up to two minutes at the POS station, and anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes per checkout lane each day. In smaller stores where cashiers double as sales associates, they can spend time on the sales floor upselling, cross-selling products and suggesting value-added services such as extended warranties.

Another approach involves intelligent cash drawers with weighing technology. These drawers calculate the amount of cash in the till at all times, telling cashiers and managers exactly how many bills and coins of each denomination are in the drawer, as well as the total. When a transaction is completed, all changes are recorded with a transaction number, cashier, date and time.

This allows for operating the drawers with optimum float and less interruption at the tills due to cash handling. Customers don’t have to wait while the drawer is topped off. Also, if the cashier gives a patron the wrong change by accident, the mistake can be fixed immediately. As soon as a customer notices she was short-changed, she can tell the cashier and, with the push of a button, the cashier can check if the customer is right. The result is a better overall checkout experience.

Benefits Aplenty

Cash management solutions allow POS dealers to add value for customers. Cash management offers plenty of benefits, including shorter checkout times, fewer and more accurate cash counts and of course improved interaction with shoppers. The more pleasant the interaction with customers, the more brand loyalty you build.
To find out more about APG Cash Drawer’s cash management and intelligent cash drawer solutions, see our SMARTtill™ Intelligent Cash Drawer or the Cashlogy^® POS1000US Cash Recycler.