Many of us have found ourselves at a store register line, thinking we could do the same job a lot faster because it seems so easy. I'm also sure that many a cashier has dreamed of scanning items fast, so that they can finish with one customer and start with the next as smoothly as possible.
If you ever thought it was feasible to do the scanning on autopilot, stop right now and hear me: it's not that easy.
Recently, I volunteered running a register. Instead of scanning, I was expected to touch a pre-programmed button on the screen to register the selected item and finish the sale with a credit card. The computer did everything, I only handed the purchased goods. Still, it left me exhausted… Wanna know?
Besides having to stand all the time, I needed quick reflexes, fast reactions, attention to detail. Even if modern machines make it look easy because we don't need to push buttons to enter prices in a keyboard, it's still fast-paced and action-packed. One customer orders items one by one, and the next rattles off a list. Then you get the undecided ones, who stare at the menu and cannot choose between nachos or chips, soda or lemonade… and you must wait.
Of course, after my brief stint in front of a register, I learned a lot about this job, and cashiers have earned my most sincere admiration.
I am Francisco Solares-Larrave, and this is my perspective.
