POS Protocols

1. Verify cash drawer starting count (must match previous close + float). Record variance if >$0.50.
2. Test card reader with test transaction ($0.01 auth, immediate void). This catches 90% of reader failures before a customer notices.
3. Confirm receipt paper roll is loaded and cutters are clean. A jammed cutter is a 4-minute delay per transaction.
4. Check that the floor manager has signed the price-override log from yesterday. Unapproved overrides are theft, not mistakes.
5. Verify the emergency power indicator is green. We lost a full Saturday in 2019 because nobody checked this one Tuesday.

Rule: If the drawer is off by more than $0.50, do NOT open for customers. Call the floor manager. This is not negotiable.

1. Customer requests void or return.
2. Retrieve original receipt. If no receipt, check the POS transaction log by time window (±5 min).
3. If item is unopened/with tags: process at register. Log reason code (D01–D07).
4. If item is opened/damaged: require manager override. Never override yourself.
5. For returns >$100: manager override + secondary verification (photo ID optional, not required).
6. File original receipt in the void bin (the labeled shoebox by the safe). We audit these weekly.

Metrics we track: void rate per cashier (target <2%), return rate by reason code. I publish these every Monday morning.

1. Register reports "Cash Short" or "Cash Over" at end of transaction.
2. Do not add or remove cash to balance. This is a data point, not a suggestion.
3. Recall the transaction details mentally: what bills were handed? Was there a change-making error?
4. Document the amount and time on the shift log (the clipboard by the break room).
5. If cumulative short/over exceeds $5.00 in one shift, notify the floor manager immediately.

I've seen new cashiers "fix" a $0.25 short by adding their own quarters. That is how embezzlement starts with good intentions. Document it. Let the numbers tell the story.

1. Run Z-read from the POS terminal. This prints the shift summary: total sales, tender breakdown, voids, returns.
2. Count physical cash in the drawer. Compare to the Z-read cash total.
3. If variance ≤ $0.50: record as "within tolerance" on the shift log. Sign and date.
4. If variance > $0.50: recount. If still off, document with a note and flag for the floor manager.
5. Deposit cash in the safe using the drop bag protocol (two sets of eyes).
6. File the Z-read slip in the daily binder, tabbed by date.

The Z-read is the retail equivalent of the AGC's telemetry downlink. It's your data trail. Protect it.