I realize some of you are new and may not be aware of the following so please take note:

 

1.    Your cash registers are to be turned off at the end of each and every day. The proper way to turn them off is to press and immediately release the power button on the front of the unit (inside the hole on the front).  This is very important due to the fact that we often install updates during the night. Your registers only check for updates when they are first turned on. Additionally, turning your registers off at night adds to the expected lifespan of the equipment.

 

2.    Your SBO computer (POS server) in the office needs to be rebooted EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT after closing.  Rebooting a computer "cleanses" it of any processes which might have been begun since the last time it was turned on and resets it to an optimal state of readiness.  In simple terms, rebooting your computer will help it to run faster on a day to day basis. To reboot, click on the green start button in the lower left corner, then click "shutdown", then select "restart" from the menu that appears in the middle of the screen.

 

3.    Your Email computer should be rebooted at least once per week at the very least.  You may elect to turn it completely off at the end of each day.  Either way, we don't care, as long as you are do one or the other at least once per week.

 

4.    No cashier is EVER to walk away from their register without first logging out.  Doing so causes all sorts of potential problems, some of which can lead to them being terminated.  For more details on this, ask your auditor.

 

5.    No cashier should begin a transaction until they actually have a customer standing in front of them.  Cashiers aren't fond of having to log in and, as such, they've figured out that if they hit the "Add Item" button, the system will never log them out.  The problem with this is that every time they hit the "Add Item" button they are creating a new transaction which stays open until they either cancel or close it.  Most of the time these end up being empty transactions for $0.00.  These types of transactions fill up the database with worthless information, making it slower for your nightly closing procedures, etc.  If you would like to see a list showing which of your cashiers are doing this on a regular basis, please email the IT Department and we'll send you a report.

 

6.    No one should ever be allowed to touch the wiring in your office without first talking to someone in the IT Department.  This includes BellSouth/AT&T or any other service provider.  These technicians are not familiar with our network setup and can very easily cause your cash registers to completely stop working by unplugging as few as one or two wires.  Since many of the stores are at least an hour away from us, you can count on being down for as little as an hour, perhaps at your busiest time or on your busiest day if this happens to you.  Actually, no one should touch the wiring at your registers either, and this includes plugging anything into our phone, data or electrical outlets. Fans and heaters at the registers are a no-no, as they quite often cause problems for the registers.

 

7.    Nothing is to be plugged into the outlets at the registers or in the office without first consulting with the IT Department.  All of the computers you are using are sensitive to drops in electrical supply.  This includes but is not limited to fans, vending machines, heaters, power tools, vacuum cleaners, etc.

 

8.    Please check your safe for the little gold/brass key that fits all of your register drawers BEFORE you have an emergency and need to open them.  If you call us and you're unable to get the drawer open and then cannot find your keys, please understand that we won't be able to replace them quickly.  If you check your safe now and cannot locate these keys, please shoot an email to your auditor letting them know they need to be replaced.  I know it's tempting to put these on your key ring but please don't - leave them in the safe, in their little envelope.  If you need to use the keys often enough that you're required to keep them on your key ring then you must have problems with your registers that we need to resolve.

 

9.    Please turn on your registers AS SOON AS YOU COME IN each morning.  Doing so helps to identify whether there may be a problem with your system and gives us the chance to respond in time to get them up and going before your opening time.  If you wait until just before opening to turn on the registers and they don't come up, then it's likely we won't arrive for more than an hour, meaning you'll either have to turn customers away or check them on the "old fashioned" cash registers.  Who even remembers how to run those these days?

 

All of the suggestions above are proposed in order to make your workday as stress free as possible. 

No one wants to have to tell customers that they cannot shop because the registers are down.