MockQuestions

Cashier Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your Cashier interview, here are 26 interview questions and answer examples.

First Question

26 Cashier Interview Questions

25 Interview Questions With Sample Answers

1.   If a customer's bag ripped right after their purchase, and their jar of mustard broke open, what would you do?

How to Answer

This one should be easy! Tell the interviewer that you would simply get the customer a new jar of mustard...free of charge! It's the simple things like this that will keep your customers coming back. Be sure to mention that you would log the free jar of mustard in the store's record keeping books for proper inventory.

2.   What are you passionate about?

How to Answer

The interviewer wants to hear that you are passionate and motivated about something. Is there a cause that you care a lot about? Is there a special interest that you have? Now is the time to share it! We highly recommend staying away from any political topics, but anything else is okay to share. You might share that you are passionate about spreading the message of not texting while you drive. You might share that you are passionate about clean eating. Perhaps you will share that you are passionate about rescuing animals. Be sure to mention why you are passionate about it, so the interviewer can learn a little more about who you are as a person.

3.   Do you take pride in your work?

How to Answer

Absolutely! The interviewer knows that you need to care about your work to achieve your best results. Simply tell the interviewer that you take pride in your work knowing that your work is a direct reflection of you. Be sure to mention that you want to ensure you always present yourself in a positive way, and you want to always do great work to maintain the respect of your peers in the workplace.

4.   Why do you need this job at our store?

How to Answer

If you are working at the store just for fun, that's great! Tell this to the interviewer, and be sure to mention that you look forward to working hard for such a great company!



If you are seeking a job because you need the income, tell the interviewer that you are seeking the income, but working at this store would be fun. So, it's a win-win!

5.   During your last employment, did you ever call off work? What were your reasons?

How to Answer

The interviewer wants to know that you are a reliable person. Tell the interviewer that you are reliable and do not call off from work unless you would have an emergency or are very ill. Next, share with the interviewer how few times you have called off from work in the past year. If you were sick with the flu and had to call off work 2 days in a row, that's to be expected! Simply tell the interviewer that you had the flu and had to call off 2 days in the past year. We are all human and get sick from time-to-time. Missing work for those 2 days will not be a deal breaker.

6.   How dependent of a person are you?

How to Answer

Being a cashier requires you to be independent most of the time, and interviewers want to hear that you enjoy working independently while still being a part of the overall team. Tell the interviewer that you like working independently and are resourceful using the tools you have been provided, such as cheat sheets, to help you find answers to any questions you usually have. Next, mention that you are also a team player and enjoy contributing to the success of the overall team and helping other co-workers by answering any questions they may have or helping them with additional training.

7.   Your resume says you've only stayed at your last job for 3 months, explain to me why you did not stay longer?

How to Answer

Interviewers want to know that you will stay with their company long-term if you are hired, and now is the time to assure them that you will be on their team long-term.



If the short employment was due to summer work while you were a student, that's no problem! Simply tell the employer that it was an agreed upon summer job only while you were in school.



Keeping things positive is key! Be sure to only talk about your past companies in a positive manner recognizing what wasn't a good fit for you instead. You might share that you relocated unexpectedly due to your spouse's job which resulted in the short duration of employment. You might share that you were offered a better position elsewhere that you just couldn't pass up! Perhaps you will share that you realized you didn't enjoy working in that call center job you recently accepted because it lacked face-to-face interaction, so you decided to leave the job to go back to cashiering because you know that you love it. Be candid with the interviewer sharing why you were only in your past job for the shorter duration of time.

8.   What did you dislike about your former job?

How to Answer

Most of us have something that we dislike about our job, and that is okay as long as we are willing to get the job done with a positive attitude. Interviewers want to hear that this is your approach! Pick something that you disliked about your past job that is not a big part of the cashiering job. For example, if you were a waiter or waitress previously, you might state that you disliked the consistency in income when there were slow days in the restaurant. You may share that you always came to work with a positive attitude, and at the end of the day, you knew you just needed more consistency in your income to achieve your personal goals more comfortably. Ensuring that you tell the interviewer you never let the dislike get the best of you is key! Interviewers enjoy hearing that you are a positive person and will happily get the job done even when the job may have pieces that you do not necessarily enjoy.

9.   If a coworker calls in sick, and you realize you will have long lines all afternoon, how would you handle this?

How to Answer

The interviewer needs to hear that you are a team player and do not allow situations like this to get the best of you. Tell the interviewer that you recognize your co-workers may get sick from time-to-time, and it is your responsibility as a member of the team to step up during those times to help you. Share that you would simply keep a positive attitude and cheerful customer service attitude serving each customer as quickly as you can. Be sure to mention that if there is another cashier who might be able to come in that day to help you, you may consider reaching out to them to ask if they would be willing to come in for a few hours as well.

10.   Have you ever handled cash in large monetary transactions?

How to Answer

Think back to your past cashiering roles. What was the estimated average dollar amount of the transactions you handled? How much money was in your drawer at the beginning of your shift? If you were responsible for counting down your drawer at the end of your shift, how much money was usually in it? Simply share these values with the interviewer to provide them with a solid idea of the cash you are used to handling.



If you have no cashiering experience, no problem! Simply tell the interviewer that this will be your first experience as a cashier, and you look forward to learning the process. This candidness will help the interviewer be prepared to provide you with a bit more training when you begin in the role to ensure you are successful as a cashier.

11.   Are you interviewing for any positions at other retail locations?

How to Answer

Be honest. Simply share if you have any other interviews with a simple yes or no. Feel free to share where you are interviewing if you feel comfortable doing so. It can work to your advantage to share because it will allow the hiring team to put together a more competitive offer for you if they know where you are interviewing. Finally, be sure to mention that you are most interested in this role, and provide one solid reason for why it intrigues you the most.

12.   What are your plans for the future?

How to Answer

The interviewer hopes to hear that you will stay with the company long-term.



If you are a student, tell the interviewer that you plan to stay at the company through graduation, and then share what career or further education you hope to be pursuing at that five-year mark. If the company offers careers in your field, such as management, be sure to mention that you would be open to considering a career in your field at the store if one is available upon graduating.



If you are not a student, no problem! Simply share that you see yourself working at this store! You may even mention that you hope to have received a promotion by the five year mark.

13.   If you receive a 100 dollar bill for a 23.51 order, explain to me how you would add up the change and hand it to the customer?

How to Answer

Start off by explaining the math to the interviewer. You might say something like this, "I would count upwards from $23.51 to $100 to gather the correct change. $23.51 + $76 would be $99.51 + 49 cents would equal $100. So, I would give the customer $76.49" Next, share how to correctly hand the change to the customer. A best practice is to always hand the customer their change first, and place the cash on top. Think about those times you have received coins on top of cash; it's hard to handle! Placing the coins below the cash makes it much easier for the customer to quickly and efficiently put the change away.

Answer Example

"I would count upwards from $23.51 to $100 to gather the correct change. $23.51 + $76 would be $99.51 + 49 cents would equal $100. So, I would give the customer $76.49"

14.   What cash handling experience do you have?

How to Answer

Be open and honest with the interviewer about your cash handling experience. It will help the interviewer understand how much training you should receive when you begin in the role. Are you well-versed with cash handling? If so, that's great! Share where you worked, how long you were employed there, and how much cash you were typically handling during a shift. Have no cash handling experience? Not a problem! Share that you have not worked in a role with cash handling before, and you look forward to learning cash handling best practices.

15.   Are you okay following our company guidelines and rules even though they may differ from your past employment?

How to Answer

Absolutely! The interviewer needs to hear that you are open to change and are flexible to adapting to the company's guidelines and rules. Tell the interviewer that you look forward to learning the company's rules and guidelines, and you are happy to follow them.

16.   Are you okay working a 40 hour week?

How to Answer

Be open and honest with the interviewer sharing how many hours per week you are available to work. If you are able to work a 40 hour week, that's great! If not, be sure to tell the interviewer how many hours you can work, and share what days/times you have availability.

17.   Have you ever been tardy for work before?

How to Answer

You are a reliable person who arrives to work a few minutes early for each shift! Begin by telling the interviewer that you always leave your home a few minutes early to ensure you arrive to work on time for each shift. Mention that when the weather is poor, you plan ahead by leaving extra time to get to work, and you have backup plans in place for childcare in case your current plans fall through. If you have ever been tardy, be sure to mention why you were tardy and how you called into work to notify them that you would be late. You might state, "I was stuck on the interstate due to an accident one-time last year. I was sitting in stand still traffic for 25 minutes. I called my manager right away to let her know I was in stand still traffic, and I notified her that I would be in as soon as possible. I am typically always on time, so she had no concerns with it since it was outside of my control."

Answer Example

"I was stuck on the interstate due to an accident one-time last year. I was sitting in stand still traffic for 25 minutes. I called my manager right away to let her know I was in stand still traffic, and I notified her that I would be in as soon as possible. I am typically always on time, so she had no concerns with it since it was outside of my control."

18.   Have you ever complained to coworkers about management in the past? If so, what did they do wrong?

How to Answer

Interviewers are looking for team players who support their management team by offering positive and constructive feedback where it is due. Begin by telling the interviewer that you like to talk positively about your leadership team with your co-workers recognizing what your managers are great at. Next, mention that you do not complain about your managers, and you might offer constructive feedback if it is necessary. Feel free to provide an example of a time you have done so! For example, you might state that you had a manager who intimidated some of the newer employees because they only talked with the new employees when they had done something wrong. You might share how you pulled your manager aside and explained your perspective offering your friendly feedback. Be sure to mention the success you had with the conversation, and share how appreciative the manager was to receive your feedback.

19.   How well did you get along with management at your past employment?

How to Answer

You got along with your leadership team great! The interviewer wants to hear that you talk about your leadership team in a positive manner. Think about 2-3 things you really liked about your past management team. Begin by telling the interviewer that you got along well with the team, and share the 2-3 things that you really liked about their leadership. You might share that they were always willing to answer any questions you may have had. You might share that they always had a positive attitude. You may even share that you liked that they cared about you as a person and got to know you by having simple conversations with you during the course of your employment.

20.   Has a large amount of money ever come up missing at your past employment?

How to Answer

Be candid with the interviewer sharing if your drawer was ever previously off by a large dollar amount. We all make mistakes and this can happen from time-to-time. The key is to share if the money was found and how you learned from your mistake. Simply tell the interviewer who reconciled your drawer for you to find the mistake, and mention that you recognized the importance of the mistake ensuring that it never happened again.

21.   At our company, we have three strikes for money being over or minus 10 dollars. Are you okay handling that pressure of keeping your drawer within 10 dollars?

How to Answer

Absolutely! Tell the interviewer that you will count your change back to each customer to ensure you are accurately disbursing cash which will ensure you stay within your $10 boundary.



If you have previous experience with a similiar accountability system, be sure to tell the interviewer how successful you were with it!

22.   How comfortable are you checking IDs for a purchase of alcohol even if the customer looks to be in his mid 30s?

How to Answer

It's not a problem for you! Simply tell the interviewer that you have no problem checking ID for alcohol purchases for customers of any age. In fact, many establishments check IDs no matter what age the customer is!

23.   Here is a scenario question, If a customer asks for a discount on a gallon of milk, what do you tell them?

How to Answer

Assuming there is nothing wrong with the gallon of milk and there is no coupon special, tell the interviewer that you would simply tell the customer that the prices are as listed and you are not able to provide a discount. Be sure to mention that you would do so with a pleasant demeanor.

24.   How will you stay composed if an angry customer wants to return a product but does not realize there is a return cashier for just that purpose?

How to Answer

Tell the interviewer that you recognize the customer is not upset with you about their need to return a product; they are upset at the situation. Next, share that you would listen to why the customer would like to return the product, graciously walk with them over to the return cashier explaining to the return cashier why they are returning the item, and you would let the customer know that this cashier will happily assist them with completing their return. Be sure to mention that you would keep a smile on your face and a positive attitude during this process too!

25.   What past experiences do you have that demonstrate your ability to work as a cashier?

How to Answer

How has your past experience prepared you for being a cashier? Think through your work history or your school history, and identify the key things you have done as well as training you have received that helped get you ready for a cashiering job. You might share that you have been a cashier for 7 years already. Perhaps you will share that you have taken a customer service fundamentals class in school. Maybe you will share that you have always excelled in math which will help you with customer transactions. Or, maybe you will share that you have many years of working as a bagger/cart runner for the store, and you have gained great knowledge about the items the store sells which can make you a more efficient cashier.

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