A long line is a staffing problem and a habits problem. You can fix the habits today at the register. You fix the staffing by looking at when the rush actually happens, not when you think it does.
Signs you are in this situation
- Customers leaving the line, or the same rush every day at the same time.
- Reports → Hourly Breakdown shows a sharp Peak: hour with far more Orders than the rest of the day.
What to do right now
- Scan everything that has a barcode. Only use Search products for loose items; typing is slower than the scanner every time.
- For cash, type the bills you were handed into Amount tendered or tap a Quick tender button (Exact or a bill amount). The POS shows Change due so nobody counts in their head.
- Turn on the Amount keypad next to the amount if the terminal has no physical keyboard nearby.
- A customer forgot something? Tap Hold, serve the next person, then Resume. One sale can be held at a time.
- Keep the receipt printer stocked before the rush. A paper jam mid-line is the worst time.
- If two people are available, one bags and one scans. The POS does not slow down; hands do.
Decide
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| The rush is the same hour every day | Schedule a second person for that hour. Use Hourly Breakdown with Day to see which weekdays need it. |
| Loose-weight items slow every third customer | Pre-pack the common sizes with a barcode, or keep the scale next to the terminal. |
| Products are not found when scanned | Fix the barcodes in Inventory → Catalog after the rush. Every failed scan is a search plus a question. |
| Card payments take long | Have the terminal ready before the total is announced. Enter the authorization in Reference # (optional) only if your store needs it. |
Afterwards, and how to prevent it
- Look at Hourly Breakdown for the last week and write the Peak: and Slowest: hours on the schedule.
- Use Reports → Product Sales by Units to see what sells in the rush and stock those shelves before it.
- Consider a promotion with a Start time and End time in the slow window to spread the load. See Launching a promotion.
- Watch Staff Performance → Transactions to see who is fastest and let them work the peak.