Elton Rines

As a cashier at Costco, I had many duties such as welcoming the customer, and getting their items rang thought as fast as possible. The cashiering system was unlike what I was used compared to my last jobs, as it was more physical than technological, and learning the workings and specifics of the machine was refreshing and interesting. Being a cashier, I was tasked with more than handling the register and the affairs that come along with that. I also worked in the food court, managing a multitude of activities at once, such as the orders up front, call in orders, food prep and ordering, workplace cleanliness, and customer service. Many times while working in the food court, it was up to me to take charge and command the stations, as the managers became increasingly busy with other affairs on the weekends. This taught me to be confident in myself, even when I was unfamiliar with the decisions and duties I was tasked with. It also taught me to trust in my coworkers, and work together to fulfill the orders, while listening to their concerns. Outside of the food court and cashiering, I also was selected to promote the membership and other various programs Costco offers. This included letting customers know about the programs and benefits of the membership, along with getting them to sign up for the executive membership, and Costco Visa card. The programs and databases used at Costco were more advanced than the ones I was used to, but I felt I adapted and learned the workings of the program efficiently and quickly, as I had a background in information technology, and was studying it in college. I had to navigate the customers information, entering their data while also handling the hectic and busy store and assisting with customer concerns and questions, even ones not related to the membership. Being at the front of the store, customers would often come to me and my coworkers for product information, warranty renewal, shipment quantities and the days they would come in, and more. Being able to switch from database to database in a effective and seamless manner was expected of me, and making sure all of the product and customer information I had to enter and detail to the customer and other departments was a useful skill I did not expect to gain while working there. Some day to day product information was also needed from me, as I walked the store almost every hour looking for problems, discrepancies, and information such as product location, temperature, stock, and making sure that the equipment used was working properly. I also assisted in other departments of the store when they were short staffed or needed assistance, becoming a jack of all trades. Being able to switch from one side of the store to another to meet the businesses needs made me a valuable asset to the progression of the store.

Working at the customer service booth at Big Y supermarket, I had to main tiny customer relations with the store, and assist them with many different issues, such as returns, product information, suggestions and concerns. I also had duties such as being in charge of the lottery machine and database, which tasked me with entering a great deal of information from the sales and profits, to the incoming shipments that would be coming into the store. I also had to count the registered and submit the forms detailing the counts of all of them. Another duty of mine was the Western Union center, which had me helping customers send money abroad. Being in the customer service booth, it was my job to supervise the front end of the store when a supervisor was not available or on break. There was about 8-10 people in the front I had to manage and watch over as the day went on. On the technology side of things, there were multiple different avenues in which I had to familiarize myself with. The programs and databases for the registers, lottery, returns, and Western Union were applications I used daily, and navigating them without much training was something I felt proud of, as I felt it showed my skills and dedication. I also learned many other more general skills such as:

• Maintained a clean and organized workspace, promoting a welcoming environment for customers.
• Handled high-pressure situations calmly, maintaining composure during busy periods or difficult interactions.
• Actively listened to customers, handled concerns quickly and escalated major issues to supervisor.
• Processed customer orders and accurately handled payment transactions.
• Resolved customer complaints with professionalism and empathy, resulting in increased customer loyalty.
• Met customer service goals and exceeded customer expectations.

This was my first job, and I had a couple of duties at Ace Hardware. I had to cashier, stock all of the items in the store and manage inventory, which included ordering shipments and managing inventory going out to customer. I was also tasked with delivering superior customer service by assisting customer with whatever they needed, whether it be help finding the right product for them, or advice on their at home projects. Another duty was to work with my coworkers and coordinate many day to day activities. There was a small number of employees at my store, so working together to finish the work that had to be fulfilled in the back, as-well as managing the store front and the rush of customer was something I was usually tasked with. Designating where certain employees should focus on and creating an efficient work flow for the day was something I grew familiar with. Skills I learned at this job included customer service skills, teamwork, patients, organization, knowledge of databases, working independently, and being a reliable component to the system that was the store.