Retail Cashier Accuracy: Misrings and Some Factors Related to Them

A fundamental question which is critical to satisfactory transactions but which is seldom examined is how accurate the cashier is when a purchase is rung up on the register. Few customers bother to check their receipts to ensure that they have been correctly charged when a transaction involves multiple items. This critical but neglected issue is the focal point of a study involving grocery, discount, and department stores. A significant number of errors were found, and the related factors were identified. Specific findings include: 1. Over 15% of the transactions investigated had an error (overcharges, undercharges, or incorrent tax computation). 2. The difference in frequency of errors (1 in 5 chances of an error in grocery stores, and 1 in 12 in a discount store) is apparently related to the number of items purchased. 3. As a cashier becomes more experienced, more errors occur, possibly due to boredom with the task.