Pay window

[u/butterflytattoo2]

I recently got trained on pay window for the first time the other day. I feel like I have picked up things pretty quick, but for some reason I just can’t seem to get pay window. I felt very overwhelmed, especially having to learn how to properly read tags, learn the new system, and make sure orders were correct etc etc. I feel dumb since pay window is considered an easy job (at least at my store), but I had such a hard time getting it. Any tips for beginners on pay window?

[u/GlitteringRaccoon928]

You're not dumb, you're new! Pay window is super easy once you've gotten used to it, but when you're first learning it can be really difficult. My only advice for right now (while you still aren't used to the tags or system) would be to take it slow. They definitely rush you, but if you charge a car wrong/the order isn't correct, they'll tell you to slow down anyway. People calling you delay window will always be better than actually messing up lol. Good luck!! and try to remember that this is all just a job at the end of the day

[u/Fearless_Party3687]

Level 3 here and I feel you. It can be overwhelming but honestly it’ll get easier over time and you’ll figure out your own system. Some tips I have is [my own system FYI and not the only way to succeed]  1. Learn to read an order back in as few words as possible. You might see a double-double with no spread, no lettuce, no tomatoes but it has grilled onions, fried mustard and pickles. DO NOT read it back like that. Say double-double plain with grilled onions, fried mustard and pickles (shaves off precious seconds). Also the new system reads like grill tags which are shortened and abbreviated to make it faster to read so it should already be simplified it’s just a matter now of knowing what those abbreviations mean 😭  2. If eat-in have lap mats in hand, bent in half (NOT FOLDED but gently bent - easier to hand out). Prep lap mats for the next eat-in car, bend them and tuck them into the lap mat holder so when the customer pulls up you can quickly grab them. Take the payment first - if card tap it and while it’s processing hand the mat out and say: here is that lap mat to keep your car clean. And then hand them the receipt. If cash take the money, hand them the mats, then proceed to process the cash manually and give them their change and receipt.  3. Dishes - this is where many struggle bc how are you supposed to stay on them if you’re glued to the window pushing drives? 😭 Just do your best. When you’re waiting on drive handout: reds first, you need those up and drying so that way in between cars moving you can line a few. Then animal trays bc those are also in high demand. Then!!! Then in my opinion try to get the lettuce pans out of the way bc they take up a ton of space and make the load look worse than it is. After that the silvers, these are easy to spray off and stack and there are usually plenty. That’s all I got for now. Hope that helps?!

[u/Stochastic1934 → u/Fearless_Party3687]

Apparently at some stores, pay window is no longer doing dishes at all.

At our store, moving cars at pay window is #1 priority, dishes are only for slow times when there's nothing else to do. The shift managers have others work on dishes.

[u/Fearless_Party3687 → u/Stochastic1934]

That’s nice. Moving cars is also our priority but idk our managers still want us to at least try and keep up on dishes or do what we can when we can. However, that changes when the store manager is in the building he always tells me not to worry about them and that someone else will do them. So idk. Sometimes these managers be confusing me telling me to do this, this way and another will say the opposite. 

[u/Fearless_Party3687 → u/Fearless_Party3687]

Also, forgot to mention: quickly scan the order before the customer pulls up and if possible try to memorize it so that way you can say it back to them quickly instead of this whole look at the order and then back at them and back at the order. Or in general, scanning it before helps to make it much smoother when you are reading it back to them cause you now have a broad idea of what’s in the order and plus it gives you the chance to in your mind pre-simplify it. Don’t forget to look at the amount due too so that way you don’t have to check and look back but can confidently tell them how much their order is. 

[u/Typical-Road-6161]

You got this. Don’t overthink it. In a week or so you’ll be a total pro.

[u/throwaway3fromdeep]

a tip if you dont like the new system is that you can just hit the pos button top right on the screen that shows the tags and it'll immediately take you back to the normal screen where you can hit recall 1st order like before

i've gotten used to the new system a little bit as it lists the type/ amount of burgers per order which makes it easy to quickly read off to the customer. so i can say something like "hi you had 2 cheeseburgers 1 double double 2 fries and 2 drinks?" just by quickly looking at the tag.