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Retail and cashier interview questions and answers in English

The questions a store manager really asks shop and checkout staff, with model answers in simple English. Read them, then practise out loud with Dana and see one wording fix and one tip after each answer.

Free · no sign-up · 6 questions · about 10 minutes

This interview tests

  • Friendly customer service
  • Careful cash handling
  • Staying calm when it is busy
  • Free no sign-up
  • 6 questions
  • About 10 minutes
  • Speak or type

Your retail and cashier interview

Dana, the store manager, asks six questions.

Dana, the store manager, asks first

Tell me about yourself and your retail experience.

  1. Why do you want to work in our store?
  2. A customer wants a refund but has no receipt. What do you do?
  3. There is a long queue at your till. What do you do?
  4. Tell me about a time when you dealt with an angry customer.
  5. Do you have any questions for us?

8 retail and cashier interview questions and answers in English

Each question has what the interviewer wants to hear, and a model answer at B1 and at B2. B1 is short and simple; B2 adds detail and linking words. Use your real experience, in your own words.

Tell me about yourself and your retail experience.

What they want to hear. Where you have worked with customers, for how long and what you did there, then why you want this job. Under a minute.

B1 answer

I'm a sales assistant in a clothes shop in the city centre. I've worked there for two years. I serve customers at the till, help them find sizes and fill the shelves. I like busy days. Now I'd like to work in a bigger store with more responsibility.

B2 answer

I've worked in retail for three years, first as a cashier in a supermarket and for the last eighteen months as a sales assistant in a sports shop. On a normal Saturday I serve over a hundred customers, handle refunds and help with deliveries in the stockroom. I'm quick at the till and my cash has always balanced. Now I'm looking for a role where I can train new staff.

Why do you want to work in our store?

What they want to hear. A real reason about this store, such as the products, the customers or the training, linked to what you can bring.

B1 answer

I want to work here because I often shop in your store and the staff are always friendly. I like your products, so it would be easy to recommend them to customers. I am friendly and reliable, and I learn fast. I would like to be part of your store.

B2 answer

I'm a regular customer here, and I've noticed that your staff always have time to help, even on busy Saturdays, which is the kind of service I want to give. I also know your product range well, so I could recommend things honestly. I'm reliable, I'm happy to work weekends and I've got two years of checkout experience, so I think I could fit in quickly.

A customer wants a refund but has no receipt. What do you do?

What they want to hear. Stay polite, explain the store policy clearly, offer what you can, such as an exchange or store credit, and call a manager if needed.

B1 answer

First I stay polite and listen to the customer. Then I explain our refund policy. Without a receipt I usually can't give money back, but I can offer an exchange or store credit. If the customer is still unhappy, I call my manager to help.

B2 answer

I'd listen first and say I understand, because it's frustrating to lose a receipt. Then I'd check if there is another proof of purchase, for example the card payment on their bank app. If there isn't, I'd explain the policy calmly and offer an exchange or store credit instead of a refund. If they were still unhappy, I'd ask my manager to come over rather than argue at the till.

There is a long queue at your till. What do you do?

What they want to hear. Keep serving quickly and politely, ask for a second till to open, and thank people for waiting.

B1 answer

First I stay calm and keep serving quickly. I call a colleague or the supervisor and ask them to open another till. I smile and say sorry for the wait to each customer. When the queue is shorter, I go back to my normal work.

B2 answer

First, I'd keep scanning quickly but carefully, because rushing causes mistakes with change. At the same time, I'd call for backup so a colleague could open a second till. I'd also tell the people at the back that another checkout is opening. With each customer, I'd say 'thanks for waiting' and keep a smile. Usually the queue is gone in about five minutes, and nobody leaves without paying.

Tell me about a time when you dealt with an angry customer.

What they want to hear. A real customer: what made them angry, what you had to do, the steps you took and how it ended.

B1 answer

Last month a customer came to the till very angry. Her new shoes were broken after one week. I had to help her quickly because the queue was long. I listened, said sorry and checked the receipt. I gave her a new pair. In the end she smiled and thanked me.

B2 answer

One Saturday, a customer came back angry because the jacket we had sold him had the wrong price on the label, and he had paid ten pounds more. I had to sort it out without holding up a long queue. I apologised, asked a colleague to take my till, and checked the price with my supervisor. I refunded the difference and fixed the labels. In the end he thanked me and left a positive review.

What would you do if you saw a customer stealing?

What they want to hear. That you stay safe and follow the store rules: no chasing or accusing, tell security or a manager and remember the details.

B1 answer

I would not try to stop the person myself, because it can be dangerous. First I would tell security or my manager quietly. Then I would remember what the person looked like and what they took. I would follow the store rules.

B2 answer

I wouldn't accuse anyone or try to stop them myself, because that isn't safe and I might be wrong. First, I'd quietly tell security or the manager on duty and describe the person and the product. Then I'd stay at my till and keep serving, but note the time, so it can be checked on the cameras later. In my last shop we had a clear policy for this, and I always followed it.

How do you handle cash and make sure your till balances?

What they want to hear. A careful routine: count the float, give change carefully, keep the drawer closed and count up at the end of the shift.

B1 answer

First I count the float at the start of my shift. I count the change back to every customer, and I keep the drawer closed. At the end of the shift I count the cash again with my supervisor. I am careful, and my till has always balanced.

B2 answer

I'm careful with money. First, I count the float at the start of every shift and sign for it. With each payment, I leave the customer's note on top of the drawer until I've counted their change back to them, so there's never an argument about a twenty. I never leave the till open. Then, at the end, I count up with a supervisor, and in two years my till was short only once, by fifty pence.

Do you have any questions for us?

What they want to hear. One or two questions about the shifts, the training or the team. Leave pay and discounts for later.

B1 answer

Yes, I have two questions. What are the usual shifts for this job, and do I work every weekend? And is there training on the till and the products for new staff? I would like to learn the products well, so I can help customers from my first week.

B2 answer

Yes, a couple. How are the shifts planned, and how far ahead do I get the rota? What training do new staff get on the tills and the products? And what do your best sales assistants do differently? I'd like to understand what you expect, so that I can serve customers well from my first day on the shop floor.

Useful English words for a retail and cashier interview

The words interviewers expect you to know, with a short meaning. Use two or three of them in your answers.

  • tillthe machine where customers pay; also called a register
  • checkoutthe place in a shop where you pay
  • receiptthe paper or email that shows what a customer paid
  • refundmoney given back to a customer for a returned item
  • exchangegiving a customer a different item instead of their money back
  • floatthe cash in the till at the start of a shift
  • stockroomthe room at the back where extra products are kept
  • replenish the shelvesput new products on the shelves when they get empty
  • shopliftingstealing products from a shop
  • store creditmoney a customer can spend later in the same shop

Useful phrases for a retail and cashier interview

  • I've worked as a cashier for …Describe your experience.
  • Thanks for waiting. How can I help?Greet a customer in a queue.
  • Would you like a receipt?Finish a sale.
  • I'm afraid I can't give a refund without a receipt, but I can offer …Explain a policy politely.
  • Let me check that for you in the stockroom.Help a customer.
  • Could someone open another till, please?Ask for backup.
  • I count the float at the start of every shift.Talk about cash handling.
  • How far ahead do I get the rota?Ask about the job.

Common English mistakes in a retail and cashier interview

  • I work in a shop since two years.

    I've worked in a shop for two years.

    Present perfect, and 'for' with a length of time.

  • I give the customer his money back.

    I give the customer a refund.

    'Give a refund' is the usual phrase.

  • Do you want a bag?

    Would you like a bag?

    'Would you like' sounds polite.

  • I put the products in the shelfs.

    I put the products on the shelves.

    'On the shelves', and the plural is 'shelves'.

  • The customer was very angry on me.

    The customer was very angry with me.

    'Angry with' a person.

Retail and cashier interview in English FAQ

How do I answer 'Tell me about yourself' in a retail interview in English?

Say which shops you have worked in, for how long and what you did, such as serving at the till or filling shelves. Add one strength, like staying calm on busy days, and finish with why you want this store. If you have no shop experience, talk about any job with customers.

What are the most common cashier interview questions?

Managers often ask about refunds without a receipt, long queues, angry customers, cash handling and what you would do if you saw someone stealing. All eight questions on this page come with a simple B1 answer and a fuller B2 answer.

What is the difference between a cashier and a sales assistant?

A cashier mainly works at the till and takes payments. A sales assistant also helps customers on the shop floor, finds products and fills the shelves. In many shops one person does both, so it helps to talk about both in the interview.

How do I talk about handling cash in English?

Use clear words: float, change, count up, balance and short. A good answer says what you do at the start of a shift, during each sale and at the end, for example 'I count the change back to every customer'.

What should I wear to a shop interview?

Dress neatly and a little smarter than the shop staff usually do. For a clothes shop, it helps to wear something close to the store's style. Being on time and smiling matter as much as your clothes.

Can I practise a retail interview in English for free?

Yes. Choose Retail on this page and press Start. Dana asks six questions out loud; you answer by voice or by typing. After each answer you see one wording fix and one tip, worked out from your own words by rules for common learner mistakes and the parts a good answer needs. Free, no sign-up.

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