Calling Tape Experts

[Ridgerunner]

I need to mark a few keys on a cash register. I volunteer at a charity thrift shop. One of the things I do is run a cash register. I need to train someone new how to run it and some keys are not marked for the way it is programmed. My life and theirs will be a lot easier if I can come up with a way to mark those three keys.

One of my thoughts is to get some type of tape that will actually stick to the hard plastic keys and then write on that tape with a fine point sharpie. Just being able to write "C", "O", and "P" on the keys would be enough.

Any thoughts on how I could mark those keys in a way that will actually last a few hours?

 

[Beekissed]

They have adhesive backed dots at most any office supply place of different fluorescent colors and even in just plain white and yellow. They may even have small adhesive alphabet stickers that would solve your issue without the use of a sharpie. I know they have them at craft supply stores.

Something like these....

http://www.amazon.com/Sticko-Alphab...47090&sr=8-7&keywords=small+alphabet+stickers

Or these may do the trick...and you'd have plenty of replacements if they wore off or came off....

http://www.amazon.com/Sticko-Alphab...7090&sr=8-10&keywords=small+alphabet+stickers

 

[journey11]

Nailpolish. Comes in every color nowadays and Walmart carries a cheap brand that only costs about a dollar each. I use it to mark my house keys, then write on top of it with a sharpie.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I like that nail polish idea though I've never used it. Seems like it would stick to that hard plastic. At least you could color code it even if the Sharpie wore off.

If I could find the right stickers to stay on that hard plastic, yeah, that would be easy. I've had bad luck with some of those before, not standing up to the abuse. Still might be worth a try, especially for training purposes. Even if they came off, by then the new person should know which key does what as long as they last a little while.

Keep the ideas coming, folks.

 

[seedcorn]

Agree, like the nail polish idea.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll have to look closely this afternoon when I'm there but for the three keys I'm talking about I think I could write on the chassis of the register next to those specific keys to mark them using nail polish and a really fine brush. That will make them really easy to pick out. It will focus your attention in the right direction. And since it is not getting hit all the time, it should last a while.

 

[Beekissed]

If you use any kind of tape or adhesive backed item, clean the keys with rubbing alcohol first...lots of oil builds up on those over time and finger pecks and it will keep the tape from lasting very long if not removed.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

you don't have a cheat sheet you could make to go with it do you? when i first started working at a restaurant many years ago we had to enter certain items with a PLU code or certain other combo of buttons. similar to most grocery stores in my area up to today using the 4/5 digit code you see marked on fruit & veggies. we always had beside the register a list of what the keys were for and what codes to use till we knew them by heart.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good point, Bee. There are tricks to everything. Cleaning the keys will apply to nail polish too.

No, it's not that complicated Chickie's. I have three keys to mark. One key I need to mark is "open drawer". Why that one is not marked I have no idea, it's such a basic one. Some of this stuff boggles the mind.

Then we have two ways to enter price. You can key in the numbers, which is pretty simple, then hit a key that should say price. That adds that price to the running total though you see that individual price, not the running total.

The other is that the number keys are color coded. They do have stickers on them to color them like what Bee is talking about, but sometimes those stickers come off. Anyway you hit the color coded number key then hit a key that I'll mark "color". So if you hit the yellow key, it enters 0.50. Blue is another popular one, $0.75. Pink is $5.00. We have a cheat sheet but that just shows the cost fo reach of the nine specific colors.

When you have entered everything, you hit total. At least the total key is marked.

When this gets fun is when you have several people in line, some with shopping carts full of stuff, two cash registers going side by side, and baggers helping put stuff in bags. You need to find those specific keys really quickly and accurately so you don't mess up and lose your sub-total. Sometimes it gets really hectic and sometimes it's so slow it is boring. Personally I prefer hectic.

 

[Carol Dee]

My PC keyboard has about 7 of the alphabet keys that the letters have worn off. I can still use it. (I know where they are!) DH is at a complete loss. I tried stickers. They have slipped off or the paper has discolored enough from not to clean fingers! etc... I may give the polish a try. DH says just go buy a new key board! HA....