Store Operations & Induction
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Store Operations & Induction
Everything you need to know to work confidently in a Daybreak shop
Required training sections
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Optional extras
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Final knowledge check
Complete all 13 required sections to unlock the knowledge check.
Welcome to Daybreak Stores
You're joining one of Ireland's most familiar convenience brands. Every shop is independently owned, but the standards and the way we work are the same across the group.
The Daybreak group
The Daybreak symbol covers ten group shops across Dublin, Kildare, Carlow and the surrounding counties. Each shop is run by an independent operating company. Your contract of employment names the specific company that employs you — that same name appears on every payslip. If you're not sure which one applies to your shop, ask your Store Manager and they'll show you.
Key people to know
You don't need to remember every name today — just know that any of these people is a valid first point of contact.
What your first day covers
Your Store Manager runs an in-person briefing before you start work. Make sure each of these has been covered — if any is missed, ask. The Induction Checklist (Form IND1) records all of this.
- Tour of the shop, including back-of-house and stockroom
- Fire alarm sound demonstrated; evacuation route and assembly point shown
- Location of first aid kit, accident book, panic alarm, fire extinguishers
- Employee Handbook and Employee Safety Handbook — you sign for each
- Uniform, name badge, locker assignment
- Your contract of employment within 5 days (full written terms within 1 month) — a legal entitlement under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 as amended
You'll never be left alone before you're ready
You will shadow experienced colleagues on at least two full shifts, complete the Week 1 module set (this one + the statutory H&S module), and demonstrate basic till competence before being rostered alone. Confidence is built, not assumed.
Five rules that never bend
Why customer care matters more than ever
In a convenience shop the product is roughly the same as the shop next door. The reason a customer comes back is the way you made them feel last time.
The 17 standards on the next slide are the Daybreak group's customer care commitments. They are not suggestions — they are the minimum standard expected on every shift, by every employee, in every shop.
The 17 customer care standards
Tap each card to see the standard in detail. Take your time — these are the foundation of how we work.
Scenario — the unhappy customer
A regular customer brings back a packet of biscuits, opened, saying they tasted stale. She has no receipt and is visibly annoyed. The shop is busy and there's a queue behind her. She says "I want my money back, now."
What's the right approach?
EPOS — the till is your responsibility
The shop's Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) system is CBE Win Retail. It is the most important piece of equipment you'll use. Every transaction must be processed through it — no exceptions, no shortcuts, no informal arrangements.
Before you start your shift
- No personal items on you at the till — phone, wallet, headphones away in your locker
- Uniform clean, name badge visible
- Confirm the previous cashier is fully logged out before you start
- Count and sign for your float — any discrepancy now must be reported before any sale
- Check you have receipt rolls (till, card machine, lotto, Payzone, Postpoint), bags, change
- Check the panic alarm position and that the CCTV monitor is live
During the shift — every transaction
Till rules that always apply
- Never leave the till drawer open between transactions — close it the moment change is given
- Never count cash openly on the counter where it can be seen from outside
- Never accept €100 notes without specific Management authorisation
- Never accept cheques
- Never leave the till unattended without locking it / logging out
- Never serve a customer using another colleague's PIN
- Always check every €50 note — Feel, Look, Tilt (covered in Section 4)
- Always log out when stepping away — even for two minutes
- Always call a manager for any transaction you're not sure about — refund, large sum, complaint, anything
End of your shift
- Cash drawer tidy — credit card, Payzone, Postpoint and lottery dockets all sorted neatly
- Cash-up performed in the back office, never at the till
- Log off the EPOS — don't just walk away
- Any shortage reported same shift, recorded and signed
- Till drawer left empty and open at close to deter break-in damage
How customers pay
You'll see four payment types regularly. Each has its own quirks. None of them is hard — they just need attention.
| Method | Watch for |
|---|---|
| Cash | Counterfeit notes (Feel-Look-Tilt below). Count change back to customer. Close the drawer between transactions. |
| Chip & PIN | Customer enters PIN, terminal processes. If declined: discreet, polite, ask if another card. |
| Contactless / phone / watch | Limit currently €50; terminal may prompt for PIN after several taps. Customer is sometimes asked for PIN by the bank — normal. |
| Cash back (if your shop offers) | Process amount on card terminal; ask customer to sign their receipt copy as confirmation they received the cash. |
Counterfeit notes — Feel, Look, Tilt
Every genuine euro note can be checked in under 5 seconds. Train your hands on the real ones so the fake one feels wrong instantly.
Card declined — what to do
Card declines are common and rarely the customer's fault. Walk through the right response with this decision tree.
Refunds, discounts, change requests
Refunds
- Receipt required for any refund
- Product must be in resalable condition and original packaging
- Standard return window: 14 days from purchase
- Refund must use the original payment method (cash back if cash, same card if card)
- Any cash refund without a receipt requires Manager approval, no exceptions
- Mobile phone top-ups are not refundable or exchangeable once processed — call a manager if a customer disputes
Discounts
You are not authorised to offer discounts on any product. If a customer asks, politely say "I'm not able to offer a discount on that, sorry." Only a manager can authorise an exception, and only in specific circumstances.
Change requests
Customers sometimes ask "can you change this €50 into smaller notes please?" without buying anything. The answer is politely no. The till must only open as part of a sale. We are not a bank — and this is a common scam set-up.
Scenario — the swap
A customer hands you a €50, you give him change. As you start serving the next customer, he says, "Hang on, sorry, can I just have my €50 back and I'll give you the right change instead, it's easier." He pushes the change back toward you.
What do you do?
To Sell or Not to Sell
This is the single most important commercial section of your training. Selling a restricted product to the wrong person can result in personal prosecution of you, the Store Manager, and the Store Owner — and the loss of the shop's licence.
The shop's strict policy
If the customer appears under 21, ask for ID. If they cannot produce a valid ID, refuse the sale. No ID, no sale. This is more conservative than the legal minimum of 18 — deliberately — because a 17-year-old can easily look 18, but very few 17-year-olds look 21.
Age-restricted products
| Product | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, RTDs) | 18 |
| Cigarettes, vapes, all tobacco / nicotine products | 18 (legislation moving to 21 for tobacco products born after a set date — check current rules) |
| Lottery tickets & scratch cards | 18 |
| Aerosols, glues, solvent-containing products | 18 |
| Butane gas, lighter fuel | 18 |
| Adult magazines, age-rated DVDs / games | 18 (or the BBFC/IFCO rating displayed on the product) |
| Petrol, diesel | 16 |
| Solvents (where misuse is suspected) | Refuse, any age |
Acceptable proof of age — ONLY these
- Garda Age Card
- Valid passport (any country)
- Valid driving licence (Irish or EU)
School ID, gym cards, photocopies, screenshots, "left it at home" — not acceptable. The ID must be the original physical document, valid, and with a photo that clearly matches the customer.
Time-restricted sales — alcohol
Alcohol can only be sold during specific hours under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts 1988–2018. Selling outside these hours can result in prosecution of you AND the licensee AND a temporary closure notice for the shop.
| Day | Permitted hours |
|---|---|
| Monday – Saturday | 10:30 – 22:00 only |
| Sunday | 12:30 – 22:00 only |
| St Patrick's Day | 12:30 – 22:00, whatever day it falls on |
| Christmas Day | NO SALE OF ALCOHOL AT ANY TIME |
| Good Friday | Now generally permitted (post-2018 Act) — confirm with manager |
Quantity-restricted: paracetamol
By law, the sale of any product containing paracetamol is limited to one pack per transaction. This applies whether the product is plain paracetamol, Solpadeine, Panadol, or any combination product that contains paracetamol.
- If a customer has more than one paracetamol product, politely explain the legal limit and ask which they would like
- If you are unsure whether a product contains paracetamol, ask a manager
- This rule exists to reduce overdose risk — it is not negotiable
Walk through it — the age check decision tree
How to refuse a sale
The way you refuse matters as much as the refusal itself. A textbook refusal is calm, polite, brief, and doesn't argue.
Scenario — the older friend
Two customers come to the till together. One is clearly under 18; the other is in his 30s. The young one picks up a six-pack of beer and the older man says, "I'm paying for it, it's for me." He produces his own ID willingly.
What do you do?
The rhythm of a shift
Every shift in a Daybreak shop follows a predictable rhythm. Knowing the rhythm — not just your own task — is what makes a team a team.
The four-step shift discipline
Morning shift task list
The morning shift sets the day. By the time the first lunchtime customer arrives, the shop must look like it's been waiting for them.
- Open up — Advertisement signs out, bin shed opened, scratch card stock take finished
- Ambient order — Prepare and place orders in the system based on shelf checks (more in Section 7 on Deliveries)
- Delivery put-away — As deliveries arrive: date check, rotate, planogram, point of sale
- Till and floor cover — Always one person covering tills and floor
- Cash-up and lodgement prep — Cash from previous shift counted, banking prepared
- Dairywall delivery put-away and face-off — Fresh and chilled is your reputation; it must look excellent at all times
- Aisle work — One meter at a time: take items off, clean shelf, replace per planogram, check labels and prices
- Newspapers and magazines — Delivery check (Section 8)
- Coffee machine — Clean inside, outside, check milk pipe (more in Section 12)
- Labels — SELs, shelf talkers, flash labels (Section 11)
Evening shift task list
The evening shift gets the shop ready for tomorrow.
- Till operation — typically the busiest hours; one or two people on tills, others on floor
- Replenishment from stockroom: counter front and back, chocolates, biscuits, bread, fruit & veg fridge, chilled, frozen
- Alcohol section — replenish, full stock take where due, ordering, labelling
- Coffee machine — deep clean cycle
- Newspaper returns — print recall notes, return per process (Section 8)
- Labels — SELs, shelf talkers, flash labels checked
- Bin shed — all packaging flattened, bin shed tidy and locked (all team members)
- Closing duties — cash up, drop, till logs out and drawer left open
Who owns what — the principle
Each shop has named owners for each task area. If you don't know who owns a task, ask your Store Manager — it will be on the shift roster. Two principles always apply:
- Direct responsibility — one named person per task. They don't have to do every minute of it, but they own that it's done well, on time, by the end of their shift.
- Cover when needed — if a colleague is on break or with a customer, you cover their priority tasks (especially tills) without being asked.
The unwritten rule
Every delivery, every time
A delivery isn't put away until date check, rotation, planogram, POS, and any extras stored in the stockroom are all complete. Skip any of these and you've handed the next shift a problem.
Step 1: Date check
Before you place any item on a shelf, check its date is acceptable. The minimum on-shelf date by category is:
| Category | Minimum date remaining |
|---|---|
| Biscuits | 16 weeks minimum |
| Chocolates | 6 months minimum |
| Bakery products | 3 months minimum |
| Crisps | 4 months minimum |
If a delivered product has less than the minimum, set it aside and tell the Store Manager. Don't put it on the shelf "for now" — it stays in the stockroom until a decision is made.
Step 2: Rotation (FIFO)
First In, First Out: every time. Pull the older stock to the front and place the new stock behind it. Never just stack the new delivery in front and trap old stock at the back — that's how you get a customer complaint and a waste loss in the same week.
Step 3: Planogram
Every shelf has a planogram (the visual map of which product goes where). Put everything away exactly per the planogram. If a planogram isn't available for a category, ask. Don't improvise.
Step 4: Stockroom
- Extras that don't fit on the shelf: store at the designated spot for that category, neatly
- Backup stock for fast-moving lines: rotate the existing backup to the floor first, then the new delivery becomes the backup
- Stockroom always tidy and walkable — not a dumping ground
Step 5: Point of sale (POS)
Any of: regular replenishment, new items, replacement items, promotions — each needs correct POS. We cover the four label types in Section 11.
Scenario — the short-date delivery
A delivery of chocolate bars arrives with 4 months until expiry. Our minimum is 6 months. The Store Manager is off today; the Assistant Manager is busy on a phone call.
What do you do?
Newspapers & Magazines
Newspapers and magazines are sale-or-return. That means we only pay for what we sell, but only if the returns paperwork is exact. Carelessness here costs the shop real money every week.
Morning task — delivery check
Evening task — recalls and returns
- Print the recall notes from Newspread and EM News (I-menzies) websites — your manager has the login details
- Pull and return all the newspapers and magazines on the recall list
- Attach the recall note to the return book
The returns equation — this is the one that matters
The amount on the return docket must match this calculation, every time. It may differ from your physical count (theft, damage) but the docket goes by the system figure. Take a photo of the return docket and send it to the team group chat.
Any discrepancy between physical count and system count must be investigated immediately and reported to the Store Manager — it usually indicates either theft, a scanning error, or stock not put through the till.
How to check the sales figure (back office)
You'll do this every evening for newspapers and magazines. Once you've done it a few times it takes 30 seconds.
Credit note checks
This is normally done by a designated person daily, but you should understand the logic in case you cover.
- Print the credit notes from Newspread and EM News daily
- Cross-check against what we sent back: every item we returned should appear on the credit
- If a return is refused (e.g., for being late or incomplete), highlight to the Store Manager immediately — we want to dispute it while it's fresh
Lottery & Scratch Cards
Scratch cards are active stock the moment they're activated — in National Lottery's books they are sold to us once we activate them, and the shop owes the value whether they sell or not. Get the process wrong and the shop pays for cards it never sold.
What we're trying to achieve every day
- The system shows the correct live stock of scratch cards on display for sale
- We have a written list of which scratch card books are sitting in the stock room
- Total = live display + stock room. Total must match what National Lottery says we have.
The five steps, in order
• Never put a book on display before it is activated and entered to the system
• Never sell a card from a book that isn't in the system — the stock count will be wrong and the shop will be short
• If a book is damaged, missing, or torn — tell your Store Manager immediately
Lottery payouts
A winning customer presents a ticket or scratch card. Here's the right way to handle it.
Under-18 customers: never sell, never pay out. Refuse and log it.
Payzone & Postpoint Services
Bill payments and mobile top-ups happen via the Payzone or Postpoint terminal alongside the EPOS. Two transactions — one on the service terminal, one on the EPOS — always.
Bill payments (electricity, gas, waste)
Mobile phone top-ups
- Ask the customer the network and the amount
- Select that network and amount on the service terminal
- Process the transaction on the terminal AND on EPOS
- Account for surcharges per shop procedure
If a customer returns with a top-up query
You are not permitted to exchange a top-up. Always ask the customer to wait politely and call a supervisor or manager. They will follow the Credit Request Process (next slide) if appropriate.
Credit Request Process — when a top-up needs reversing
If a top-up was processed in error, the shop can request a cancellation and credit. Both providers use the same process; only the email differs.
What you need before requesting
- Date
- Transaction number
- Serial number
- Terminal number
- Top-up type (network & amount)
- Amount
Where to send the request
| Provider | |
|---|---|
| Payzone | credits@payzone.ie |
| Postpoint (An Post) | Aprs.refunds@anpost.ie |
What happens next
- You'll get an acknowledgement email — record this on the back of the original top-up receipt and file it securely.
- Within around a week, you'll get an approval or refusal email.
- If approved — verify it against the filed receipt and you can dispose of the receipt.
- If refused — flag it to the Store Manager immediately so we can dispute.
The other thing about Payzone — anti-money-laundering
Bill pay and prepaid services are sometimes used to move criminal proceeds. As a Designated Person under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010–2021, the shop has duties to identify suspicious activity and report it. Patterns to watch for:
- Same customer doing multiple top-ups in a day, each just under a reporting limit ("structuring")
- Repeated large cash payments onto a prepaid card
- Top-ups on behalf of unidentified third parties
- Customer evasive about why they're loading large sums
Point of Sale (POS) Labels
Every product on the shop floor must have some form of price label. Which type depends on the product and any promotion. Wrong label = wrong price scanning = legal exposure under the EU Consumer Protection Regulation and customer complaints.
The three label types
When to use which
Yellow flash sticker — stuck on the product
- Spider fridge items
- Basket items
- Stacked items (drinks, crisps)
- Coffee machine items
- Reduce-to-clear (RTC) items — always
- Agreed promotional lines
Shelf edge talker (half) — on the shelf edge
- All promotions on the promotional end
- All promotional items within their categories
- All chilled & fresh items that we buy ourselves (not sale-or-return) — dairy wall, next to coffee machine
Shelf edge label (SEL) — every other product
Every item on the shop floor that does not have a yellow flash sticker must have a shelf edge label showing the correct price. No exceptions.
Daily label check
Labels are not "set and forget" — they need a daily walk to catch missing, wrong-price or out-of-date ones.
- Walk the shop with a clipboard or scanner at least once per shift
- Every shelf face: is the right product there, and is the price label correct?
- Missing label → print one immediately (or, if scanner-equipped, scan to print)
- Wrong price → fix it. A customer who finds a €1.50 label on a €1.80 item is legally entitled to the lower price under consumer law
- Promotion ended → take down the talker, restore the SEL
Setting up a new product
Sometimes a new line arrives that isn't yet in the system. Setting it up in CBE Win Retail Back Office takes about a minute. The trick is to copy a similar existing product so the VAT code is right.
The seven-step setup
VAT codes — get this right
Irish VAT rates vary by product category. The wrong code means we either overcharge customers or underpay Revenue — both are problems. The right code is usually inherited correctly from the similar product, but check it.
| Category | VAT rate |
|---|---|
| Grocery (basic foodstuffs) | 0% |
| Biscuits, chocolate-coated biscuits, savoury snacks (some) | 13.5% or 23% — check carefully |
| Newspapers and magazines | 0% (newspapers); 9% (some magazines) — default to the similar item |
| Deli — cold (sandwiches, salad to take away) | 0% (sold cold) |
| Deli — hot (hot food to take away) | 13.5% (reduced rate for hot takeaway food) |
| Chilled, fresh, frozen food | 0% (basic food) |
| Soft drinks, tobacco, alcohol, confectionery | 23% |
| Non-food: household, toiletries, beauty | 23% |
Practice — sort these into the right VAT bucket
Drag each item to the correct VAT rate. Click Check answers when done. (Tap on mobile to select, then tap a bucket to drop.)
0% VAT
13.5% VAT
23% VAT
Key Holder Responsibilities
Not everyone holds keys — only those rostered to open or close. If you are issued keys, alarm fob or panic alarm key, you accept specific responsibilities by signing the Key Holder Acceptance Form. This section explains what those responsibilities mean in practice.
What you may be issued
- Shop keys (front door, back door, internal doors)
- Alarm keys / fob (to set and unset the alarm)
- Panic alarm key / fob
- Any additional equipment (e.g., safe key)
Each item is recorded on the Key Holder Acceptance Form by item type and quantity, signed by you and held on your personnel file.
The key holder rules
- Never use the keys for any unauthorised opening or closing — only during your rostered shift
- Never lend or copy keys — not to family, not to a colleague who forgot theirs
- Never leave keys unattended — on the counter, in a jacket on a chair, in a locker that doesn't lock
- Never share alarm codes — even with another key holder
- Report loss or suspected loss immediately — same shift, no exceptions. The locks may need changing.
- Return everything on departure — when you leave the company, all keys, fobs and equipment must be handed back. You may be liable for the cost of replacement if anything is not returned.
Opening and closing procedure — the essentials
Opening
- Approach the shop with another staff member; if anything looks wrong (broken window, door ajar, lights not as they should be), do NOT enter — call the Gardaí and the Store Manager from a safe distance
- Unset the alarm within the allowed entry time
- Walk through the shop, all back areas and toilets to confirm no one is inside
- Start the morning open-up checklist (Section 6)
Closing
- All customers out before locking the door
- Cash drop into the drop safe; till drawer left open
- Walk through the shop and back areas, lock all internal doors, check toilets and stockroom for stragglers
- Lights off as per the schedule (some lights may stay on for security)
- Set the alarm and exit within the allowed exit time
- Confirm the door is locked — try the handle
Stock rotation — a recap and a deeper look
Rotation is the cheapest insurance the shop has against waste. Done well, our waste should be a fraction of what an unmanaged shop wastes.
FIFO — First In, First Out
The rule is simple: oldest stock goes out first. When you put away a delivery, you physically move the older stock to the front of the shelf and place the new stock behind it.
Short-date check
Every shift, a colleague is responsible for checking shelf dates in each category. Anything within the short-date window goes to Reduce To Clear.
| Category | Move to RTC when shelf life remaining is... |
|---|---|
| Sandwiches, deli, salads | 1 day (sell same day or RTC) |
| Bread (in-store baked, fresh) | 1 day |
| Dairy & chilled (yoghurt, milk, etc.) | 3–5 days |
| Fruit and veg | Visual judgement — going soft = RTC |
| Ambient (biscuits, crisps, ambient meals) | 2 weeks (typical) |
Reduce-to-Clear (RTC)
- RTC items get a yellow flash sticker with the reduced price
- Reduce by an amount that's meaningful but doesn't kill the margin entirely — typically 30–50%, but follow your shop's policy
- RTC items are recorded in the RTC log on EPOS — this matters for shrinkage tracking
- Check RTC stock at the start of every shift — anything still there past use-by is waste, not RTC
Waste recording
Anything that has to be binned — expired, damaged, broken, opened in error — must be recorded as waste on EPOS before it goes in the bin.
Special case — deli/hot food
Hot food has its own timer rules (kept hot at 63°C+ for a maximum holding time per the FSAI HACCP plan). When the timer expires, the food is wasted — recorded — and a fresh batch prepared. We never extend a hot-hold timer "because it still looks fine".
Stock take — doing it right
Regular stock takes are how we know whether the system count matches reality. A clean stock take protects the shop from shrinkage, theft, and bookkeeping errors.
Full stock take
- Done during a quiet period or after close — not during trade
- Two people: one counting, one recording
- Each shelf face counted top to bottom, left to right, no skips
- Stockroom counted separately, including backup stock for that category
- Results entered to EPOS the same evening
- Discrepancies of any meaningful size investigated immediately
Spot counts
For high-value or high-shrink categories (alcohol, tobacco, vapes, scratch cards), the shop will run weekly or more frequent spot counts. These are a key indicator of theft or process error — don't shortcut them.
Scenario — the dropped tray
You drop a tray of fresh sandwiches in the back — 8 sandwiches, all unsellable. The shop is busy and you're tempted to just bin them quietly to avoid making a fuss.
What's the right thing to do?
Your formal training record
This final section sets out, in full, every topic this module has covered. It exists for one reason: when you complete the quiz and earn your certificate, the company has a complete written record of exactly what you were trained on — and you have a complete written record of exactly what you were taught.
How to use this section
- Read through every topic on the next two slides
- If anything looks unfamiliar, go back to the original section and re-read it (your progress is saved — nothing is lost)
- On the final slide, click Mark section complete to confirm you've reviewed the full list
- That confirmation, together with your passed quiz and your certificate PDF, forms the complete documentary record of your training
Topics covered — sections 1 to 7
Section 1 — Welcome & Your First Day
- Daybreak group structure: ten shops, independent operating companies, single brand standard
- Where to find your specific employer (contract, payslip)
- Key roles you escalate to: Store Manager, Assistant Manager/Supervisor, Group H&S Coordinators, Managing Director
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — free 24-hour confidential counselling helpline: 01 800 936 710
- First-day induction checklist: shop tour, fire alarm demo, evacuation route, location of first aid / accident book / panic alarm / extinguishers, Employee Handbook + Safety Handbook signed, uniform/badge/locker, contract within 5 days & full written terms within 1 month (Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 as amended)
- Shadowing rule: at least two full shifts with experienced colleagues, Week 1 module set completed, basic till competence demonstrated before being rostered alone
Section 2 — Customer Care Standards
- The 17 customer care standards reimagined as the four pillars of every customer interaction: be present, be helpful, be honest, be safe
- Greeting, eye contact, dress and personal presentation
- How to handle queries, complaints, awkward situations and language differences
- When to escalate and to whom
Section 3 — EPOS & Till Operations
- CBE Win Retail (the shop's EPOS system) — your responsibility every shift
- Pre-shift checklist: personal items, uniform, predecessor logout, float count, receipt rolls, panic alarm, CCTV
- Personal login PIN — never shared, never another colleague's
- Standard transaction flow: greet → scan → check items visible → ask "anything else?" → bag question → state total → take payment → count change back → receipt + thank you
- Double-scan handling (void), no-barcode lookup, supervisor escalation when uncertain
- Till rules: drawer closed between transactions, no open cash counting visible from outside, log off when away
Section 4 — Cash, Cards, Refunds & Counterfeit
- The four payment methods regularly seen: cash, Chip & PIN, contactless/phone/watch, cash back
- Counterfeit currency: the Feel–Look–Tilt three-point check
- The change-without-purchase scam pattern and the correct refusal
- Refunds: with-receipt vs without-receipt rules, manager-approval threshold, refund recording on EPOS
- Declined card handling — discreet, polite, retry or alternative, keep the declined receipt in the till
- Falsification of till records as gross misconduct under the Employee Handbook and as a criminal matter under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001
Section 5 — Restricted Sales (Age / Time / Quantity)
- Challenge 25 policy — refuse without valid ID if customer appears under 25
- Accepted ID forms (passport, driving licence, Garda Age Card) and rejected forms (school IDs, photos of IDs)
- Alcohol sale hours under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts — Monday–Saturday 10:30–22:00, Sunday/Bank Holiday 12:30–22:00, and the absolute no-sale days (Good Friday and Christmas Day under the relevant statute)
- Proxy purchase recognition and refusal — adult-with-minor patterns, group purchases
- Tobacco sales under the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts — under-18 prohibition, no single cigarettes, no display, no proxy sale
- Paracetamol / OTC medicines quantity limits (one paracetamol product per transaction under Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations)
- Knives, blades, solvents and aerosols — under-18 prohibition
- The refusals log — your due-diligence defence and a legal requirement to maintain
Section 6 — Shift Tasks
- Shift start: floor walk, task division, anomaly check
- The principle of shared ownership: if you spot a job that needs doing, do it
- End-of-shift handover, cash-up, sign-off
Section 7 — Deliveries & Put-Away
- The five steps of a delivery: date check → rotation (FIFO) → planogram placement → stockroom extras → point of sale
- Minimum on-shelf dates by category (biscuits 16 weeks, chocolates 6 months, bakery products 3 months, crisps 4 months)
- Short-date products: never put on shelf "for now" — set aside, tell the Store Manager
- Rotation discipline: oldest at the front, newest at the back, every single time
- Planogram adherence and the reasoning behind it
Topics covered — sections 8 to 14 plus the optional extras
Section 8 — Newspapers & Magazines (Optional)
- Sale-or-return model and why exact returns paperwork matters financially
- Daily/weekly recall process and the cardinal rule "pull and return everything on the recall list"
- The returns equation: Returns = Delivery received − Sold per system
- How to check the sales figure in the CBE Win Retail Back Office
- Credit note checks and dispute timing
Section 9 — Lottery & Scratch Cards
- National Lottery active-stock accounting — activation = the shop owes the value
- The five-step receipt-to-system flow: receive manifest, store safely, stock list updated, activate (by authorised people only), add to system via Picolink scanner
- The four cardinal rules of scratch card handling
- Lotto ticket sale and prize validation process
- Payouts: lotto receipt amount must match EPOS payout amount, both records retained
Section 10 — Payzone & Postpoint
- Bill payments and mobile top-ups via terminal alongside EPOS — two transactions, every time
- Network identification before top-up (single most important question)
- Recognition of suspicious patterns: multiple sub-threshold top-ups, structured payments
- Discreet escalation: serve normally, do not tip off, report to Store Manager after the customer leaves
Section 11 — Point of Sale Labels
- Shelf-edge labels (SEL), shelf talkers, yellow flash stickers — what goes where, when
- Reduce-to-clear labelling rules and EPOS recording
- Why incorrect / missing labels cost real money
Section 12 — New Product Setup & VAT (Optional)
- Setting up a new line in CBE Win Retail Back Office: copy from a similar existing product to inherit correct VAT and supplier defaults
- Irish VAT rates by category and the safe defaults
- Cost price, retail price, margin check
- What to do when you're unsure of the rate
Section 13 — Key Holder Responsibilities
- Opening procedure: window-check before entry, varied approach to back office, what to do if something is wrong on arrival (do not enter, retreat, call Gardaí and Store Manager)
- Closing procedure: cash in safe before final lock-up, varied exit route, no uniform on the way home
- Alarm codes and panic alarm fobs — confidentiality, never shared
- The absolute under-18 exclusion from key-holding
Section 14 — Stock Take, Rotation & Waste
- Stock take: routine, full count, what happens when figures don't match
- FIFO discipline — first in, first out, on every shelf, every day
- Short dates and reduce-to-clear protocol
- Waste recording on EPOS — every damaged, expired, opened-in-error item, on the same shift
- Honest mistakes are forgiven; cover-ups (taking damaged stock home, hiding damage, putting it back on the shelf) are gross misconduct
What this section means once you complete it
By clicking Mark section complete below, you confirm that you have been presented with all of the topics listed in this module, and that you have had the opportunity to ask your Store Manager about anything that was unclear.
1. This passed module — every required section completed (the shop's system has logged each one)
2. The quiz passed at the required mark
3. Your certificate PDF — generated, dated, and filed in your personnel record by your Store Manager and the Group H&S Coordinators
4. This Section 15 acknowledgement — your confirmation that you have seen the full list of topics covered
That four-part record is what the shop produces if any regulator, inspector, or court ever asks "what was this person trained on?" — and it is what you can point to if you ever need to show that you were properly inducted.
If anything on the list does not look familiar
Do not click "Mark section complete" yet. Go back to the relevant section, re-read it, and ask your Store Manager to walk you through it again. Your progress is saved — nothing is lost. There is no penalty for taking longer, and there is no benefit to rushing.
If everything is clear
Click Mark section complete below. The "Start knowledge check" button will then be available on the home screen. The quiz is 25 questions across all sections; pass mark is 18 out of 25. There is no limit on retries.
Knowledge check
Choose the best answer for each question. You can change your answer before submitting. Pass mark: 18 out of 25. There is no limit on retries.
Your result
Generate your certificate
Enter your details below. A printable PDF certificate will open in a new tab — save it and email it to your Store Manager for filing on your personnel record.
The certificate opens in a new tab for you to save as PDF or print. Email the saved PDF to your Store Manager and a copy to amit@daybreak / marie@daybreak for the central training record.
There is no limit on retries. Review the sections that troubled you, then try again.