Post Exchange Methods / A Manual for Exchange Stewards, Exchange Officers, Members of Exchange Councils, Commanding Officers, Being an Exposition of a Simple and Efficient System of Accounting Which Is Applicable to Large and to Small Exchanges Alike.

by Paul D. Bunker

Figure 4. (Reduced in size)

Now, assuming that triplicate records are used, the Steward takes the triplicate copies—either book or roll—“throws” them or checks them for numbering, to see that all are accounted for, and totals their value on the adding machine. By comparing this total with that shown by the appropriate wheels of the cash register, he ascertains if all charge sales have been rung up. If these two agree, all is well, so far. If they do not agree, a note is made of the discrepancy for use in connection with the operations hereafter described.

Figure 5, (Reduced in size)

By this time, the clerks should be ready to hand in their reports and receipts. The Steward fills out the rest of Form 5 as called for by the various columns and abstracts these reports to his Form 4 as shown in Fig. 5. This form should be printed on a card measuring 3½ × 8⅜ inches, to permit convenient filing. If printed on thin paper, it will have to be filed on a Shannon file which is not so convenient in the long run. These cards should be of fairly good stock, as they are a part of the permanent records of the Exchange, but should be no heavier than necessary. The Steward carries down the totals on Form 4 and compares them with the three separate totals shown by the cash register. Restricting ourselves to a discussion of the charge sales, we see that if the total of the triplicate slips, the totals of the clerks’ reports and the total shown by the cash register all agree then the charge sales statement shown on Form 4 is correct. If there is any discrepancy in this or any other column of Form 4 the mistake should be found and corrected before the clerks are dismissed for the night. Suppose, for example, that the cash register shows a total of $20.60 charge sales for the day and the total on Form 4 is $21.90. The first step is to have the clerks make sure that their reports correctly state the actual amount of charge sales slips turned in. If they are correct, then some clerk has probably forgotten to ring up one or more sales. To trace the fault, let the Steward read off all the charge sales from the record tape of the cash register, calling off at the same time the letter of the clerk who rang up each sale. These can be compared with the triplicate copy of the sales slips, or the assembled clerks can be required to note the sales accredited to them, the grand total of which must equal $20.60. In this manner, the error is definitely located. On the other hand, suppose the cash register shows $21.90 and the total on Form 4 shows $20.60. The effect is that produced by a clerk being short $1.30 in charge sales slips after he has actually made the sales. The same procedure as before will locate the mistake. If he cannot produce the slips (or cash or coupons as the case may be) or satisfactorily explain the mistake, the clerk in error should be required to make good the discrepancy. Discrepancies in cash and coupons can be located and remedied in the same manner. It is important that the clerks be required to participate in the task of locating mistakes and to make good on errors, otherwise there will be no incentive to careful work.

When the totals of the clerks’ reports check against the cash registers, the next step is to check the former against the receipts in cash, coupons and charge sales slips actually turned in by the respective clerks. The cash should, in fact, be counted immediately upon being turned in, checked O. K. on the clerks’ reports and put in a safe place. The charge slips handed in by each clerk are compared with the strip from the adding machine (on which the clerk has added up his slips before making out his report) checked against the report and put aside for filing. Coupons are handled in the same way except that they are sealed in the envelope and put in a secure place until the Exchange Officer personally can burn them. This matter of destroying coupons should never be delegated to any other person. In view of the fact that the receipts turned in by each clerk should, and usually do, check exactly with his report, this particular routine is recommended, as it allows the dismissal of the clerks before commencing the work described in this paragraph. In case of mistakes, the simple expedient of making the clerk at fault assist in the work for a few evenings, is usually sufficient to prevent a repetition. In large Exchanges, where the coupon and charge sales are large, it is not customary to total the charge sales slips and count the coupons until the next morning. If the receipts turn out to be greater than called for by the reports, the surplus can be taken up by entering on a single line of Form 26 (described hereafter), whenever the books are closed (or oftener, if desired) an item showing what departments are credited with these excess coupons, exactly as if it were another day’s transactions. Such entry should, however, be prefaced by the words, “excess coupons”. Shortages should be collected from the clerk at fault, thus making the reports correct. The Exchange Officer should occasionally make the coupon and the charge sales counts himself.

It would be unbusinesslike, if the coupon or charge sales are heavy, to require the Exchange Officer, the Steward or any other high priced man to waste his time counting coupons or any other similar task. A less expensive employee should be detailed for this purpose. For such unskilled labor, a boy at $10.00 per month who can run errands, etc., would be a profitable investment in many cases, thus leaving the expensive employees free to do more important work.

Too much stress cannot be placed upon the importance of insuring the correctness of the data entered on Form 4. If the above mentioned checks have been applied, there should be no trouble in any phase of our charge accounts.

Daily Summary of Charge Sales.