Before you start

• •Key and alarm code confirmed for opener
• •Prior night's close report reviewed (any issues, safe count from close)

The procedure

Step-by-step, in order. Each step has the action and the reason it matters.

1. 1

   Enter, disarm alarm, secure the door behind you

   Enter alone until the store is confirmed safe. Do not hold the door open for someone arriving at the same time — even someone you recognize. Verify the alarm panel shows green (armed) before you disarmed it — if it shows 'already disarmed,' do not proceed. Call the manager and the alarm company. This is a potential overnight entry.

2. 2

   Walk the entire store before turning on any lights

   Brief safety walk in available light: fitting rooms, back room, bathroom. Check for any entry points (broken glass, forced door). If anything is out of place: leave immediately, call the police, do not touch anything. One minute of prevention beats a confrontation.

3. 3

   Open the safe and count the opening drawer

   Count opening cash against the prior close count. Any discrepancy over $5: note it in the opening log before touching the drawer. Do not assume prior shift made an error — document first, investigate later. Opening drawer count and prior close count must be documented and signed.

4. 4

   Turn on systems in order: lights → POS → music → signage

   Lights on first (safety). POS system takes 2-3 minutes to boot — start it early. Music at appropriate volume (customer-facing, not back-room level). Window or exterior signage flipped to 'open' at posted hours, not 5 minutes early.

5. 5

   Floor walk and floor readiness check

   Walk every aisle: any display collapsed, product fallen, price tags missing, previous returns unput-back. Fix before open — customers form their impression of your store in the first 90 seconds. A scattered display says 'nobody cares.'

6. 6

   Confirm staff scheduled for the shift are present or accounted for

   If any scheduled staff is not present 10 minutes before open: call them. If no contact: escalate to the manager — not after one hour, before open. Understaffed opens create every other problem on this list.

7. 7

   Log open time and any opening notes

   Store open log: date, time, opener name, drawer count confirmed (Y/N), any anomalies. This is a 60-second task that creates a record for loss prevention and protects the opener if a dispute arises later.

Verify when done

• ☐Safety walk completed before lights on
• ☐Opening drawer count documented and signed
• ☐POS online and processing before first customer
• ☐Open log entry completed

Common mistakes

• ✕Proceeding when alarm shows 'already disarmed'
• ✕Skipping the safety walk
• ✕Not documenting opening drawer discrepancies immediately
• ✕Flipping the open sign before POS is ready

Trainer notes

The safety walk before lights is the step openers skip 99% of the time because 'nothing ever happens.' Until it does. Thirty seconds. Every time. Make it a habit before anything else.

Common questions