Vol. 24., No. 10	November 20, 1998

EMPLOYEES PROFILE: These Cashiers Are Pros, With Heart

By Hannah Fairfield

The graduate student from the School of the Arts had been anxiously awaiting his scholarship check from an outside agency for a few weeks when he decided to ask Mery Suazo from the cashiering division of student financial services to try to track the check. Suazo made the call that day, and discovered that the check had been sent to an incorrect address. The student was frantic because it was his living expenses stipend. He had given up hope when Suazo called him back and said that after a search and some phone calls, she had been able to locate the check for him.

"After this," the student said to Suazo, "I'm going to call you to solve all my problems."

The cashiering department in student financial services is a place that every student knows well, but not one where students expect to find people so willing to help them on every step of the often convoluted path of university bill payments.

"I love interacting with students because they are so appreciative of our help," said Veronica Bowes, a senior student services representative who has worked in cashiering for 10 years. "Sometimes students have problems with loans or bills and I always take the time to calm them down and say, 'It's OK; you have lots of options.'"

Being caring is the office philosophy. The six women who work behind the large blue "Cashiers" sign in 210 Kent Hall have a camaraderie that extends to the students and University employees who flow through their office on a daily basis. "We are like a big family," said Suazo, who is also a senior student services representative. "There's always a lot of laughter in this office."

But within the atmosphere of fun, the cashiers work very hard. Their jobs are demanding, fast-paced and detail-oriented. They funnel all the student payments, all the departmental deposits, cash receipt vouchers, and loan and stipend checks for every student and every department at Columbia. They field calls from hundreds of parents every day during registration. Sometimes they can spend hours tracking missent loan checks so students will receive the money on time. On an average day, they handle about $1 million in non-cash transactions; during registration, the day's total can be $5 million. Last year, the office processed $450 million in primarily non-cash transactions.

Pam Kelly, associate director of student financial services who works closely with the cashiers, said, "They are some of the hardest working individuals I've ever encountered. There can't be any delays or discrepancies because the students need the money as soon as it gets here. Their dedication to their work and to one another is what allows them to accomplish so much."

Their enthusiasm for their job is contagious. During student registration, which is a time when most student services administrators are overtaxed, the cashiers are able to juggle the many demands on them and still exude the care for students that characterizes the office.

"You always know what time you arrive in the morning during registration, but you never know what time you'll be able to leave," said Ingrid Rijos, assistant director of the cashiering division. At the close of business the cash drawer must balance to the penny against the day's receipts. That practice means the office has to work as a team. On the infrequent occasion that one cashier's numbers don't match, everybody helps until the mystery is solved-by finding a misplaced receipt or an addition error.

"We work together so that we can all leave together," said cashier Jenny Pepin. "We're like a team-no," she smiled, correcting herself, "we are a team."

Tammy Cobbs is the newest member of the team. She joined the staff as a cashier in July.

"This is an incredible place to work," she said. "There is no hierarchy here-whatever needs to be done gets done." Cobbs is also a junior in the School of General Studies, majoring in literature and writing, so she is familiar with both sides of a tuition payment. Most of the other cashiers have been in the office for many years, as is evidenced by the extremely low turnover rate. Pepin has been there seven years and Anna Gonzalez, whom the other cashiers call "Speedy Gonzalez" because she can count money so quickly, has been at her cashier's window for almost nine years.

"I feel like all our kids have grown up together," Gonzalez said, reeling off the names of all her colleagues' children. "Every Christmas, we buy gifts for all the kids and decorate the office together. It really is like having a big extended family."