Troubleshooting, Research, and Recovery

Blog #4 in The Cash Automation Series

“I was in a few days ago, and I think you shorted me $10.”
“I’m out of balance.”
“The TCR just crashed. One of my bundles may have had a paper clip in it.”
On any given day in a branch, statements such as these can mean tense moments ahead. When working with cash automation you experience most days without incident. You don’t have any note-jams, hardware or software issues, customer disputes, or out-of-balance situations. Transactions run smoothly and everyone balances.

But then… there are those other days...

• You’re running the last denomination in a quarterly audit and the TCR abruptly shuts down after making a grinding noise.
  
• One of your local merchants swears that there’s no way he could have miscounted his deposit by $7, “The TCR must have eaten it.”
  
• Your branch gets struck by lightning and everything goes dark.
  
  

These are rather extreme situations, but even the simplest transactions can experience an error of some kind. It’s with that in mind that developers and manufacturers build cash automation with multiple failsafes and troubleshooting methods. The idea is to have the systems self-correct as much as possible - minimizing downtime and miscalculations.

As notes are moved through recyclers, they are taken through mutliple forms of testing to ensure dimension, authentication, thickness, and security features. This all takes place quickly, so a damaged note can cause issues such as note-jams or feed failures.

If this occurs, the recycler will do everything it can to resolve the situation and move on. Most note-jams are self-correcting and take minimal time. However, in the event of a more serious situation, the recycler and software will bring up messages indicating what has occured and they will offer suggestions for resolution. It might be as simple as running a “Reset” command; it might involve opening the recycler to clear some notes; or it might mean calling for local service.

Always be sure to read the messages and follow the suggestions. Impulsive decisions - or guesses - could exacerbate the situation, leading to further downtime with the recycler.

Once an issue has been resolved, the transaction can be completed and the totals are accurate. In a worst-case scenario, if a miscalculation has taken place, recovery involves moving to the journal.

Every transaction is listed in detail and the journal can be searched by users, branch, station, transaction, date/time, etc. The journal is a complete audit of the business day, and is essential in recovering from challenging situations. Whether you’re reconciling a customer dispute, an out-of-balance situation, or an inventory issue, the journal is a supervisor’s best friend.

It all comes down to using the tools at hand. While no one wants to have a day of system issues, it should be comforting to know that you can research and troubleshoot as needed, putting your day back on track.

“I just spilled my coffee on the recycler. That won’t be a problem, will it?”