A big part of running a successful retail outlet is making sure your employees are well-trained. Often, store owners don’t spend much time on the floor of their store, but instead rely on managers to relay information and make sure that employees lower on the totem pole are doing what they need to do to make sure the store is in order. One of your tasks as the owner of the shop will be making sure your employees – especially the managers – know exactly how to spend their time out among the customers.
Store organization
A messy, disorganized store will be a major turnoff to customers, so one of the biggest responsibilities your employees have is store organization. They’ll need to be making the rounds among your display tables, gondola shelves and jewelry displays to ensure that all items are neat and tidy.
If the interior of your store follows a certain theme, then it will also be up to your employees to make sure the motif is maintained throughout every inch of the store. This means keeping an eye on store fixtures and decorations to ensure they’re up to snuff as well as occasionally visiting the main display window of your store to revamp it if necessary.
Customer service
Your customers will judge your shop not just by the products in your display cases but also by the way store employees behave. Your staff should strive for a blend of professionalism and friendliness. Though the phrase “the customer is always right” may sound trite, it’s a good motto for any store that relies on providing service with a smile.
Workers at your shop must make themselves available to all customers without causing shoppers to feel as though they’re being “stalked.” Have employees smile and greet customers, and advise them to keep an eye out for shoppers who may appear as though they’re having a hard time finding certain products.
Behind the scenes
There are certain tasks your employees must take on after hours or off the store floor. For instance, you may want to remind them to occasionally reorganize the storage space where you keep your wholesale shopping bags and the like. Additionally, last-shift workers will need to stay after you’ve locked your doors to clean up your displayed items, mop the floor and generally tidy up.
