Are Your Staff Your Biggest Asset - By: Jed McCall

Staff can be many things, some exactly what is required and some the complete opposite. We have all said this, well, there will always be the one who will not conform and upsets the rest, they are fairly good at attendance, so we will ignore their other failings and, I can rely upon them to do this and that, and so you convince yourself.

Do you recall the time you came in unexpectedly to find : Your manager/supervisor on yet another break, the shop full of customers and just one sales assistant because the others had all decided to take a break together. The person you had left in charge was on another planet and they were not expecting you anyway.

Did you notice how many customers left without purchasing. How many do you think will return after waiting an age to be served. As a customer, have you ever experienced, after finally arriving at the payment point with an enquiry on your lips, the eyes rolling upwards and the barely heard word, yes, almost a, what do you want statement, of course you have, we all have. The very best one of course is when the customer is invisible, the staff are far to consumed with chatting, sending text messages or staring into space

Some of the time we can retain our sense of humour and shrug this behaviour off, but ask yourself this question. If the reverse of these situations had happened how much better would that member of staff have felt. Their day would have passed easier, the people they had served would have enjoyed a better experience, those customers would certainly return to the store and mention it to their friends, purely because of the level of customer service they had received. Everyone would have benefited from this encounter, especially your customer.

All of the above can and does happen, all too frequently. This in no way is meant to detract from the staff who do a good job, take care of your customers and in so doing take care of your business and future. Those people are the salt of the earth and deserve recognition and reward. Do you believe that those staff feel that you value them?

Reward and recognition is not always about the amount of money you pay them, it encompasses how your responses to them make them feel about themselves, if you offer them the opportunity to develop work based skills, taking more, or different levels of responsibility, listen to what they have to say in response, and show respect for their ideas.

Your staff need to be your most valuable asset, all of them. It makes no difference what position they occupy. In the wheel of retail life every person has a part to play and all parts make up the whole. Your business is only as good as the people in the front line.

It is never to late to make changes. Engage your team in the whole area of responsibility that they are expected to take on board. Tell them what you are not happy with, give them examples and be very straighforward and open about what is wrong, tell them clearly what is unacceptable and explain that a way must be found to move forward. Follow this with the positive experiences you have noticed, or been told about concerning your employees behaviour and attitudes. Good examples are very important here, they will set the groundwork for the development of your team.

Outline your plan of action and ask for feedback from all of them. Tell them, that you require also, an idea from each and every one to move the business forward and improve all the areas they are involved with. These ideas will be discussed and they will be kept informed on what can be implemented and the time scale. Some employers offer a reward scheme for good business ideas that are taken on board. Now you can either be a sergeant major or you can engage your work force. The very best results occur when you involve and recognise your employees.

I have known many employers talk the talk, and never make the walk.

About the Author

A retail professional with many years of knowledge and experiences, in Retail, Hospitality, training and development. Who has learn that each road must have two way traffic on it for real and lasting success. Share your passion for your business with your employees and watch it grow. http://www.how2retail.co.uk

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