Running a retail operation is extremely challenging. Increase competition. Margins that get smaller and smaller every year. And dealing with employee turnover.
One of the best investments you can make is to make the time and effort to properly train your staff. I am constantly surprised how many well-known retailers DO NOT invest time or resources in the development of their staff. Yet, this is often one of the most commonly-cited reasons people leave their job in favour of another.
Some retailers state that the primary reason they DON'T provide adequate training is because they'll just lose thay employee to a competitor. While that may be true, you stand a greater chance of keeping that employee longer, when you invest in their development.
Most retailer want to improve their average sale per transaction but are not willing to invest anything to achieve this goal. I guess they think it will just happen on its own. I won't dispute that training takes time AND money. But so does recruiting new employees every several weeks or couple of months.
Whe you invest time and resources into the training and development of your staff, you show them that you value them. And when people know that you care about them, they'll start to care about you.
Got an opinion about this? I'd love to hear it (even if you disagree with me!!).
Kelley
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You are SO right,Kelley. Same problem here in Ireland. The retail sector is renowned for being the least active in training staff in Selling Skills.and Customer Care. Custoemrs almost routinely expect a low level of service- and generally are not disappointed!. ;-))
And since retail wage rates tend to be on the low side of minimum, they tend not to attract the "hotshots" to start with. A newbie, gaining some experience in a shop, quickly realises they are good, and promptly get a "real" sales job.
If retail paid more attention to staff training, they would retain a more loyal staff of the right type.
Keep selling with integrity.
Maitiu MacCabe
www.greatexpectationscoaching.com
Post a Comment