Thirty five years plus in retail, my one mantra was. "Treat others like you would like to be treated yourself."
CEO's, Area Managers, just people. Respect is earned, I neverminded committing to any task so long as there was a, "thank you," at the end. Bonus points if either of the above got stuck in and offered to help, many has indeed started at the bottom and climbed the ladder.
Worse Store manager I ever got involved with worked at a local Toys R US here in the UK, now I had spent eighteen years working in a toy and model store. At the age of 42 had been an assistant branch manager, and key holder.
The US way of handling customers was totally alien to me, if you were rota'd for latest, the store closed at 10:30pm.
Now in any other retail outlet has worked for ten minutes before closing you would politely advise customers we would be closing soon, and if they needed no help, make their way to the tills please.
Wrong!
You don't go home until the customer has finished, even if the store doors are locked.
Then we had the case of missing Palm PDA stock counters, the persons using them had not returned them to their charging point. No one goes home until they are found.
Fine.
I searched along with everyone else, nothing. Signed out, got my coat and bag from my locker. Ques up for the security bag search, to by told they had not being found.
Ok, my last tram home is at 10:59pm. If I miss that the Company has a duty of care, and to re-emburse me for taxi fare.
No deal.
Ok, check my bag, and unlock the door, I have not used a Palm this evening and I am going for my tram. Otherwise I will phone the Police and claim I am being held against my will.
The youngsters, loved this.
They opened the door.
I finished my Christmas job there, and that was that. So I could be charming with customers, and staff, but did not take fools gladly.😉
Thirty five years plus in retail, my one mantra was. "Treat others like you would like to be treated yourself."
CEO's, Area Managers, just people. Respect is earned, I neverminded committing to any task so long as there was a, "thank you," at the end. Bonus points if either of the above got stuck in and offered to help, many has indeed started at the bottom and climbed the ladder.
Worse Store manager I ever got involved with worked at a local Toys R US here in the UK, now I had spent eighteen years working in a toy and model store. At the age of 42 had been an assistant branch manager, and key holder.
The US way of handling customers was totally alien to me, if you were rota'd for latest, the store closed at 10:30pm.
Now in any other retail outlet has worked for ten minutes before closing you would politely advise customers we would be closing soon, and if they needed no help, make their way to the tills please.
Wrong!
You don't go home until the customer has finished, even if the store doors are locked.
Then we had the case of missing Palm PDA stock counters, the persons using them had not returned them to their charging point. No one goes home until they are found.
Fine.
I searched along with everyone else, nothing. Signed out, got my coat and bag from my locker. Ques up for the security bag search, to by told they had not being found.
Ok, my last tram home is at 10:59pm. If I miss that the Company has a duty of care, and to re-emburse me for taxi fare.
No deal.
Ok, check my bag, and unlock the door, I have not used a Palm this evening and I am going for my tram. Otherwise I will phone the Police and claim I am being held against my will.
The youngsters, loved this.
They opened the door.
I finished my Christmas job there, and that was that. So I could be charming with customers, and staff, but did not take fools gladly.😉