People shouting, arms waving, voices rising. Bang! Bang! The judge pounds his gavel and shouts, “Order in the court! Order in the court!” The slamming gavel continues until the courtroom goes silent.
Ever notice that you don’t reach into your $10 popcorn until order is restored on the Hollywood screen? If the movie usher had come down your aisle during this scene and offered you a refill, you would have shushed him off. We can’t really relax until order is restored. Chaos breeds tension, discomfort, anxiety. It ties us up in knots. Order cuts the ropes loose.
Is shopping at your store like watching this movie? Is there so much drama and confusion that Ms. Jones is unable to concentrate or respond?
Sure, you’re going to have to pound your gavel sometimes. But does your drama ever play out on Ms. Jones’ screen? Do your run around like a headless chicken looking for pricing? Do you have to ask three different people when her order is coming in? Do you transfer her call to find out where the truck is?
Can she eat her popcorn – or pull out her wallet – while watching your show?
As much as I’d like to think that every store can be set up in such a way that answers are readily available to these and the many other questions a customer can ask, there’s always going to be some chaos. But a judge can restore order and the movie can continue. I’ve never heard about a sales/staff meeting featuring this subject; I’ve never heard about answers being practiced and role played. Assuming everyone knows how to answer questions like these is what causes the chaos. Asking sales people how they would respond to different questions that could come up might be enlightening to a store owner or manager and could certainly show places where processes need to be discussed and explained. Amy, what a great observation of how our stores look to our customers.
All the retail store is a stage and the well directed production leaves the chaos behind the curtain.
David told you about our store, didn’t he? Admit it.
Yours and a zillion others! Heck, that’s what our own home looks like sometimes. Admitting we have a problem is the first step toward recovery…