What does a retailer have to do to get employees motivated?

[Squisher]

I went to Zingerman's Bakehouse today. It's a local (Ann Arbor, MI) bakery with excellent products.

Besides their product they have to be the most customer friendly store I've ever been in. I feel like every time I go there that they were expecting me and couldn't wait 'til I got there. Everyone I've ever dealt with there was so knowledgeable about their product and explains it like they were talking about the grandchildren. When I leave, I feel like running out shouting, "look what I got!"

These people can't be making much more than minimum wage and yet I feel like I want to work there.

I wonder how do they do it?




btw-they know they do it, because they have a class in "customer service," but I've been too cheap and lazy to take it.

 

[pyonir]

IMO it's about hiring the right people and work environment.

 

[Pabster]

...Pay them a decent wage? :laugh:

(Good) Customer Service is now a rarity.

 

[ponyo]

Pay them decent wage and good benefits and make them want to stay. Look at Costco.

 

[Cuda1447]

Its about treating the employees well. If the employees are happy they will be happy towards their customers.

 

[zerocool1]

commissions help too.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Casual Friday's

 

[BigJ]

If the person doesn't have it in them, it's not going to happen. That's the simple reality of it.

Customer service is something the company really doesn't give a shit about anymore at my retail chain (a certain big box home improvement store, I've mentioned it before in the past) yet there are still a bunch of us in the store that will try to bend over backwards helping people. I'm not going to speak for other people, but I do it because I take pride in what I do. I also feel as long as the customer is respectful, they deserve to be treated well because without them you don't have a job. Plus I genuinely like to help people. It's the same reasons I've worked hard and tried to provide good CS when I worked in restaurants, pizzerias, fast food, help desk, and every other job I've had.

What management could do to help improve morale and CS is to actually have their associates' backs, provide adequate coverage on the sales floor (which is huge, 'cause it's going to be hard to provide good customer service if I have 10 people waiting on me because I'm the only one in the department on a Saturday afternoon), rewarding people who provide excellent customer service, and just taking care of the employees in general. If you don't look out for your employees, you're not going to get anything out of them.

The pay doesn't hurt either I'm compensated very well for retail. More than I was making doing help desk. Though I still worked just as hard when I was making less than half my current pay at fast food.

 

[daveshel]

By brother sent me some cheeses from Zingerman's. The Hungarian Liptauer is really good!

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
Its about treating the employees well. If the employees are happy they will be happy towards their customers.

:thumbsup:

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: pyonir
IMO it's about hiring the right people and work environment.

I agree. There are some people who look at a low paying job and have the attitude that they just need to be present and put forth the bare minimum of effort. There are some people who have self-respect and do a good job regardless of what they're being paid.

 

[Descartes]

There's a book about the Pike Place Market and how the employees are seemingly happy to work there. I can't seem to find it though.

There are other countless examples: Starbucks, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Microsoft (there might be some initial customer service layers that are lacking, but most everyone is passionate about their work), etc.

My experience seems to echo the models of the Pike Place Markets of the world. Treating employees well makes sense, but it doesn't tell you enough. What's well to one person isn't to another. For most people, I believe it comes down to feeling empowered. People want to feel like they actually have an impact, and that they are rewarded both by the results of their work and by the company. I believe in psychology this is called extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, respectively. If a person feels like their level of effort is proportional to the results, then they'll generally output a lot more than some employee that sees their work being published into the corporate void only to be ignored.

So, in summary: Empower the employee. Make them a part of the company, not just in culture but in the books (profit sharing, stocks, bonuses, whatever). I say this from the perspective of a small-business owner in a competitive market where people generally look for the highest dollar.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: pyonir
IMO it's about hiring the right people and work environment.

I agree. There are some people who look at a low paying job and have the attitude that they just need to be present and put forth the bare minimum of effort. There are some people who have self-respect and do a good job regardless of what they're being paid.

if you want me to wear 37 pieces of flair, just raise the minimum :|:|:|:|

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: Squisher

I wonder how do they do it?

Unlimited samples FTW!

In other words, they are all on Sugar Highs!

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Descartes
There's a book about the Pike Place Market and how the employees are seemingly happy to work there. I can't seem to find it though.

There are other countless examples: Starbucks, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Microsoft (there might be some initial customer service layers that are lacking, but most everyone is passionate about their work), etc.

My experience seems to echo the models of the Pike Place Markets of the world. Treating employees well makes sense, but it doesn't tell you enough. What's well to one person isn't to another. For most people, I believe it comes down to feeling empowered. People want to feel like they actually have an impact, and that they are rewarded both by the results of their work and by the company. I believe in psychology this is called extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, respectively. If a person feels like their level of effort is proportional to the results, then they'll generally output a lot more than some employee that sees their work being published into the corporate void only to be ignored.

So, in summary: Empower the employee. Make them a part of the company, not just in culture but in the books (profit sharing, stocks, bonuses, whatever). I say this from the perspective of a small-business owner in a competitive market where people generally look for the highest dollar.

http://www.amazon.com/Remarkab...-Results/dp/0786866020

It's the management feel good book of the moment although I think trends are moving elsewhere when they figured out this didn't work either.

 

[Squisher]

But, doesn't everybody try to hire the right people?

I've seen so many that talk the talk, but fail to deliver.

It's just uncanny the way that they do it.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Descartes
So, in summary: Empower the employee. Make them a part of the company, not just in culture but in the books (profit sharing, stocks, bonuses, whatever). I say this from the perspective of a small-business owner in a competitive market where people generally look for the highest dollar.

I'm not talking about you so don't take offense to it, I'm just ranting about my company.

My company is currently trying something like this. Don't do it for show. Actually empower the employees. We're "empowered" to give a customer a better item for a lower price if we're out of a stock on something the want (Product A is $Y, since it's out of stock Product B gets reduced to $Y), and a bunch of other things that would help us improve customer service.

The problem is, you're going to be shown the door if you do it. A buddy of mine was fired officially for accumulating too many points (a metric used for the time clock that nobody pays attention to until they want to shitcan you). Managers and supervisors are supposed to sign-off on points and have them removed if they ask you to stay late or change your hours so they don't go on your record, but typically don't because nobody worries about them.

Unofficially, a few weeks before he had argued with a manager because we were out of stock on a riding mower and the next model up was a couple of hundred bucks more. Since we were "empowered" to give the next model up a discounted price, he argued with a manager over it because the manager didn't want to take a several hundred dollar hit on the markdown. He was a good guy and provided great customer service, yet he got the boot because he exercised the "empowerment."

A couple of days later, the store manager came in to find all the "Empowered" badges in his mailbox. We weren't going to wear the damn things if it's all a lie.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Descartes
There's a book about the Pike Place Market and how the employees are seemingly happy to work there. I can't seem to find it though.

There are other countless examples: Starbucks, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Microsoft (there might be some initial customer service layers that are lacking, but most everyone is passionate about their work), etc.

My experience seems to echo the models of the Pike Place Markets of the world. Treating employees well makes sense, but it doesn't tell you enough. What's well to one person isn't to another. For most people, I believe it comes down to feeling empowered. People want to feel like they actually have an impact, and that they are rewarded both by the results of their work and by the company. I believe in psychology this is called extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, respectively. If a person feels like their level of effort is proportional to the results, then they'll generally output a lot more than some employee that sees their work being published into the corporate void only to be ignored.

So, in summary: Empower the employee. Make them a part of the company, not just in culture but in the books (profit sharing, stocks, bonuses, whatever). I say this from the perspective of a small-business owner in a competitive market where people generally look for the highest dollar.

Agreed, you have to keep the employee interested to the point where it's a constant game that makes them want to improve. If they see regular bonuses or something, then there is an incentive to do their share of things, and not just the bare minimum to keep their job.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: Cuda1447
Its about treating the employees well. If the employees are happy they will be happy towards their customers.

winnar

 

[ranmaniac]

In-N-Out has generally upbeat employees, and they are paid much better than the average fast food employee.

 

[HannibalX]

What does a retailer have to do to get employees motivated?

1.) Pay them more than $7/hour.
2.) Give them a reliable schedule - don't fuck with them and make them work last minute.
3.) Don't treat them like they are expendable (even though they are).
4.) Back them up when a customer is wrong instead of making them look like a cock in front of customers and coworkers.
5.) Discuss issues you have with them and administrate discipline in private, not in front of customers and other coworkers.
6.) Don't act like you're shit don't stink because you're the manager of a retail store - I mean, get real.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Squisher
But, doesn't everybody try to hire the right people?

I've seen so many that talk the talk, but fail to deliver.

It's just uncanny the way that they do it.

It's cause 99% of retail hates their jobs...

They get paid crap wages, have even crappier benefits and have moronic bosses that make the ones from Office Space seem like rocket scientists...

Also they are usually scheduled retarded hours, sometimes closing one night then opening the following morning. Vacation day requests are lost or not given. Usually they will cut hours back to the bare minimum so when it gets busy you can't even hear yourself think.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: Squisher
I went to Zingerman's Bakehouse today. It's a local (Ann Arbor, MI) bakery with excellent products.

Besides their product they have to be the most customer friendly store I've ever been in. I feel like every time I go there that they were expecting me and couldn't wait 'til I got there. Everyone I've ever dealt with there was so knowledgeable about their product and explains it like they were talking about the grandchildren. When I leave, I feel like running out shouting, "look what I got!"

These people can't be making much more than minimum wage and yet I feel like I want to work there.

I wonder how do they do it?


btw-they know they do it, because they have a class in "customer service," but I've been too cheap and lazy to take it.

huh? why are u taking a class in THEIR bakery's cust service class? and why are you paying for it?

it's all about passion. maybe those people there like baking bread.

near me, there's a total beer + wine place where every person at the service desk is VERY knowledgable about beers and wines. (including origin, and history) :Q and these guys arent even the mgmt

 

[krunchykrome]

Hire the right people, and create a fun environment; the environment is the responsibility of a good manager.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Squisher
But, doesn't everybody try to hire the right people?

I've seen so many that talk the talk, but fail to deliver.

It's just uncanny the way that they do it.

Trying is one thing, doing is another.
Most places just do the standard interview questions and never really get a feel for what the prospective employees personality is like. Every boss wants the perfect worker but not too many actually make an effort to get them. Letting go of dirtbags and finding new, better people is also a good strategy.

I totally agree that job satisfaction is infinitely superior to a paycheck. And happy employees are usually those who are getting enough of each. Minimum wage is alright if they like their jobs.

I havent worked in too many civilian places yet so I'll make reference to something EVERYBODY knows: movies.
Empire Records and Car Wash are good examples of folks getting rotten pay but still enjoying themselves.

Clerks 1&2 are examples of the other side.