How to Walk the Floor and Talk to Customers

This may seem a strange topic to introduce. Yet, it is the most under-used skill by many retail managers, but one of the most important roles in their supervision.

1. You Are the Maitre of Your Business

Your role is take that of a maitre d'hotel. You should meet your guests (customers), welcome them and ensure they leave with a positive feeling about your business. You should set aside at least one hour a day to walk the store and talk to customers.

2. Overcoming Embarrassment

Many owners will not walk the floor and talk to customers because they get embarrassed starting a conversation. If this applies to you, then take out a sample of products and ask customers to try them. This always starts a conversation and then you can ask them what they think about your store.

3. Clean the Tables

An alternative approach is to clean the tables in a restaurant or work on bag filling at the checkout. These are ideal locations to start a conversation and really find out what customers are thinking about your store.

4. Walking The Floor Should Be Done Openly

When walking the floor introduce yourself to the customer as the owner. Get them to provide you with ideas on how they believe you could improve the service to your customers.

5. Vary The Time Of Day You Walk The Store

It used to be traditional for owners to walk the store at opening time. This is still a strong tradition in Japan where it still is a very formal arrangement. You will gain more from varying the time of day that you actually walk around. This will enable you to meet different customers and see your team and store at different activity points.

6. How Much Time Should You Spend On The Floor

Some of the leading retailers spend as much as 20% of their time walking the store. They also believe this is the most important and enjoyable part of their working week.

7. Feed Back The Ideas

Make sure you feed back comments to your team. Remember, praise in public, reprimand in private. Your team will be interested in your comment. Make sure they are aware of why your walking the floor. Make sure you talk to them as you walk the floor. This will relax them and make them feel your part of their team.

Management Memo

A message from McDonald's

One day while on his way back to the office from an important lunch in the best restaurant in town, Ray Kroc, owner of the McDonald's chain in the United States, asked his driver to pass through a few McDonald's car parks. In one he spotted papers caught up in shrubs along the outer fence.

He immediately went to the nearest pay phone, called his office to get the name of the manager, then called the manager to offer to help him pick up the offending rubbish.

Both the owner of the McDonald's chain in his expensive business suit and the young manager met in the carpark and got down on their hands and knees to pick up the paper.

As managers we are frequently more interested in the activity inside our business premises than in the building's outside appearance. The appearance of your building and it's surrounds is at the front line of your organisation's public image ? as Ray Kroc was well aware.

About The Author

John Stanley is a conference speaker and retail consultant with over 20 years experience in 15 countries. He regularly contributes to retail magazines around the world and has authored several successful marketing and retail books including the best seller Just About Everything a Retail Manager Needs to Know. Visit www.johnstanley.cc

---

Renewing Customer Loyalty

Every business loses customers, but not many do much about... Read More

I Wont Tell My Lawyer but I Will Tell You

A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told... Read More

What?s in a Name?

Different people call their Customers by different names. If they... Read More

The Death of the Loyal Customer

One of my classes in management focused on the repeat... Read More

Customer Service For Huge Profits

Customer service is the most vital asset for Business either... Read More

Mexico: Online Ordering?Dont!

I got it into my head sometime in December 2004... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Learn from the Complaints of Customers and Employees

Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a... Read More

Whats For Lunch?

As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based... Read More

Customer Service Consultants

When all else fails in your company to meet the... Read More

Your Number One Asset

Customers put you in business, keep you in business, and... Read More

More Customers - Watch those Little Things

Two situations, two perfectly acceptable experiences, but in one case,... Read More

Your Actions Tell Your Clients How You Expect To Be Treated

There is a widely accepted principle of human behavior that... Read More

Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service

Bad customer service is everywhere these days - unmanned front... Read More

Increase Sum in Your Check Account with Follow-Ups

We'll be examining what makes follow up to prospects/customers so... Read More

It?s Customer Service Stupid: Delivering Customer Service Training That Sticks

"Society is always taken by surprise at any new example... Read More

Provide Exceptional Value - Grow Your Business

The primary objective of a business is to get and... Read More

Five Tips to Calm Cranky Customers

1. Tis the SeasonRecognize that everyone is frazzled during the... Read More

Invalid Excuses for Poor Business Results - The Weather

Note to Kmart: It wasn't about the weatherIn the 1970s... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Win the Loyalty of Customers

Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, in his cassette album entitled, Win Customers... Read More

Customer Service, the Internets Primary Neglected Business Concern

Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at... Read More

Customer Conversion Mistakes That Will Cost You

The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners... Read More

The Drawback of Hacking Off a Blogger Through Weak Process Gaps and Pathetic Customer Service

With all of the recent data theft in the financial... Read More

4 Customer Service Mistakes Companies Should Avoid Making

1) Being placed on hold endlessly. Don't you just love... Read More

How to Retain Your Customers the Dish Network Way

Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More

The Marvelous World of Metaphors

Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight... Read More

A New Way To Handle Complaints, Or Is It?

What a lot of money we have been wasting on... Read More

The Sellers Creed

I will not make sales. I will make Customers.I will... Read More

7 Bits Of Critical Information You Cant Afford NOT To Know About Your Customers

If you think customer relationship management is just a piece... Read More

CRM For Beginners ? Customer Relationship Management Basics

In order to maintain a successful business, the business must... Read More

The Nine Principles of Customer Service for the Travel Industry©

If you want to learn how to get your clients... Read More

4 Easy Steps to Better Online Customer Support

Customer support is very important when you're running a business,... Read More

Adjustment DENIED

It's just a simple thing ? I bought a new... Read More

First Contact: The Source of Customer Loyalty

With customers being smarter, more cost conscious, more product knowledgeable... Read More