Retail Business Owners, Would You Fire You?

Bob Phibbs By

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If you own a business, you have had to terminate employees. You had assessed their behaviors and found them taking more away than adding to your customers' enjoyment of doing business with you.

Assessment quizzes are all the rage on Facebook. You know, What character from Game of Thrones, what cocktail, what kitten are you?

We’re just dying to find out more about ourselves in relation to our world. In fact, you can take a comprehensive assessment at the end of this post.

It got me thinking…

As a small business owner, would you fire you?

Answer these eight quick questions:

In your store, during the past 48 hours…

1. How many times have you stayed on the phone in front of customers?

  1. 2+
  2. 1 or 2
  3. none

2. How many texts have you received or sent while on your sales floor?

  1. 3+
  2. 1-2
  3. None

3. How many times have you talked negatively about your customers?

  1. 2+
  2. 1
  3. None

4. How many times have you walked past something that needed to be done but left it for someone else?

  1. 2+
  2. 1
  3. None

5. How many times have you immediately said, “Excuse me, I have to go,” to a friend, either in person or on the phone, when a customer came in the door,

  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 2+

6. How many times have you shopped online from your store computer or smartphone?

  1. 2+
  2. 1
  3. None

7. While at work, how many times have you checked your personal Facebook page?

  1. 2+
  2. 1
  3. None

8. How many times have you watched a YouTube video on your phone or computer while working?

  1. 2+
  2. 1
  3. None

How To Score

The more A answers you have, it’s a good thing you own the store, or you’d probably be fired.

A mix of A & B shows you have room for improvement in setting an example for your employees.

The more C answers you have, the more you are a shining example to all your employees.

If you want to delve deeper, Take The Retail Doctor's Assessment.

Here’s the point

While this assessment was done in fun, there’s a serious message here retailers ...

Your employees will do what they see you do.

If customers appear to be a distraction to you at any time while you are in your store, they will get worse treatment from your employees while you are gone.

If you show your employees how important your retail customers are - if you always work to make their day, your employees will do the same.

Just because you don’t have a boss who can fire you doesn’t mean you don’t have a boss. You have to be your own boss.

Are you worthy of keeping your job?