SchruteBucks
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Over the years I have worked in almost every aspect of the retail pet industry, as a sales clerk, then manager and eventually owner. My experience in this setting has taught me that a trained educated employee is an invaluable asset, to the management as well its customers. Too often employers try to save time and money by eliminating the training process. The time, money and energy expended in such an endeavor is a pittance compared to the income lost to disgruntled customers. Surveys prove that an unsatisfied customer will share that experience with at least five people. There are five less potential customers. If each five tells five more and so on, your store stanRAB the chance of losing a substantial portion of its customer base. The old adage ‘time is money’ has never been more true. Remeraber the same holRAB true for a consumer; "if you waste my time, I will not waste my money."
For the past couple of months I have been coping with an algae problem, in my home aquarium, known as greenwater. This is caused by too much light and too much organic matter on which the algae feed. It is not a threat to the fish but turns the water to a cloudy greenish haze in its first stages. Eventually it leaRAB to a near total ‘green out’ of the aquarium obscuring even the fish. Although I had an idea as to how I might deal with this problem I decided to ask at the local fish store to see if some breakthrough product or method has been developed since my stint in the business. This yielded absolutely nothing.
I was able to find no one who, a) knew what exactly I was dealing with, b) could provide a viable solution or c) was honest about the first two. No one asked how much light the tank receives, what type of filtration system is installed or whether the tank is maintained properly. Although they had tried to placate me by selling what I knew to be useless products. I left the store frustrated and discouraged. One can only imagine the grief earned after wasting countless hours and dollars trying to eradicate this problem had I followed the advice given to me. It did nothing to inspire me to return. Let alone spend any money there. Had I left with a logical and workable solution this might not have been the case.
Before waiting on their first customer, clerks should be able to: perform and explain basic tasks, recognize and treat common illnesses and find a reasonable answer if one is not readily available. This training can be carried out in three basic steps.
First by teaching that an aquarium should be considered, in a sense, a living organism. Biologically all subparts must be in working order for the whole to succeed. Water chemistry should be discussed so that a reasonable correlation can be drawn between maintenance and tank health. The equipment necessary for all this to transpire should also be included. With a broader understanding of the elements involved, the employee is better able to aid customers. Thereby expanding their ability to sell the merchandise, as well as fish.
Fish are no different from any other class of animal. They are divided into orders, then into families, genera (or genus) and then species. There are species that can simply not co-habitate, even though they may belong to the same family. This may be due to a difference in temperament or environmental requirements, size constraints or even diet. When your staff is capable of advising future additions, by asking which fish are already in the tank, your customers will feel confident that their money has been well spent. Should they have a problem in the future, they will likely seek out assistance in your store.
Last, but by no means least, is understanding and recognition of common diseases. Whether they be parasitic, bacterial or fungal the employee should know the treatment required. Not only which medicines to use first but also how one can keep this from happening again. Every fish has the potential to become ill, no matter where it is purchased. Stress has a major effect on the immune system and steps should be taken, if necessary, to prevent another outbreak.
Management has the responsibility to provide assistance and support to the employee and customer at all times. When presented a question beyond an employees’ answering capability, an appropriate response would be;
"I’m new and can’t answer that yet. Let me get my manager
for you, she/he will likely have the answer. Then we’ll
both know."
This will increase the probability that the customer will have a satisfying experience in your store. This is crucial to return patronage. It will also eliminate the irate customer returning at a later date and denouncing your competence.
An investment in your employees is an investment in your business. By demonstrating reliability, consistency and integrity to your customers it will bring a continued return on your investment. It will gain you trust and loyalty. As a result your place in the community is ensured. Following my own advice, learned as an employee, I treated my tank accordingly. Now the water is clear, my fish are happy and I can once again enjoy the finny antics of my aquatic frienRAB.
Over the years I have worked in almost every aspect of the retail pet industry, as a sales clerk, then manager and eventually owner. My experience in this setting has taught me that a trained educated employee is an invaluable asset, to the management as well its customers. Too often employers try to save time and money by eliminating the training process. The time, money and energy expended in such an endeavor is a pittance compared to the income lost to disgruntled customers. Surveys prove that an unsatisfied customer will share that experience with at least five people. There are five less potential customers. If each five tells five more and so on, your store stanRAB the chance of losing a substantial portion of its customer base. The old adage ‘time is money’ has never been more true. Remeraber the same holRAB true for a consumer; "if you waste my time, I will not waste my money."
For the past couple of months I have been coping with an algae problem, in my home aquarium, known as greenwater. This is caused by too much light and too much organic matter on which the algae feed. It is not a threat to the fish but turns the water to a cloudy greenish haze in its first stages. Eventually it leaRAB to a near total ‘green out’ of the aquarium obscuring even the fish. Although I had an idea as to how I might deal with this problem I decided to ask at the local fish store to see if some breakthrough product or method has been developed since my stint in the business. This yielded absolutely nothing.
I was able to find no one who, a) knew what exactly I was dealing with, b) could provide a viable solution or c) was honest about the first two. No one asked how much light the tank receives, what type of filtration system is installed or whether the tank is maintained properly. Although they had tried to placate me by selling what I knew to be useless products. I left the store frustrated and discouraged. One can only imagine the grief earned after wasting countless hours and dollars trying to eradicate this problem had I followed the advice given to me. It did nothing to inspire me to return. Let alone spend any money there. Had I left with a logical and workable solution this might not have been the case.
Before waiting on their first customer, clerks should be able to: perform and explain basic tasks, recognize and treat common illnesses and find a reasonable answer if one is not readily available. This training can be carried out in three basic steps.
First by teaching that an aquarium should be considered, in a sense, a living organism. Biologically all subparts must be in working order for the whole to succeed. Water chemistry should be discussed so that a reasonable correlation can be drawn between maintenance and tank health. The equipment necessary for all this to transpire should also be included. With a broader understanding of the elements involved, the employee is better able to aid customers. Thereby expanding their ability to sell the merchandise, as well as fish.
Fish are no different from any other class of animal. They are divided into orders, then into families, genera (or genus) and then species. There are species that can simply not co-habitate, even though they may belong to the same family. This may be due to a difference in temperament or environmental requirements, size constraints or even diet. When your staff is capable of advising future additions, by asking which fish are already in the tank, your customers will feel confident that their money has been well spent. Should they have a problem in the future, they will likely seek out assistance in your store.
Last, but by no means least, is understanding and recognition of common diseases. Whether they be parasitic, bacterial or fungal the employee should know the treatment required. Not only which medicines to use first but also how one can keep this from happening again. Every fish has the potential to become ill, no matter where it is purchased. Stress has a major effect on the immune system and steps should be taken, if necessary, to prevent another outbreak.
Management has the responsibility to provide assistance and support to the employee and customer at all times. When presented a question beyond an employees’ answering capability, an appropriate response would be;
"I’m new and can’t answer that yet. Let me get my manager
for you, she/he will likely have the answer. Then we’ll
both know."
This will increase the probability that the customer will have a satisfying experience in your store. This is crucial to return patronage. It will also eliminate the irate customer returning at a later date and denouncing your competence.
An investment in your employees is an investment in your business. By demonstrating reliability, consistency and integrity to your customers it will bring a continued return on your investment. It will gain you trust and loyalty. As a result your place in the community is ensured. Following my own advice, learned as an employee, I treated my tank accordingly. Now the water is clear, my fish are happy and I can once again enjoy the finny antics of my aquatic frienRAB.