Creating a good impression

Local shops handle a lot of cash and need to do this well to keep shoppers happy.

I stopped off to fill my scooter with petrol yesterday and after checking out the pricing of various treat foods I handed over £20 and was surprised to receive change of £10. Shaz, who served me, looked down to the till, where he had already put the note away and he was unsure. I exchanged numbers and names and said I would call back today after he had cashed up.

This is the second time this has happened to me in recent years. The last time, the manager in the off licence said I was wrong but agreed to call me if she was £10 over when she cashed up. To her credit, she telephoned later that night after the cash up.

Today, I arrived in the garage unsure what to expect. The sales assistant asked me to repeat my story twice and then said that I was wrong. She said she had been present last night at the cash up and the till roll balanced. I urged her to call her manager, thinking second time round and not lucky. However, her manager told her that the £10 was in the till and she unfolded it and handed it to me with an apology.

There are two things worth remarking. One, always keep the note tendered separate until the transaction is complete. Two, coach your team to be positive about the mistake. By telling the cusotmer he or she is wrong, you lose a little trust. And that is too precious a commodity to lose.

Comments

Three secrets of great merchandising

Look at the ceiling and top wall of this McDonalds restaurant. There is a picture of two good looking healthy people having fun and some bright primary colours. Ask yourself what is the purpose of this picture? In the latest issue of Retail Newsagent in a feature on merchandising, Andrew Knight of RI tells its independent readers that they need to think about using sharp pictures of non-packaged products linked to people consuming goods. Perhaps this has been taken to the next level by the fast food chain - that is selling the feeling of being happy and healthy rather than the products. A second, related tip from the same feature is made by most contributors - it is vital to keep windows clean and clear of clutter. "I believe that less is more," says Roli Ranger, a retailer from Ascot, Berkshire. He has posters for promotions in between the windows that are regularly updated and discreet signs in the windows. Third, a highly visible well-stocked promotion at the entranc

Overcoming a price disadvantage

Planning for his speech at the Independent Achievers Academy last week, Theo Paphitis asked an assistant to buy a basket of six essentials from a Tesco, a Londis (independent operator in a symbol group) and a One Stop (Tesco's CTN/convenience chain). Tesco was cheapest by a big margin. Second came Londis. The most expensive was One Stop. Mr Paphitis understands the power of the supermarkets and he says the way to counter them is to focus on how to make the experience of shopping with you more relevant to shoppers or more enjoyable for them. John Heynan, sales director of Molson Coors, told Retail Newsagent at about the same time that occasional beer buyers will pay 13 per cent more for their beer in an independent convenience store, provided the retailer targets them appropriately. Tesco has carved itself out this 13 per cent head start. Looking at pricing, if Tesco is 100, then Tesco Express is 108, One Stop is 112, a good symbol group is 115 and non-affiliated independents

A sign of retail stress perhaps

It must have been four months since this window was broken in the Tesco Express on Pentonville Road and I simply cannot believe that it has not been fixed. This is the sort of lack of focus that independent shops usually get criticised for. The only purpose in sharing this image is to encourage those independents with high standards who are finding the going tough that they can do better than this.

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