J.D. Associates Retail POS Solutions Blog

Long Lines at Your Retail POS?

  

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"Move to the extreme left after ordering." Remember that? Anyone who watched Seinfeld in l995 will never forget those infamous signs tacked up on the wall by the "Soup Nazi." If you didn't explicitly follow the rules to a tee, it was "NO SOUP FOR YOU!"

So, did you ever ask yourself why long lines of customers waited to be abused at your retail POS? The guy must have been doing something right. He had product, unique and superior product, that people couldn't get anywhere else.

So what's the point?

In an economy that is hardly growing, can you afford to operate like the "Soup Nazi?" Can you afford to hire rude sales people with an attitude? No, you can't

It can be a refreshing and profitable experience to re-examine your business and stop playing victim to an economy that will probably not be dramatically different inn the near term. You can start by asking yourself some questions you may not have thought about for some time.

1. Why am I in retail? What possessed you to take the leap into the sometimes perilous waters of retail? Have your reasons for choosing the retail profession changed? If so, why are you still in retail?
2. Do I consider myself a successful retailer? As you look back at your retail experience, make a list of what you have accomplished. Then make a list of what you would like to accomplish moving forward.
3. What's unique about my store(s)? Could it be that you offer superior service? Could it be you have product that can't be found elsewhere including online? Could it be that you have the best prices? Could it be that you are perceived as a nice guy who people want to see stay in business? When you figure out what makes you unique, do more of it.
4. Do I think beyond "out of the box?" Everybody talks about "thinking out of the box." In today's retail environment, you need think beyond "out of the box." Challenge yourself and your staff to come up with new ideas. Talk to your customers. They may think of something you haven't thought of. Read industry articles about other successful retailers. Someone else's unique ideas may work for you.
5. Do I shop my competition? What are they doing right and what are they doing wrong? You can't know unless you go.

The bottom line is that business and people never stay the same. What was unique and different yesterday, may be outdated or commonplace today. We need to constantly come up with new and refreshing ideas. Some will work, some won't. We need to keep trying or get out of the business and blame the economy and/or the competition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Don Capman is President and co-owner of J.D. Associates, one of the largest distributors of retail POS software in North America. With Retail Pro, Microsoft RMS and QuickBooks Point of Sale in the company portfolio, J.D. Associates offers retail POS software solutions for specialty retailers.