The Partner I Didn't
Know I Had

Theft in Retail

– Don Capman, President,  J.D. Associates

Don’t you just love the traffic in your store during the holiday season? It can get like a feeding frenzy at times. Shoppers everywhere who just can’t wait to give you their money. The atmosphere is electrified and everybody is loving it. In the perfect world, you’re making money head over heels. That winter vacation is getting paid for 2 months in advance and a hot new car is a signature away. Oh, I forgot that construction on the new designer kitchen is going to begin right after you’re back from your week in the Caribbean in late January. All this is going to cost a pretty penny, but you don’t worry about it. Your sales are great; your buying strategy has worked; and all is right with the world…until the NEW YEARS EVE INVENTORY. You finish the inventory and wonder how your inventory can be so far off. You know your sales figures are correct but your on-hand inventory is much lower than it could possibly be. “That can’t be right,” you say. “So let’s count again. Perhaps we missed some items in the warehouse.” But the second count is the same, minus or plus a couple of bucks. What happened? Well my friend, you might as well have left the door unlocked when the store was closed because your “silent partners”, otherwise known as thieves, stole you blind. Now, the question becomes, how are you ever going to pay for the vacation, the hot car, and the designer kitchen? All your profits were stolen while you weren’t looking.

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Interviewing Questions

– Doug Fleener

These are three of my favorite interview questions. I think they help me identify the type of person that will deliver great customer experiences and be a good addition to the store team.

1. Tell me about your favorite boss. What's his or her name, what made that person so special, and what is one lesson you took away and used yourself?

I like to ask this question of all employees, but especially those I'm hiring into management. The answer a management applicant gives you will tell you exactly what type of manager they aspire to be. I watch for how the applicant starts the answer. [Get the full story]

Your Approach Makes a Difference

– Kelley Robertson

Not long ago my wife and I were planning a get-together with some friends and wanted to serve a cheese board after dinner. So, we ventured to a local market to look for some cheeses. We asked for one particular cheese at the first vendor we visited and were told that they did not carry it. No effort was made to recommend anything else and we left without making a purchase. As we walked through the market, I noticed the cheese we wanted at another vendor. After tasting it and several others, we selected two cheeses. Total sale: $17. A few moments later we ventured across yet another cheese vendor. As we looked at their selection, an employee asked if she could help us. [Get the full story]