May 25, 2013

►    A Seasonal Specialty Stores Report Card was received from Lisa C. in Derry, NH.  Her general shopping experience was rated Excellent.  “Plenty of helpful staff.”  Did any of our team members do an unusually good job?  “Mimi – Advised us on a “new pool” package.  Very knowledgeable.  Patrick – came to my house to educate me on pool and chemicals.  This was great.”  Sales help was rated Excellent.  Operations was rated Good.  “I would like to be prompted by a cashier to pull out my “rewards” card.  Sometimes I forget.”  Communication and product performance were rated Excellent.  She gave us an excellent rating for Free Water Testing, Take-It-Easy Program, At Home Tutoring, and In-Store Advice.  What can we do to improve?  “Pool school class for a new pool owner was hard for me to grasp.  I would have liked hands-on demos.”

►    Advertising, weekly specials, and all department sales continue from last week:  “Seasonal Beats Them All”.  Remember, all of these sales end next Saturday:  June 1^st.

►    Monday is Memorial Day.  We close at 5PM.  This is very important!  Don’t make people work four extra hours because you said the wrong thing to someone.

►    Happy Birthday to Seth.  Celebrate with birthday cake in the Coffee Shop on Saturday, May 25.

►    Please turn up the speaker volume on your phones.  You can’t hear people answer you because your phone is set too low.  Here’s how:

UP/DOWN Wheel (new phones):  Used to adjust VOLUME and LCD display.  UP/DOWN Arrows (old phones)

Ringer volume:                            Press ↑ or ↓ during ringing.

LCD:                                            Press ↑ or ↓ when idle.

Speaker/Handset Volume:          Press ↑ or ↓ during conversation.

►    We have added directions to the Warehouse Order Form so that it makes more sense online.  At least one customer wants to fill it out before they come in.  We also made the most popular items in Bold print so they will be easier for you to find.

►    You do not have to have a credit card at the register to put a refund on it, as long as you can find the original purchase on Retail Pro.  The card is in there, and it can be accessed by Patrick or Anne-Marie.  That means find one of them, or leave them a message.  Otherwise, give the customer a credit form, and change the check to credit card, and attach a copy of the original receipt so Pat or Anne-Marie can find it.  Obviously, the easiest option was just to give them a merchandise credit or, they come back with the correct credit card; who’s last 4 digits will match the one on the receipt, or someone calls in the card number.

►    The bag stuffers are now one-sided, with only the Reward$ advertising.  Remember, a bag stuffer gets stuffed in every bag or box, unless you know the customer is already on Reward$.

►    Yes, you are supposed to check the signature on all credit cards.  That is why you are holding the card until they sign the receipt.  You do not check the signature on a debit card, when they input a PIN number and it’s approved.  If it says “See ID” you ask to see a driver’s license.  If it is unsigned, remind them to sign it.  If they don’t want to sign it, get a manager’s authorization.

►    When you take a call, try to get some details, and call it out.  For instance, “Parts Department” can be answered by way fewer people than “Filter Parts”, “Pool Parts”, or “Spa Parts”.   “Pool Question” will be answered by fewer people than “Above Ground Pool Sales”.  “Design Center” makes no sense, particularly if it was for “Above Ground Sales” or “Spa Sales”.   “Chemical Questions” and “Pool Opening Questions” can be answered by more people.  Explain to the customer that you could get them to the right person faster, if you knew more.

►    If an employee or immediate family living with the employee purchases something here, at the employee discount, it must be entered in Retail Pro under the employee’s name.  And a copy of the receipt goes into my mailbox.

►    From Patrick:  Opening/locking the doors goes hand-in-hand with the night button.  When you open you turn the night button off.  When you close, you turn the night button on.  You always do them together.  If you have questions, please let me know.

►    From Stephanie:

1. Cashiers:  If a customer brings up an item with a pink Warehouse Pick Up label taped to it, please remove this label so we can tag a new one on the floor.
2. When stocking, some vacs (including the leaf bagger vac) need to stay in the bag.  Parts and pieces will go “missing” if you take them out of the bags.  Check against what is on the shelf currently.  Thanks.

►    From Anne-Marie:  I hate to have to keep harping on this, but last week 3 customers were signed up for Seasonal Reward$ when they were already customers from 2012 (same exact name and address).  Now they have key fobs with two different account numbers.  I had to subtract the 500 loyalty points for being a new customer.  There is a notes section on the customer record that I wrote this.  Please try to be more careful in the future.  Thank you.

Another thing, I have noticed an increase in people signing up for rewards that have no email address.  This means they will be on the Seasonal Sense program.  Please be sure the customer understands that this program pays MUCH LESS than the Seasonal Reward$ program.  For example, if a customer has 2702 points at the end of the year, they get $27.02 on Seasonal Reward$, but only $4.05 on the Seasonal Sense Program.

►    From Jen:

1. When entering initials as a tester for water labs, please make sure it is legible!!!  If I can’t read it, you lose out on your water lab bonus for that test!
2. Written fire drill tests were put in mailboxes on Monday.  If you have not completed yours and returned it yet, please do so.  Remember, they are tied to your quarterly bonus.
3. A few employees have not returned a signed copy of the Annual Wage Summary that was distributed on May 14^th.  If you are one of those people, please do so.

►    The schedule always is coded for manager-on-duty and assistant manager-on-duty.  That is so everyone is clear as to their responsibilities during a fire.  Therefore, neither one of them can leave the building without clearly appointing a replacement, ever.  For even a minute.  We do not want people to die in a fire because the fire chose to happen while someone is out to lunch or getting a haircut.  In a fire, we don’t have time for a discussion as to who does what.  So there must be a clearly designated manager-on-duty and assistant manager-on-duty every minute of the day.  You don’t have to mark the calendar, but you both have to know who is doing what.

►    The winners of the Open House door prizes were:  Andrew C. – $100; Peter & Suzanne B. – $50; Jan A. – $10; Martha R. – $10.

►    By the way, I never tell you stuff you already know in Gull News, just to waste your and my time.  I do it because somebody didn’t know it last week, and I noticed.  I just assume that if one person doesn’t know something in the 30 minutes a day I am in a position to see it, there might be a second person.

►    Internet Humor:   A man was telling his neighbor, “I just bought a new hearing aid.  It cost me four thousand dollars, but it’s state of the art.  It’s perfect.”  “Really,” answered the neighbor.  “What kind is it?”  “Twelve thirty.”