Lack Of Clear Guidlines Can Harm Retailers

My last few columns covered common consumer experiences in the Food & Grocery sector, and I thought it would be interesting to now examine in what way Lifestyle stores and customers had different rituals and expectations. On a visit to the well-lit, fragrant and rather opulent Kakde Mall on Pune’s Moledina Road, I observed a customer who we can call Mrs. A and the fascinating experience she had.
The store is well signposted, and Mrs. A walked straight to the department she wanted. However, there was no sales staff there.
A security woman stood slouched against the wall.
Mrs. A: Excuse me!
Security staff (pointing arrogantly across the hall): Usko bulao na, sales person hai.
Mrs. A, indignant at being ordered around by store staff, looks around for help. A cashier at a nearby till is unoccupied, but seems lost in thought. Mrs. A asks, “Is there anyone here who can help me?”
Cashier (calling out loudly): Arre Nita!
Store staff (walking towards till): Nita break pe hai.
Cashier: Uska replacement kahan hai?
Store staff shrugs.
Mrs. A: Isn’t there anyone here who can help me?
Both shrug.
Mrs. A: Is there a floor manager somewhere around?
Cashier: Yes, ma’am. Arre usko phone lagao na re.
Store staff: (Picking up phone and dialling) Not picking up, sorry ma’am.
Mrs. A decides to walk around and hunt out the elusive floor manager and download some rage.
Mrs. A: (To another store staff): Where is the floor manager, please?
Store staff 2: Can I help you ma’am? I’m a senior person.
Mrs. A: Oh. Ok. As a senior person, do you realise that your store has a problem?
Store staff 2: Yes ma’am! We have a problem! Actually we have two problems, one with our staff and another with our products!
Mrs. A (Reeling at this astonishing reply): Umm, I’d like to meet the floor manager please.
Store staff 2 (Pointing at a man leaning against a railing and chatting with two others)): That’s our assistant manager.
Assistant manager (Straightening up): How can I help you ma’am?
Mrs. A: You really need to train your staff!
Asst. Mgr: Ma’am, can you give me a specific incident? What exactly happened?
Mrs. A: I came here to buy something. But there was no one attending the department. I interacted with four staff and none of them has any idea how to talk to customers!
Asst. Mgr: Well actually ma’am we have received a communication from our head office telling us that the company does not have a customer focus!
Mrs. A: Really! What did they tell you to focus on instead?
Asst. Mgr (thinking): Umm, they didn’t tell us anything ma’am.
Mrs. A: My god, that’s breaking news! They told you what not to focus on – and they didn’t tell you what to focus on!
Asst Mgr: Actually ma’am, you know, our new owners don’t know anything about retail. They are losing money very badly and they may close down this store.
Mrs. A: (Pointing around): They’re spending so much money on this expensive lighting, air-conditioning, prime-property rental, salaries to so many – and they’ve told you not to bother about the customers? No wonder no one is buying anything and they’re losing money! You’d better find yourself another job!
Asst Mgr: Actually ma’am, we are all applying. But our money is stuck here so we are scared to leave.

Poor communication and lack of clear guidelines from the senior management is always dangerous for an organization, and this true story showcases what can happen when transition in a retail acquisition scenario is mishandled.
If any retailer really wants customers to come back again and again – they just have to bring that focus into their store operations.

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Published in DNA Money dated 11th december 2008