Secret Shopped...

[Dreamstalker]

Apparently we got secret shopped last week, and the primary complaint was that the secret shopper was in the store for 45 minutes and they never got asked if they needed help, so there wasn't enough grocery staff on the floor. During a time when there was only one part-timer working during a rush (none of us who were on today), and the shopper never actually interacted with anyone from grocery. I can only assume they were asking other departments for help..or never asked for help at all and then later whined about not being helped. Enter the return of the five-foot rule...I'm not asking every single person I see if they're finding everything. That's a surefire way to annoy people, as we all know.

This may explain some of the outright weird requests/lines of questioning I'm getting.

[raw1989]

This may explain some of the outright weird requests/lines of questioning I'm getting.

most places ask at check out did you find everything okay and if I needed help id go find someone.

[Dreamstalker]

We do this too as far as I'm aware...if the customer answers "no" to that question at checkout there's no easy way for the front end to communicate with everyone in grocery. Best they can do is have guest services contact J who then has to go find one of us, or the cashier actually leaves the register--which is a big no-no--to find someone.

While I don't mind being helpful within my ability to do so, I also realize that we can't both follow the five-foot-rule and stock shelves efficiently (nothing abandoned on the floor, get all boxes cleaned up immediately) at the same time. People like to wander and look around here and will generally find someone in uniform if they want help.

[raudf]

The other problem with the 5 foot rule is that it actually costs the company money, but they don't realize HOW. Not only is there a problem with stocking stuff and doing it, but you have to stop the customer to do it. A stopped customer is a customer who is not impulse buying!

Think about it. A polite customer will stop and listen to what you have to say and then respond. I know where I am, but polite customers do exist, honest! That costs the company seconds that the customer could be spending shopping! Also, what if that customer was only looking for one item? Well, you give them directions or worse, show them yourself, they won't be wandering around looking for it and thus, less impulse buying.

This policy is the only one that I've seen in which customer service trumps profits.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

most places ask at check out did you find everything okay and if I needed help id go find someone.

Some places don't have their employees ask that anymore, because it might make the customer mad if they couldn't find something and couldn't find anybody to help them. Or something.

Those five-foot rules or whatever are a joke. Nobody follows them, not even under threat of secret shopper.

[Marmalady]

They tried to introduce something similar at the store where I work - it was called 'Ten feet Hi!' or some such ridiculous thing. It didn't last very long, mostly because this is Norfolk in England and anyone being asked 'Can I help you?' in a store will immediately assume they're being suspected of shoplifting or something, and leave the store at once.

[Mr Hero]

As a customer, I don't need every employee who comes within a 5 foot radius to acknowledge me. Attractive female workers are more than welcome to, but I don't require it. The only thing I need to know if I can't find what I'm looking for is where I can reliably find someone to help. As long as I have that assurance, I'm good.

[EricKei]

Back at gamestore, failure to greet people within five~ten seconds of arrival (Everyone already helping others/on the phone/ringing people up? No excuse!) was grounds for an automatic fail on a store audit. We were also encouraged to offer help once they were inside, but we did that anyway.

[Trixie]

I never really paid attention to corporate's way of approaching customers. At one point they wanted us to ask a billion questions then determine what the customer wanted, pluck it off the shelf and hand it to the customer. Very pushy. I don't work on commission. And I'd feel like they didn't want me in the store if they're handing me products. "Here's what you asked for now please go."

I try to be friendly enough so if they do need help they'll ask but I also try to give them space. Just because someone is looking at the shelf doesn't mean they need help. They know what they want and just need to find it. Because that's they way I'd like to be treated.

[eltf177]

I don't mind being asked if I need help if I'm obviously looking for something, but if I know where I'm going there's no need to bother.

I've been in stores where the employees are required to ask if they get close and I find that annoying as heck. I refuse to shop there and I do let management know WHY I won't return...

[Dreamstalker]

I don't mind being greeted, but a lot of times in the type of stores I frequent I won't know exactly what I'm looking for until I start looking around. My store is very well-suited to wandering and impulse shopping, far be it from me to interrupt that.

We're encouraged to connect with the customer If they bring up a recipe/dish they're thinking of making I'll offer advice or suggestions, but I'm not one to start that conversation without some indication they want to discuss it. Being a general introvert, I'm better at stocking/zoning/technical aspects than customer service.

[Pixelated]

I never really paid attention to corporate's way of approaching customers. At one point they wanted us to ask a billion questions then determine what the customer wanted, pluck it off the shelf and hand it to the customer. Very pushy. I don't work on commission. And I'd feel like they didn't want me in the store if they're handing me products. "Here's what you asked for now please go."

I try to be friendly enough so if they do need help they'll ask but I also try to give them space. Just because someone is looking at the shelf doesn't mean they need help. They know what they want and just need to find it. Because that's they way I'd like to be treated.

The way you do your job is very much like the way I try to do mine. Your company's "way" sounds like mine. We're supposed to "engage" the customer by asking a truckload of questions, thus tying up counter space for who knows how long, on the theory we can sell a LOT to every customer by using this method. I don't mind saying "Is there anything else I can show you today?" or even "I've got another type of tea here you might be interested in, if you've got a moment" but I refuse to behave like a bloody Spanish Inquisition interrogator.

[Mr Hero]

but I refuse to behave like a bloody Spanish Inquisition interrogator.

Amongst your weaponry are fear, surprise, and fanatic devotion to store card applications