Retail business advice: rules for a strong foundation on which to build your shop

Every retail business needs rules—rules everyone working in the shop is asked to follow; rules to guide behaviour.

Businesses without rules can function okay until that one time when someone behaves in a way that is unacceptable.

Here are some suggested rules that we have used in our shops over the years. They include some rules that we have seen others use successfully in their local small business retail settings:

1. Customers come first. Please treat them with respect. Appreciate them.
2. We value your opinion. If you think there is something we should stock that will sell, please tell us. If you think we’re making a mistake in running the business, please tell us. If you see a colleague misbehaving towards a work colleague, please tell us. If you see theft, please tell us.
3. This is a safe place. Thank you for helping us ensure that.
4. No staff members are permitted to serve themselves, ever. If you do purchase from the business, purchase from the customer side.
5. Any staff discount is not to be added to already discounted items unless a manager agrees.
6. If you want to buy something, you don’t take it off the shelf until you’re ready to pay for the item. NO setting items aside.
7. You’re not permitted to buy something on a staff discount for someone else.
8. No personal mobile phones at the counter.
9. No reading behind the counter.
10. No bags at the counter.
11. Don’t sit behind the counter.
12. When a sale is over, complete the sale. Shut the cash drawer. Don’t leave a completed sale on the screen.
13. Only a manager is permitted to remove money from the register during trading.
14. Never put anything aside for someone who calls, unless you know them and they are a regular shopper.
15. The computers in the business are not to be used for personal use unless approved by the owner or manager.
16. This is a retail business. Customers are our only source of revenue. Greet them with a smile. Thank them for shopping with you when they leave. This means that the shop floor is the hub of our operation. Your focus on the shop floor and our customers helps the business, and this helps you.
17. If there is anything we can do to help you enjoy working here more, please let us know.

Take a moment to consider your own rules.

Here at Tower Systems we leverage our own retail experience to help our customers, all local retailers, to run valuable ands enjoyable businesses.