I was shopping for our upcoming maternity photoshoot and had the most interesting “coaching and development” experience.
After grabbing a few pairs of earrings and necklaces, I headed to the closest counter and asked the cashier, “Could you check me out here?” She politely agreed that after she was finished with the father and son who had walked away to grab one more thing, she would be able to check me out. This was refreshing as I noticed there was a long line at the other register.I offered to meet her at the register on the opposite side, as it also seemed the father and son had started, but not finished their order. The idea was this would allow her to check me out as the father and son were “grabbing their last item.” On the other side, I was met by a young lady talking on her cellphone, but also seemingly waiting for assistance.When the lady did not come to me to check me out, I realized that my thought of her assisting multiple individuals at once was not something she was interested in doing. The young lady noticed the same and said in a low tone, “She could be checking you out or at least ringing you up before they come back.”After a few minutes, the father and son returned and said they were not going to get their last item. Once they walked away, the lady then came to me and the young lady. She began to ring me up. I noticed as she went through this process, she was not swiping the barcode on the scanner as I had seen in other stores. My understanding was that this prevented the back of the jewelry from setting off the alarm while exiting.Just then, in total coincidence, another customer walked up and mentioned that her bag was setting off the alarm to the cashier. The cashier responded, “Oh, that happens, it’s okay. I know what you have.” The customer walked away, and again the alarm went off as she exited the store.At this point, my items were fully rung up and paid for. However, the cashier could not print my receipt. She then called for assistance from another cashier who had been passing by. This new cashier came in and restocked the receipt paper, attempted to print the receipt again, but still nothing. She then moved to another register and quickly entered the sales receipt, but still nothing printed. She then called a young man, another cashier, who tried to get the receipt to print. At this time, I asked, “Will it be sent to my email?” I thought if it was, then I could allow them to move on to the young lady who had been standing there. The original cashier did not answer. Then the young man who was the final cashier to enter this situation asked her a little louder, “Did you choose the option to print and email?” She responded, “No.” Well, so much for that idea.In hopes to get moving on this, I offered to do some additional shopping within the mall and come back later to grab the receipt. My original cashier said, “No, you can’t do that because you can’t leave your jewelry here because you paid for it.” Not understanding why, I offered to take the jewelry with me and just come back specifically for the receipt before leaving. She did not respond. Once again, the young man repeated and said, “She is asking to take the jewelry and just come back for the receipt.” With a low tone, she said, “I wouldn’t want to do that; I would want my receipt first, but if you want to here you go” and handed me my jewelry. In hopes to make the moment lighter, I said, “I trust you.”By this time, the young lady who was also waiting had asked the young man for help who had directed her to the product she was looking for.Just as I was walking out, I remembered she didn’t swipe any of the barcodes. I asked the second cashier, as I noticed my original cashier was helping someone else, “Do you all generally scan the barcodes to make sure the alarm doesn’t sound when exiting?” She responded, “Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t because it may not work.” I exclaimed my concern of walking into other stores, without a receipt, and potentially setting off other alarms. She said, “I don’t know why other stores will know that is not their jewelry.” With a slight hesitancy, I left.After getting into the mall, I figured I would only grab things that were outside of stores, you know just in case, like pretzel bites and a strawberry lemonade from Auntie Anne’s. After grabbing my snack, I walked back to the original store and grabbed my receipt and left.
Now, I know you may be thinking…where is the coaching and development? Oh, well, there is SO MUCH! However, I will only share the TOP 3.
Coaching and Development Tips: What Not to Do Based on a Shopping Experience
1. Neglecting Customer Needs:
Avoid the disconnect.In my shopping adventure, there was a clear disconnect between the staff’s actions and customer’s needs. It’s a reminder of the importance of staying attuned to your team’s needs in the workplace. Coaching tip: Regularly check in with your team to ensure they have the support and resources they need to excel.
2. Lack of Flexibility and Problem-Solving:
Don’t get stuck in rigidity.When faced with a challenge, the cashier’s reluctance to adapt and find solutions caused unnecessary delays. The lesson here is that rigidity can hinder progress. Coaching tip: Encourage your team to be flexible and open to creative problem-solving, fostering a culture of adaptability.
3. Ignoring Cultural Sensitivity:
Cultural awareness matters.The barcode scanning incident highlighted the importance of cultural awareness. Disregarding different perspectives and norms can lead to misunderstandings and discomfort. Coaching tip: Promote cultural sensitivity within your team, emphasizing the value of understanding and respecting diverse viewpoints.These lessons, though unexpected during a shopping trip, hold valuable insights for professional development and cultural awareness in the workplace. Learn from everyday experiences and apply these lessons to thrive in your career.