Time management is an essential skill for success in any job, but those who work in retail aren't always in charge of their day. This is especially true for employees in a retail store or customer-service setting. How can you keep up job performance in areas such as inventory management or accounting when customers are constantly interrupting you?
One of the first things employees in retail jobs can do is use simple math to understand how to use store downtime. If you have 300 articles of clothing to unpack and hang in the store, figure out how many items you can hang in an hour. If you can handle 150 items an hour when there are no interruptions, and you are scheduled to do store preparation 90 minutes before the doors open, you might be able to get half the work done before customers start interrupting you. You could also break the remaining 150 items into small batches to hang during slow times.
In retail, you should never consider the customer as an annoying interruption. It's easy to get frustrated when customer questions and demands require you to step away from restocking or inventorying; it's hard to get back into the rhythm. Ignoring customers or being short with them is poor retail job performance, so it's a better idea to expect and prepare for interruptions. Keep pen and paper nearby and make a quick notation to bookmark your place.
Teamwork is essential in retail jobs. Work with other employees to create the most efficient system for handling all aspects of a store. One person may work in the stockroom or count the cash drawer while another handles customer requests. This method allows noncustomer work to be handled without interruption but doesn't negatively impact the customer's experience.
Many retail jobs involve a single employee running an entire store. In such cases, you may have to make a shopper wait a few seconds. If a customer approaches while you're in the middle of work, consider the time it would take you to complete the task. If it's longer than 10 seconds, put it aside; if you can finish the task in less than 10 seconds, let the customer know you'll be with them in a moment. Be polite and apologize for the wait; most customers won't mind waiting a few extra seconds for good service, and you'll avoid the possibility that you'll forget to complete the task later.
Interruptions are par for the course with most retail jobs. Planning for the interruptions, working as a team, and offering the best customer service will help you remain productive.
(Photo courtesy of stockimages / freedigitalphotos.net)
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