How to Keep Your Sales Flowing
Dear Friend,
I just returned from the 2006 West Coast
SPREE show. The Spree Show is billed as
'The Show for Cart and Kiosk Retailers.'
I've got a simple suggestion from one of
the seminars that will cost you almost nothing...
... and has the potential to SAVE you hundreds
of dollars in lost sales.
On my flight back to Minneapolis from the
show, I had about an hour lay-over in the
Phoenix airport.
I was facing a long flight back to Minneapolis,
and wanted to get something to eat before that
long flight.
I settled on eating at a burrito shop, and got
in line.
When I finally got to the front of the line, I
was informed by the kid behind the counter
that they 'temporarily closed.'
It seems their cash register was on the fritz,
and the manager wouldn't be back for twenty
minutes.
Sure enough, there were none of the little
red lights on the cash register display to
indicate it was working. It was definitely
down.
And at that moment, the burrito shop was
effectively shut down....
... even though they had plenty of food... a
staff ready to make the food...
... and a line full of hungry customers with
their cash in hand... including me.
***
This situation reminded of a suggestion made
in the 'Retail 101' seminar session at the SPREE
convention.
The presenter suggested that it was a good idea
to keep on hand at your cart or kiosk a couple
of 'old style' sales books.
The purpose is so that if something happens to
the register... like it goes down... or you run out
of register tape... or your staff can't figure out
how to to change the tape... and YOU aren't there...
... that your sales don't simply grind to a halt.
Your staff can pull out a sales book, and write
up a sale 'the old-fashioned' way... until they can
get the issue resolved.
Ideally... you never run out of tape... your staff
always knows how to change it... and the register
is always working...
... but in real life, these things sometimes DO
happen.
The sales books will only cost you a couple of
bucks... but can save you HUNDREDS of dollars
(or more) of lost sales!
***
So anyway, there I was at the airport... hungry for
my burrito... and faced with this EXACT situation...
The register was on the blink; The manager was
gone; and the kid behind the register didn't know
what to do.
His solution was simply to shut down, and wait
for help.
Is that what you would want to have happen if
it were YOUR business?
(Clearly, they didn't have any sales books behind
the counter... or if they did, the kid behind the
register didn't know about them.)
***
So... what happened?
I was hungry, and not quite ready to give up
on my burrito.
So, I asked ONE simple question of the kid behind
the counter that caused him to stop and THINK...
... that one question turned things around for me (I
got my burrito), and for that burrito business (they
kept their sales going!)
What was that question?
I'll tell you about THAT in my next update.
***
In the interim, keep in mind that it can be helpful
to keep a couple of the 'old-school' sales books
at your cart or kiosk...
... just in case something 'happens' to the register
that your staff can't figure out what to do.
The books provide them a way to continue to
write up sales, and keep your business open...
... until the issue with the register is resolved!
***
Brady Flower
The Kiosk Expert
