What is your position on a chatty newsagency employee?
On the one hand, we want employees to chat to customers, to make them feel welcome and to engage with their shopping experience. On the other hand, we don’t want chatting to get in the way of work or to be intrusive on the shopping experience.
Employees need to remember their pay is funded by the money the business makes. Making money ought to be their top priority.
Employers need to remember that a friendly shop can help people spend more.
It is a fine line we all walk.
The first step is to talk about any problem. Sometimes bringing it into the open changes behaviour.
It is a very fine line but most people most of the time can detect a phony person who is being friendly ether because they are being paid/told to do it or they want to peddle you something. I recall on the news about a year ago it was revealed how Woolworths were scripting their staff to ask people “who you were today?” etc.. It did make me recall then how in hindsight some people were doing it because they “had” to while others were genuine.
I just wish my husband would not talk so much. Sometimes the customers have trouble escaping from him. Staff are pretty good and are not too chatty. At the moment trying to sell the new Set for Life is requiring a bit of extra chatting. I have just been in Melbourne using Trains and just like I do in the shop I greeted anyone who sat down near me out of habit. I got some sort of smiles but no response but I did get the footy crowd to chat when I asked them who one the game. I was amazed how almost everyone hides behind their phones. I think it should be compulsory to say hello on public transport. The world would be happier.
Some years ago I employed a local lady. She was in her late 50’s and a lovely person however she certainly loved a chat. Being a member of the local quilting club, tennis club, and a generally very socially active person helped to a degree however the balance you refer to unfortunately tipped in favour of a chat. Customers would be waiting for the conversation to end and the younger the person the more they seemed to wait. She was great on the counter and for a person who was computer and tech phobic she did a good job but I had to constantly remind her to limit the chit chat. It ended when I found out she was topping some local papers and magazines for her besties.