Our customers don’t like it, they won’t buy it …

As the staff member in a newsagency was saying that, behind their back, a customer picked up two of the items and purchased them.

It frustrates me when I hear about retail business owners, or retail staff, who block the opportunity of success in their business. Their negative talk discourages them from engaging positively, and, if heard by customers, it can discourage them, too.

I saw this firsthand recently in a shop. The staff member didn’t;t think they were doing anything wrong by saying that people shopping in the shop your not like a product. The thing is, they said this without understanding the product.

I opened the product and demonstrated it to them. They loved it. It’s not what they thought it was. Their ignorance had got in the way of them finding joy in something they sell.

I wonder how much business this ignorant approach of our customers don’t like it, they won’t buy it has blocked.

Sure, there are products on any shop floor that don’t sell. You can see that in the data evidence. data matters more than opinion. The staff ember I observed was sprouting off based only on opinion … about the product I mentioned and other products.

If it was up to me I’d invite them to leave the business because their negative commentary suggested they did not like working there.

I am not saying everyone working in retail has to love everything about the business and all the products. Rather, I am saying that product knowledge is the starting point – understand what you sell. If you don’t like it, keep that to yourself. Never speak for what the customers of the business may or may not do. And if you do plan to comment about whether a product works in the business or not, make the comment based on evidence and not opinion.

Retail is more competitive than ever, especially local small business retail. Having a negative staff member facing customers is not good for the business. Such a person needs to either change or leave the business. Doing nothing about this could harm the business.