Motivation

Being a Monday, we review all the results of the previous week. As usual there is the good (nobody really cares about that) and there is the bad (this is what everyone focuses on). The good results are expected. After all, that is what you are paid for, right? The bad results are not okay, unless maybe everyone had the same bad result, then you can look to external pressures/forces. Anyway, the store had a pretty good week last week. Number one in several categories, but last place in one of the primary initiatives. That's what I want to write about today.

Now, initiatives are the little things we are tracked on besides sales and profit. This particular initiative is very basic and very simple to excel at. The cashier asks if the customer wants to sign-up for a free program that would benefit the customer. Eighty percent of customers say "NO!". That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that when you only ask 10 out of the 100 customers you see in a day, you only average 2 sign-ups, rather than the 20 statistically likely. Why is this so hard? I have tried many things to get consistent results: rewards, punishments, threats, etc. Some stores have cashiers that average forty or fifty sign-ups per week. My best cashier averages 15. Now I know that one of the things pushed on us at the store is total accountability for every employee. Meaning, in this case, I would set a goal and if it is not met that results in a verbal warning the first time, a written warning the second, a final written the third, and then termination if the cashier still cannot get the job done. While that sounds easy enough, you have to remember that we have poured many hours of coaching and training into this cashier. Also, it's not easy to hire people in my area. Out of the 100 applications we receive each month I am very, very lucky if even one person is qualified to even be interviewed.

The total accountability option is not much of an option if you ask me. If that was their primary job and they couldn't do it, I could see that. But that is a minor part of what they do. That would be like terminating a stocker because he couldn't talk a customer into buying some $2500 widget. That's not his job really, although he may occasionally have to make the attempt.

Well, I guess I am running out of answers. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that I will have to start tracking results by individual and the make an example out of someone. It's never fun, and somewhat scary. The fear part comes from, what if your best cashier is the one that stumbles and can't keep up with the others on sign-ups. This person works hard and is the best at everything else they are asked to do, but just cannot make this happen. I suppose that is a chance I will have to take.