Store Meeting Scratchers Scavenger Hunt

The motivation for this post is that I twice bought expired dairy products from the same store in two weeks. As this blog progresses my stupidity will be addressed frequently but for now I would like to present a solution for my complaint.

Store Meeting Scratchers Scavenger Hunt

I hope as a manager you have some kind of communications meeting. These can be quick casual daily group motivationals prior to opening, more structured weekly gatherings or eventful monthly outlined meetings - maybe even with and expense budget.

Here's what to do.

1. Plan a meeting. This is already tricky because mandatory "off scheduled" meetings don't work. A seperate post will be published about this soon. I would suggest making an appointment with a few team members a day - off the floor - for training. If you can't take a few of your team off the floor for training you have staffing issues. A seperate post will be published about this soon.
2. Buy scratchers. It doesn't matter what your budget is. Whether you work for Subway or Hathaway everyone loves scratchers. If you get any positve traction from your meeting ten one dollar scratchers is a small price to pay. Of course 100 $20.00 scratchers will draw drool from the chiliest Wall St. dreamer.
3. Conduct your meeting. prepare. Outline it. Practice. Literally look in the mirror and look at yourself privately. Remember in this case we are addressing a retail store with perishables selling expired products.
Of course the store must run and three cashiers are actively helping customers.
In the mean time.
Call all other associates by PA to meet at the breakroom.

Tom: Thank you for playing the game
Lucy: (smiling) Game?
Tom: Yes who ever wins gets scratchers.
Tom: Here's how it works... You guys each take a hand basket - I hope you don't need a shopping cart. And venture into our store and find expired products. You have fifteen minutes... on my count - one, two - of course the room is empty.

WHAT YOU LEARN
Lucy will move a mountain for a $1.00 scratcher.
Eric went outside and smoked a cigarette because he couldn't care less, yet he applied for the open Assistant manager job.
Amal came back with the dreaded shopping cart full of expired groceries because she knows where they are and sees them everyday but just didn't feel like it was her place to say anything.
WHAT TO DO NOW: FOLLOW-UP
Prioritize prevention of expired products remaining on shelves.
Implement an action plan for finding expired groceries.
STORE MANAGER hold yourself accountable. Who's fault is it ultimately that I bought cheese from your store on September 10, 2020 that expired on August 20, 2020 and then again on September 20, 2020? Some people might say it is my fault - but - that won't convince me to ever (ever) go back into your store again so who loses?

Sometimes the reason some stores have a staff of folks that don't care about customer service is that they feel the management doesn't care about them. Sometimes in this climate organizations just can't make it paying most of their people anything more than minimum wage.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO? Praise Lucy, tolerate Eric. let everyone see you pick up a broom every now and then.
Love your team, it's all you have (right now).
ABOVE ALL LOVE THE CUTOMER