BUILDING MATERIALS
The boomerang principle
By Jurek Leon
Retailers, here’s a question for your team that will identify your chances of survival and
success in the next couple of years. What is your purpose when you serve a customer?
How will your frontline team answer this
She asked me to get her some potting mix
leaving me with the cashier. The cashier smiled
question? Picture them, will they say:
and reminded me that it needed to be a small
and said hello as he processed my purchase. He
• To ensure the customers buy all they want
bag so that it was easy for her to handle. Now,
then handed me my receipt.
and need.
• To process the transaction accurately and
efficiently.
• To ensure the customer gets a good deal.
• To get them out the store as quickly as
while I’ve done a fair bit of training with garden
I happen to know they have a loyalty
centres over the years, I’m no gardener and
programme. He didn’t ask me if I was a member
wouldn’t have a clue what type of potting mix
and he didn’t say farewell. Instead he turned
would be best for her needs.
away as soon as he gave me my receipt.
I avoided going to Bunnings, Australia’s big
Will I be back? I was totally underwhelmed
possible so that I can get on with the
box equivalent to the likes of B&Q in the UK
by the experience, so probably not. Have I been
paperwork, stocking the shelves or
and Lowe’s in the US. Instead, I travelled a little
to Bunnings since? Yes, my wife asked me why
whatever tasks the boss has given me.
further to a franchise store that offers garden
I hadn’t purchased a small bag of potting mix
products. They were quite busy so I wandered
for her as well. So, I played it safe and dropped
round the area where large bags of fertiliser
past the big Bunnings store where someone
and the like were piled high. As I couldn’t find
directed me to the small bags of potting mix...
While some of these answers are better than
any suitable potting mix in small bags I went
and I picked up something else while I was
others, they won’t set you apart from the big
towards the counter.
there. More business lost for the smaller stores.
• To serve them quickly so that I can attend to
other customers.
retailers dominating most markets or help you
By this stage, things had quietened down
It really is vital that you and your team
compete effectively with internet shopping.
a bit and three staff were talking either side of
regularly have conversations about your
Here’s the answer I would like to see: To get the
the counter. As I walked up there was one of
purpose when you serve a customer. Each day
customers to come back.
them who must have seen me out the corner
you put off doing this, money is walking out
of his eye but he made no attempt to focus
the door and landing in the coffers of the big
we should be continually asking ourselves and
on me, the customer. So, I stood close by so
stores. It doesn’t have to be like this. HA
discussing with our colleagues is, “Do you think
that they felt my presence and looked up. The
that customer will come back?” And if you can’t
person closest asked if he could help.
It’s the Boomerang Principle. The question
answer that question, why is that? Were you
just going through the motions?
I told him I was having trouble finding a
small bag of potting mix. He walked towards
You process the transaction, not the
the large bags and said, “Well these 30 kilo
customer; you need to connect with each
bags are the cheapest.” I reminded him I’d
customer. To do this you ask questions, listen,
asked for a small bag and explained why. He
clarify, identify and solve their wants and
then wandered over to the shelving where
needs, process the transaction accurately
I’d already looked and didn’t have any more
and efficiently and make them feel glad that
success than I’d had. After what seemed like
they chose to shop with you. Yet so often this
ages (probably two or three minutes) he said,
doesn’t happen and opportunities to win and
“I’m not sure,” and flagged down a senior staff
keep the customer are being lost in many
member who was passing nearby and asked
stores, many times every day.
his advice.
In the end, I had to settle for a compromise
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE
product – potting mix for azaleas – without
My mother is 90 years young and lives in a
being sure whether this would be right for my
retirement village fairly close to me in Perth,
mother’s requirements. I waited a second to
Australia. This means that I can help out by
see if the staff member would pick it up and
getting things that she isn’t able to pick up
take it to the counter. He didn’t, but he did
from her weekly trip to the shopping centre.
walk me to the counter before moving on and
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HARDWARE AFRICA 2014
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