In most retail situations, there are times in a day when the store is quite busy (peak hours) and there are times when it is slow (non-peak hours).
Non-peak hours are slow time which should be considered opportunity time. This is the time when store owners have the opportunity to do all those tasks they are not able to do in busy times. This is the time to sow seeds so you can reap the rewards later.
Having a proper action plan to capitalize on the non-peak hours is very crucial to the overall success of your business.
Think of the various activities you’d like to engage you sales staff in during slow/opportunity time.
Here are some examples you may find useful:
One week follow-up call: Keep a list of all the customers who bought / activated a phone from you and have your staff give them a one week follow-up call. Your staff can take this opportunity to ask the customer how the phone / service is working out for them, if they have any question or concerns, and remind the customer to come to your location for their next bill payment and the due date.
Check inventory levels: Have your staff go through your physical stock of phones and accessories to make sure they match your inventory count in the POS system. This will also allow you to make sure that you have sufficient level of stock for various items, styles, and colors.
Detailed cleaning: Have your staff give your store a detailed cleaning focusing on all customer and non-customer facing areas. Attention should also be given to make sure that posters, pamphlets and brochures are current and up-to-date.
Staff training: Many carriers provide wireless store staff with online learning tools to stay informed about various phones and plans being offered. Have your staff stay current on their knowledge by attending these tutorials and seminars.
Customer learning sessions: Chances are many of your customers are not familiar with the many aspects of their phones and they could use some help becoming familiar and fully using their devices. Hold a learning seminar for your customers once a week or once a month focusing on various tech topics, such as how to use Android phones, taking quality pictures with your phone camera, syncing music from your pc to your phone, etc. Put up a few stools/chairs right along your showcases and start your very own genius sessions! This will create customer loyalty, repeat customers, impulse purchases and family and friend referrals.
With these and other useful ideas, you can sow the seeds of good business and turn slow time into opportunity time bringing more customers and helping you make more money later.
