Member to Members
added 02/19/09
As a longstanding member of the Co-op, and with a retail food background, I have been continually impressed with the stores’ ability to be efficient and upbeat without sacrificing performance or quality. Always lingering in my mind has been the question, “Who and what makes these laudable attributes come together to make a successful operation?”
Thinking that other members and non-members may ask this same question, I hope, through this “Member to Members” column, to dispel the notion that the Hanover and Lebanon Co-ops and Community Market are “merely supermarkets,” as some assert. They are, in fact, member-owned-and-run. Unlike a privately held market which favors the wants of suppliers over those of the customers, the Co-op trains its employees to provide the services and products that the member-owners request. The goal of this column, then, is twofold: to provide a closer connection of the members with the stores, thus giving reason for non-members to join, and, ultimately, to give some insight into just how these three stores work their magic.
I hope that all readers will feel at home in making suggestions for future columns.
—Helen Brody
The “Front End”
by Helen Brody
To car mechanics, a “front end” is the hood; to a computer guru, it could mean a web server. Front end in the retail food business means the cashiers and courtesy clerks who manage and run the registers, pack the shopper’s bags, and always offer to carry them to the car.
The Front End is the culmination of the Co-op shopping experience. A bad event at the Front End can dispel the good will provided by the sales and marketing departments and can mean the loss of a customer. In the retail world, lost customers seldom return without a great deal of effort and cost.
Front End managers Linda Temple and Sheila Clark from the Hanover and Lebanon stores, respectively, and Helen Daisey as manager of the newly renovated Community Market kindly offered insight into their training and jobs, as did members of their staff.
One tip-off as to how these staffers feel about their workplace may be that several of them have been manning their posts for more than 15 years (a rarity in most retail stores) and have risen through the ranks to supervisor and manager.
And be assured, good customer service is never a serendipitous event; it is the product of rigorous training. After a new employee receives a tour of the store to gain a sense of the layout and product variety and receives register training, a sign is placed at the end of the counter: “Please be patient – I’m new at this.” The importance of a smile and a look in the eye when asking “Are you a member?” are stressed.
Unlike other departments, cashiers do not have sales figures to use as inspiration. No matter; these staffers are a resourceful and imaginative bunch, and many have joined together to devise games designed to stoke the competitive fires. One such fiendish game was inspired by Monopoly and conveniently re-titled Frontopoly. Each space is a department or idea, with the purpose of familiarizing the staff with the workings of the company as a whole. The current game, “Surviving the FESTBL Challenge,” was inspired by the show “Survivor.” FESTBL is an acronym for the “Triple Bottom Line” strategy of financial, environmental, and social responsibility.
There are also follow-up quizzes asking the definition of, say, a “tare” (the amount taken off for a container before the product is weighed); what is a CPU (cash-only pick-up); can a non-member get cash back on a check (no); what three things should you verify when doing a price check (barcode, ounces, and brand); and artful ways to pack a bag. “Cheat sheets” provide help with identifying the imposing variety of products that grace the Co-op shelves.
Customer often help cashiers to identify a product, particularly in the case of produce. And there are other ways we, as members, can be understanding of the Front End. As Lebanon’s Sheila Clark says, “We hate to turn people away for a dirty milk bottle but, for sanitation reasons, we must.” And it is unhealthy to put food in an unwashed canvas bag. There is always the hope that customers will follow the “10 items or fewer” rule for the express lane. And note: two lemons are not one item, because each lemon must be coded in separately for inventory purposes.
Another contribution that members can render is to have their membership number ready at the register; a smartly moving line is a joyous thing, especially if there is a significant queue. And readable numbers on the bulk bin items are always helpful.
Concerns about slippery walks, product complaints, or a problem on the sales floor should really be handled by the service desk, not vented to the cashiers— although a Co-op cashier will listen attentively and graciously. And finally, says Helen Daisey, it’s nice to get a smile from a customer when the cashier says, “How’s your day?” As she reported, a gentleman recently confronted a cashier with a stern look on his face and said “I just don’t understand you people.” The cashier showed dismay until he added with a smile, “You people are just too darn nice.”
Helen Brody can be reached here or through messages left at the Service Desk in either Co-op store.
More than Just a Number
Some customers may feel that the year-end dividends do not warrant digging into their pockets or purses for their membership card or trying to recall their membership numbers from memory. Keep in mind, however, that your number can yield other benefits, not the least of which is a contact trail for a product recall. In addition, the registers can regenerate a duplicate receipt at a future date, and providing your membership number begets unquestioned check-cashing privileges.
What Do You Think?
Have some thoughts about this article? We’d love to hear from you! Please email us your suggestion or question. Want to sign up for the email version of the Co-op News? Join our list!
