Baking meets Retail

Although I normally focus on problems in retail, today I decided to look into another topic which is baking. I know it is in no relation to what I normally post but after I read a post from a fellow blogger which I follow ,  I found this post to be so well written and interesting I had to share it and comment. 

The blog is sugarkisses1.blogspot.com and the post is titled Sweet Little Earths. This post caught my eye because at first I thought what a weird title. But actually going into and reading the post was like being transported into a different world, the world of baking. 

I am not a baker myself but I do have a huge sweet tooth, probably too big. If you really know me, on countless occasions you will see me eating a cookie or a cupcake. Anything sweet will become my best friend. But back to the post. In this posting, the author describes a new trend in baking called geode inclusions which is made from rock candy. From the pictures it looks spectacular. But this is actually something I’ve never heard of before. The blogger provides details of how to actually make rock candy and from the description it seems like it can be made in multiple fashions. The first is described as very time consuming and involves a long process of actually growing the rock candy crystals from scratch. The other ways are much easier options such as simply breaking up hard candy. Although I may never try this myself just because baking is not my specialty I will definitely introduce this concept to my friends who have more of a knack for things like this. 

If you would like to read the post more, here is the link: Sugarkisses

Sensors!

SENSORS! Everyone knows about them but not many understand the true nature of these objects. Although they are meant to protect our merchandise somehow they tend to do other things. Stores place these objects on their clothes or other items to prevent stealing. But sometimes they can end up hurting the wrong people. For instance they poke us. Us meaning retail workers.

On more than one occasion I have personally been poked by a sensor and it is a very hurtful experience. No one talks about how sharp they are. They only seem to mention that sensors function solely for helping the store. But if that needle happens to poke you, the pain feels like a bee sting times ten. The sensors must be removed from the clothing properly in order to prevent this outcome.
Yet despite how technology advances and the new machines which have been developed to assist in the removal of sensors, workers still find themselves stopping to say Ouch! countless times a day.

Pain does not only occur when taking off the sensors. Applying sensors can also be an ouch moment. For instance some stores instruct their workers what is the right way to put the sensors on. Sensors normally have ink enclosed in them so that they cannot be tampered with. If they are tampered with the ink will burst and destroy the merchandise, therefore defeating the purpose of trying to steal in the first place.


The basic point of this retail problem is that even though they are small, don't mess with sensors. Big things really do come in small packages in this case. Although they are small, they pack a huge punch in the form of the ink that bursts and can destroy the clothes or the sting that occurs if a retail worker mistakenly pokes him or herself with the sensor

Retail Problem #4

One of the biggest problems in retail is loss prevention. Despite the effort of the companies to prevent customers from stealing their merchandise, every day companies still suffer from the loss of their goods. This leads to heavy loss for the company itself and will later impact other aspects of the store. If a store continues to have a high percentage of loss, then it is clear that certain measures need to be taken in order for this to stop.

What are some of the measures? Well some stores have turned to technology, applying cameras around every corner with an extensive staff observing the footage. What exactly is loss prevention though? According to Wikipedia,

Retail loss prevention is a set of practices employed by retail companies to preserve profit. Profit preservation is any business activity specifically designed to reduce preventable losses. A preventable loss is any business cost caused by deliberate or inadvertent human actions, colloquially known as "shrinkage".

The article goes on to state that,

Since retail loss prevention is geared towards the elimination of preventable loss^[2] and the bulk of preventable loss in retail is caused by deliberate human activity, traditional approaches to retail loss prevention have been through visible security measures matched with technology such as CCTV and electronic sensor barriers. 

Based on these quotes, Wikipedia makes a good attempt to describe retail problem #4 but there is still room for improvement. For instance the second quote describes ways in which stores implement loss prevention such as through technology like cameras and sensor barriers. But there are also more effective ways of loss prevention which Wikipedia left out. Technology is not the only trick in the book used to catch thieves. Another method is using plain-clothed Loss Prevention Officers  to walk the sales floor and actually observe the thieves. I believe this is a very effective method. If the Loss Prevention Officer appears like a regular shopper, he or she is able to go undercover and catch the thief red handed. Therefore I think the quote should state,

Since retail loss prevention is geared towards the elimination of preventable loss^[2] and the bulk of preventable loss in retail is caused by deliberate human activity, traditional approaches to retail loss prevention have been through visible security measures matched with technology such as CCTV and electronic sensor barriers. Most companies take this traditional approach by either having their own in-house loss prevention team or using external security agencies. Companies have also developed newer and more efficient ways to prevent loss of their merchandise. In some cases the loss prevention officers will walk the floor dressed like a regular shopper in order to observe those who may seem suspicious. This new method gives the loss prevention team the opportunity to catch the thief red handed. it offers the element of surprise. 

When a retail worker goes shopping...

Although most of my posts go off into tangents about the problems in retail, today I decided to mix it up and do something different. Today I decided to review my personal shopping experience in a retail store. This time I was on the other side of the counter meaning instead I was the customer rather than the one providing the service.

On my day off I decided to do a little shopping. I had some items I wanted to pick up especially since we are in the midst of a changing season and decided to visit another store which I do not work at. I decided to do this to see their customer service in comparison to how i would normally provide service. 

I am not sure if it is because I work in customer service but I am definitely more critical of bad customer service now than prior to when I first started working in retail. it is sad to say but this experience that i had in the store (which shall remain unnamed) was one of the worst shopping experiences i have had. The first problem was the service provided by the staff. No one seemed to want to be at work that day and so anyone I asked a question would seem very annoyed at the fact that they were being bothered. I am a bit understanding about this because of course everyone has things going on in their lives and sometimes work just adds to the stress. But if the majority of the staff is rude then clearly that company has a bunch of bad apples that need to be removed.

The second problem which I faced was the disorganization of the store itself. Normally department stores have clear cut sections or departments such as kids, women, men and shoes. But in this particular store there was no separation. Everything was just a big mess and if you wanted to find something you needed patience and binoculars. 

These two problems combined made the shopping experience horrible and I ended up leaving the store empty handed. I was disappointed but this experience actually served as a wake up call. this made me realize how important good customer service is in order for a business to prosper.

Retail Problem #3

Although my posts may seem like rants sometimes , this one had to be made. One of the most FRUSTRATING things which i experienced was the question "Excuse me where is the bathroom?"  Although this is such an innocent question it can become a trigger after awhile.
Forget about retail for a hot second. Wherever you go in a public place with a restroom there is normally a bunch of SIGNS indicating where the closest restroom is. So why is retail any different.

When walking into a store normally there are signs posted saying RESTROOMS with an arrow pointing in the direction. These signs are normally CLEAR and BOLD with BRIGHT colors like red. This means that they CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be missed. Despite the effort of the store to alert the customers of where the bathrooms are, there are always those straggler customers who are maybe somewhat confused by the signs and need further help.

Of course this is not the hugest problem in the world and it could be a simple mistake when someone can't find the bathroom but this post serves to shed light on the fact that people need to observe their surrounding in a better manner. And one of the ways to do that is if you need to use the bathroom in a public place please first look for the signs because that is what they are there for.

Four Do Nots For Dress Code in Retail

Four Do Nots for the Dress Code

Working in retail can sometimes have a very casual dress code. While other times some companies have a stricter policy such as wear all black as if you are attending your funeral every day you enter the work place. But if you just so happen to work in a casual atmosphere here are four Do Nots which should be remembered.

        1.      Do not wear anything too revealing if you are a woman. Ladies whether or not you are allowed to wear casual clothes you are still at work and dressing like you are going to a party is just not suitable. Leave that for the turn up but for the turn down at work the outfit should atone to that mood.
        2.      Do not wear anything with offensive writing displayed which may offend the customers. For instance since its election year try to avoid political shirts saying things like vote for Trump unless you're trying to ruin the business and be out of a job. But also because work is just not the right place for a political debate. There is a time and place for everything.
        3.      If it is summer time and you are one of those people who get hot easily at least try to remember to put on some deodorant. This point cannot be stressed enough. Do not forget the deodorant! Body odor is such a horrible thing for some people but luckily this magical invention was created in order to stop this problem and it was named deodorant. I can't imagine why some people would forget this but please try not to!
        4.      Do not forget to wear under garments. Without getting too inappropriate for all those filthy minds out there, under garments is definite must in all seasons but especially in the summer time. This is for all my fellow females ,a bra is a must! Although this is obvious there are some of us out there who choose to do outlandish things and showing up to work without a bra is one of them, which is why it is on the list. Do not forget your bra!

Five Ways to Survive Monday Mornings in Retail

Aside from Monday mornings already being a drag, Monday mornings in retail are that times ten. Well that may be a bit of an extreme but it can get that bad. If you have the morning shift on a Monday you may be responsible for all the returns from the weekend especially if the weekend crew didn't have a chance to return all the merchandise. Monday's are normally slow and this downtime gives the store the opportunity to catch up on all the work the weekend crew fell behind on. If it just so happened that you worked the weekend as well, then this list is especially a guide for survival for someone like you.

• The first way to survive is Do not forget your morning cup of coffee. If coffee is not your beverage of choice then perhaps a cup of tea but at least have some fuel in your stomach because you are definitely going to need it.

• The second way is Do not forget the breakfast. I know this should be pretty obvious but some people are in the habit of rushing out and forgetting their breakfast. NO! Do not! That is probably the worst idea and will backfire. You have to make sure you have eaten something prior to coming in or else you will have no energy to do anything.

• The third way is to keep a positive attitude. I am definitely not a morning person and so this is easier said than done. But this is an important way to survive. Although the day may get frustrating and on top of that you are already tired and cranky, if you do not have a positive attitude it will be hard to accomplish anything. Without a positive attitude you may feel overwhelmed or just ready to give up and that vibe is unnecessary but also disastrous for everything you do not just retail.

• The fourth way is to ensure that you wear comfy shoes. Although you need comfy shoes regardless of whatever day you are scheduled in retail you really need comfy shoes on a Monday morning. Your day consists of standing on your feet for long hours, walking back and forth and bending down to pick up merchandise as well as running racks. You need those comfy shoes to just make these tasks as easy as possible so as not to overwork yourself.

• The fifth and final way is to at least try to enjoy yourself. That is the best advice I could give to my fellow retail workers. I know it may be slow and the store is a bit dead, but try to look on the positive side which is that you don't have to deal with long lines and the store being packed to capacity.

I know these are not the only ways to survive Monday mornings in retail but these are the ways which have worked for me so far. This list is open to suggestions as I too would like to know other ways to survive Monday mornings.