I was shopping in a giant toy store today that is identified by a backward R in the middle of the store's name. It was mid-afternoon and I was surprised by the number of people walking about up and down the aisles. The majority of the shoppers, this afternoon, were easily sixty years of age or older. Lots of gray hair and lots of men and women looking together, presumably grandparents, all appearing rather dazed and confused by the enormity of the choices setting upon the shelves.
The sheer volume of inventory is both impressive and overwhelming, at the same time. Wandering through the store is like wandering through San Francisco's China Town without a map. I was looking for two things - Play Doh and a toy that a friend thought was made by Fisher Price. After walking through aisle after aisle, eyes trained upward trying to read the small signs at the end of each aisle, with even tinier print, I discovered I couldn't see any inventory because I was constantly looking up to read signs. "This", I thought to myself, "is not working.", so I tried to find a sales associate. There were many sales associates milling about but I could not get close enough to one of them long enough to ask a question. After nearly closing in a almost a dozen associates, I gave up and went in search of the service desk, where I waited.....and waited. When a service-desk associate finally looked up to notice me and I was able to ask where the two items might be that I was searching for, the associate got this blank look on her face and I thought to myself, "This is not working." After she consulted with another associate, I was directed to two different spots in the large store. Spots, mind you, not aisle numbers, which is what I was hoping for. I began my wandering again, this time, at least, with a bit more specificity of location than before. I was able to find the Play Doh but the other toy was a strike-out, even with assistance from two associates.
Checkout brought no better service than the rest of my experience in Jeffery's store. There were only two clerks, one of which was tied up with one customer the entire time that the other clerk (mine) waited on four customers before me. Behind me were five to six more waiting to make their purchases. Even though service was inexorably slow, I gave no thought to putting down my Play Doh and leaving the store. It took too much time and energy to find the Play Doh and not purchase it.
I do understand that the volume of inventory is so huge that it would be impossible for one person to know where everything is but I was disappointed with the lackadaisical attitude that I encountered from most of the staff. I think Jeffery is as cute as can be but his keepers need some additional training. After all, the Halloween buffer is gone and Christmas is right around the retail corner.
Jeffery, you had better round up your employees and do some serious mentoring or it is going to be a very poor fourth quarter for your bottom line.
Ancora imparo
