Last Impressions, Kaizen at the Checkout
Clutter is the enemy of efficiency and customer service. It is a friend of shrink.
The last and potentially best interaction with a customer is at the checkout. They are giving you money for stuff. The most basic equation of business.
Why not make sure it’s positive?
Next time you check out at a store, look behind and around the register area. Only the things needed to serve and check customers out should be there. Self or staffed checkout, the idea is the same.
If you are responsible for the management of stores, look, really look. To me, it’s an important clue to how well a store is run.
Why it matters
Clutter is the enemy of efficiency and customer service. It is a friend of shrink.
Stuff I have found under checkouts:
Plenty of excess supplies
Clipboards with old notes
Money, yes actual money
Customer misplaced credit cards, gift cards, drivers licenses
Cashier snacks and drinks
Prescription drugs
Last season branded bags
Coupons
Merchandise, lots of merchandise
Dust bunnies, multi-generational families
Cleaning supplies, sometimes a lot
And more
With a Kaizen lense, only what is needed to transact business should be in the area. Exactly what that list looks like varies a little between locations. Once that list is developed and agreed to, that’s all that should be there.
One store I took over was clutter heaven from the front door to the back. I needed one area to be an example of the way things should be. So I started with the checkouts. We literally filled shopping carts with stuff that didn’t belong. The cashiers enthusiastically participated in the clean-out.
Various department managers also had a habit of putting random things they wanted to sell on the checkout surface that was supposed to be for customers. (we didn’t have belt conveyers) Just that stuff filled a shopping cart to overflowing. The cashiers nearly threw a party when their workspace was clean, safe, and easier to work in.
That was the easy part. Keeping it that way took a lot of regular effort, especially at first. At that time I had never heard of 5S, but that’s essentially what we did.
Sorted out what we needed and got rid of what we didn’t
Set what we did need in place
Shined the area up, cleaned
Standardized what went where and how much
We kept it that way
Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain.
The difference was so profound, customers noticed and commented. As that expectation spread around the store they shopped more often and spent more money. Shrink went down, carried inventory was reduced because we knew what we actually owned.
In a surprise benefit, cashier turnover (historically high) went down. Because of the effort and sustained attention, cashiers felt valued and heard. Hmmm.
The goal of 5s is consistent organization and a constantly improving work environment. A byproduct is improved profits.
Today’s Quote:
“Improvement usually means doing something that we have never done before.” ~Shigeo Shingo
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