The Great Indignation

I recently had an awful in-store experience at a major home improvement retailer. I won’t bore you with the details, but I got to thinking about how difficult it must be for retailers to maintain the level of customer service that they were able to provide prior to the pandemic.

Borrowing a line from one of my favorite shows called The Profit, the success of any business depends on the three P’s, People, Process, and Product. Our country’s current business environment places challenges on all three of these ingredients especially for those interacting with customers in a retail setting.

First the People. The pandemic and the so-called great resignation have resulted in major talent shortages where retailers, in some cases, have been forced to hire anyone who is willing to work. These people may be thrown into unfamiliar situations without the required experience and skills. Customers are forced to interact with those who are learning “on the job” often through no fault of their own.

Next the Process. Processes are embedded into the customer experience over time as employees learn the business including product knowledge, inventory, and point of sales technologies, and leveraging the decision-making freedom they have to satisfy the customer. The process breaks down when inexperienced employees are thrown into the fire. Again, the customer is forced to experience the ugliness when processes do not work as designed.

Lastly the Product. The supply chain issues have resulted in less than well stocked shelves and unusually long lead times for out-of-stock items. If the customer has other options, a loss of revenue may occur, but brand reputation and loyalty may be the more costly and longer lasting casualty.

It is no wonder that customers continue to shift to online retailers like Amazon. At least they can feel more in control of the buying experience.

Until we can get this fixed, here is my advice to anyone (and to myself) venturing out for some retail shopping therapy. Lower your expectations, put on your patience hat, and don’t be a jerk to that poor under-trained and often under-paid salesperson who may be there because someone else decided to call it quits.