Thesis on "Orientation Training Program for New Salesclerks"

Thesis 5 pages (1826 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Orientation and Training of Sales Clerks

Day Training, Orientation and Evaluation for Department Stores' Sales Clerks

Because this Department Store chain has seven stores in the city, it seems expedient that new sales clerks receive quality training before beginning work, during a 3-day Training and Orientation Program. Hiring and placing a new sales clerk should begin with their having a thorough knowledge of the expectations and policies of the Department Store, in addition to what should already be numbered in the new sales clerk's repertoire of skills. However, in order to refresh and train for quality service, this Department Store will also review the basic skills and knowledge which the occupation requires, as well as train the new sales clerks on our custom computerized cash registers. The course of study is outlined below:

Day One:

In the morning of Day One, as the Training and Orientation Program begins, the Human Resources Department personnel will orient the new personnel to the Department Store by giving them as much information as they can about its history and the reasons it has remained a popular store throughout a long period of time in this city. The new employees are then told the schedule of study and how the next three days will benefit them as they begin their new jobs. They will be told how it will help them solve certain problems and that it will encompass many different aspects of the job, from the technical to customer relations. The Human Relations Department will also serve a light snack at the break each morning and afternoon.

A definition of what a Sales Clerk is, will be part of the program and a film is shown, demonstrating the skills a good sales clerk knows and how they interact with customers. "While it may not be required, it is recommended that cashiers have a high school diploma." (Kelly, 2008) The Occupational Handbook also says that "For some entry-level jobs, personal characteristics are more important than formal training. Employers generally seek people who read, write, and speak well; compute accurately; think logically; learn quickly; get along with others; and demonstrate dependability." The Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides basic information and also goes into greater detail about a more highly skilled and experienced Sales Clerk. (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09). Information will also include voluntary certifications in this field, for which some sales clerks may wish to study.

This orientation program will deliver to the new personnel and briefly go over the Handbook which contains the policies and procedures of their job, including work hours, holidays and pay provided, as well as the principles upon which the company was founded. This Department Store has high expectations of its staff in the areas of honesty, friendliness and integrity of product. These are the key points in the high standards upon which this Department Store was founded. Upholding these standards creates and maintains a valuable customer base. It is through understanding these high standards that the new personnel will be able to function effectively in their position as sales clerks.

During the afternoon hours, Personnel trainers will take over to begin training in earnest. The new personnel will receive a review of the basic skills which they already have or may refresh or relearn. These involve:

A quick review of the computerized cash register system and demonstration of the functions of this system.

Counting cash and checks and storing them in the cash register. Making change for and delivering a receipt to the customer

Utilizing credit cards through our in-house computer system.

Utilizing bank cards through the in-house computer system.

Informing customers about this Department Store's own credit card, which will save them money as purchases are made and helping the customer apply for this credit card.

Helping a customer wishing to return an item.

How to answer questions about products or refer customers to the Customer Relations Department, where Department Store staff knowledgeable about warranties and return of faulty products may be consulted.

A review of services offered by the Department Store, such as carpet-laying, house-painting and installation of appliances, house-cleaning equipment rental and these services are priced. In this review the sales clerks will find out how to refer a customer to the department which offers such services.

A review of proper English.

Day Two

Day Two will be dedicated to the psychology of selling, to customer relations and to pleasing the customer who is searching for goods in the Department Store. A pleasant demeanor, dress and attitude toward the customer are all-important when it comes to making a customer feel comfortable and satisfied with the Department Store's services.

The new personnel will be given a short quiz which will determine for them and their trainer their particular personality and reveal how they look upon a new person who is visiting the store. With the results of this test, the trainer may then go over the procedures which the new personnel might use to help the customer, to make the customer feel more at ease and more inclined to continue searching for what they want within the Department Store, rather than moving on to another store.

Moving from this base of a "comfortable customer," a customer who feels that the sales clerk is genuinely interested in their particular need, the trainer will advance to the psychology of sales, and demonstrate how to help a customer find and choose which product they want from the selection in the Department Store. After the customer has chosen and paid for their product, the sales clerk is taught what the Department Store suggests they say to ensure that the customer will return to purchase more of the same type of goods in the future, or find unrelated products not in the sales clerk's department: "I hope you enjoy your product. If you have any problems with it whatsoever, please bring it back to us and we will make sure you are satisfied." A guarantee of satisfaction for goods purchased in the Department Store tends to improve customer satisfaction.

When the morning session on the Psychology of Sales is complete, the afternoon may be spent on the floor of the Department Store, observing other sales clerks and then using what they have learned to help customers who have come to purchase goods in the store. The new personnel will not help the customers at the cash register, but lead them to a sales clerk who is already experienced and ready to help them purchase their goods, once the new personnel have helped the customer find what they want.

Day Three

Day Three, supervised by the trainers, begins with a review of Mathematics which may be used in serving our customers. Even though the computerized cash registers may add taxes, deduct sales percentages and total all purchases, it is still important for the sales clerks to be able to figure these items out beforehand for the customer in the process of helping the customer decide what and how much to purchase. If a knowledgeable sales clerk can quickly show a customer how much he or she can save by purchasing items from this Department Store, a sale may be won. In relation to this skill, the sales clerks will learn how products are priced and marked down.

The afternoon of Day Three is important, because a sales clerks' main duty, though there are multiple other duties as well, is to receive the payment for goods purchased. The review of the computerized system will continue in some detail, as receiving payment and knowing how to price and enter a product that is being purchased are learned. This afternoon will place the new personnel onto a computerized cash register and they will practice receiving payments in many different forms, within the confines of the classroom.

Once the practice session is complete to the satisfaction of the trainer, the new personnel will be take out onto the floor of the Department Store, to the Department where they were hired to work, and there they will be guided through a session with a customer who is purchasing goods, watched over by their trainer.

Upon returning to the classroom, the trainers will then field questions from, and ask questions of the new personnel about what they just experienced.

At the end of Day Three, new personnel will be interviewed by their trainers and their progress and abilities will be reviewed. If there is a problem with one of the new personnel which becomes evident during these three days of training. This will also be the time in which the person will be either warned or dismissed, if a problem has arisen which seems to be insoluble.

Continuing Training

In the Department Store, employees are considered to be continually in training, as technology and their skills are upgraded. During Employee Development Workshops, not only shall they receive reviews of their work, but they shall also receive rewards for work well done, as well as workshops on new services available… READ MORE

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