RETAILING continued
and operated with very little staff turnover, some have frequent seasonal turnover. Regardless of your employee count, it is a healthy business practice to dedicate time each quarter to training your staff and keeping them up-to-date on business practices. Begin by creating an Operations Guide that you keep current as your business evolves. Make sure this document is easily accessible for your staff to refer
surveys and asking your customers to complete online reviews. This can be done by sending out emails to customers, reminding your customers to fill out a review after a trip, and posting signs around your facility with a barcode to leave some feedback in a survey. For your staff you might need to get a little more creative. Some industries do quarterly and annual reviews with their employees to track
to. Monthly in-person in-service events can be costly, so whenever you gather everyone together in person, make sure the information you are going over together is im- portant. Sending weekly staff emails or creating a memo system for your employees to review while they are in your facility is an easy and cost-effective way to keep everyone on the same page. Being organized in the way you com- municate is the best way to avoid complications with staff. 5. The willingness to recom- mend training, equipment, and travel based on your customers’ interest and needs. You are doing
their progress and grant raises and bonuses. You don’t have to put to- gether something as formal as large corporations do, it can be as simple as making time to check in with your staff members every few weeks. Don’t be afraid to ask them if there is something they would like to spend more time learning or if there is something they would like to do differently. At the very least, when you put new processes into place, be sure to check in frequently with your customers and staff so that you are achieving the expected results. Those last two items are likely the most controversial, but I’m willing to argue that they are the most im-
your customer and yourself a disservice if you routinely only take enough time to make the “easy sales.” It’s smart to have a class schedule template for the year but be sure to also pay attention to the interests and dive goals of your new customers. Adding courses based on your customers’ interests will keep them engaged with your business. The same goes for equipment. If someone is interested in gear that you don’t normally sell, make sure you are educated on it and consider introducing new items or brands into your inventory. Teaching new classes, selling new equipment, and traveling to different destinations won’t just help you retain your current customers, it will help you gain new ones. 6. A system in place to receive feedback from your cus- tomers AND your staff. As industry professionals we are the experts of our field. Our expertise often comes from years of experience and training. Don’t let your experiences keep you from being open-minded to change. The key to separate your business from the others out there is to not only be open to feedback from your customers AND your less expe- rienced staff, but to actively seek it out. For customers it can be as simple as having your students complete end of course
portant to the success of your business. Too many industry professionals get stuck in a routine of only advertising, selling, and promoting what has worked best for them during their scuba journey. While your passion adds a layer of persuasion to your sales pitch, it would be irresponsible not to fully educate your customer on their options as their needs may not be the same as yours. Feedback, whether positive or negative, has become so valuable that industries have been built on how to harvest it from the population. The more your customers and staff experience you asking for feedback, the more quality feedback you will get. Before another busy season begins, take some time to reflect and revamp the way you operate your business. I’m not trying to convince you to reorganize your entire business, I'm encouraging you to take a moment to acclimate to the reality that are operating in and begin making small changes that could have giant impacts. By beginning to expand and
reframe the way you and your business operate, you are able to reach new results. I hope you are feeling inspired, refreshed and ready for the busy season!
email Brooke
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