Whether your store feels calm or chaotic, fun or frantic, the right strategies can make all the difference during busy periods, such as the upcoming back-to-dance rush. After nearly 40 years of trial and error, I’ve learned what truly helps the season go more smoothly. I hope these tried-and-true tips spare you the stress and overwhelm this September.
Staff Up
In tough economic times, it’s hard to justify bringing on new team members, but dance retailers need to staff up if we are to maintain excellent customer service. We need enough people to give us a cushion if an employee (or two) calls in sick on a busy Saturday.
Consider hiring a crew for just the rush period, with the understanding that some may be kept on. At my store in Ottawa, Ontario, we’ve had great success doing this with older high school students. They’re often fans of the store and tend to be quick learners. You could also staff up with retirees.
Simple Tasks, Strong Results
To set your short-term team up for success, break down their tasks into manageable, bite-sized chunks. For instance, a new hire might focus solely on fitting shoes without learning the cash register—or even specialize in fitting just one style of shoe. Start by listing everything your staff does in a typical day, then divide those responsibilities into simple tasks that someone can master with just a few days of training.
I find that high school students will either sink or swim, so make sure you hire enough in the initial group to make up for those that will inevitably drop off. Those who do well usually learn to fit shoes and leotards in three or four three-hour training sessions. Over the years, many of our best staff have come from this seasonal group.
Transform Chaos Into Flow
When the customer walks into your crowded store in September, will they know where to go? Will they know where to line up for shoes, or where to get help with leotards? Set up stations throughout your store to create a seamless flow based on the customer’s needs. Have someone at the door to direct them, too. A crowded store can be intimidating, so make navigating it easy by creating a step-by-step, station-to-station process.
Handing out numbers to customers needing service will make sure that no one is worried about losing their place. Studies have shown that people are far more patient if they know how long their wait will be. Why not have a chalkboard that shows the average wait time? You could even get techy with a solution like Waitwhile. This app calculates the estimated wait time and notifies customers through SMS, email, and push notifications when it’s their turn. At only $23 a month for small businesses, the app is surprisingly affordable. They also offer a free version, so you can test it out and see if it works for you.
Shelf Navigation Made Easy
Blame it on cellphones, but, increasingly, new employees struggle to find products on the shelves. They have trouble seeing how items are organized. This problem will worsen under the stress of back-to-dance. We can’t afford to have our staff take forever to look for a shoe. Make it easy for them to find items by having clear signage. Label all your shelves and boxes. Make the numbers big and clear. If you can, add pictures. Some people struggle with recognizing numbers; a picture will help them find the product faster.
Having a chart on each shelf that shows how a shoe fits relative to street size can make a big difference—especially for new hires. Experienced dancewear staff are used to the quirks of sizing (this style runs a half size up, that one a size and a half down), but for beginners, it can be overwhelming. A simple visual guide with the street size on top and the recommended size in that specific dance shoe below removes the guesswork. Some people struggle with simple math, so having both words and a chart will lower your staff’s stress and speed up their service.
Look After Your Most Important Asset: You
Your staff take their cues from you. If you’re calm, they’ll keep calm. If you get frantic, they’ll lose their cool. And let’s face it, in the depth of the rush, it’s hard for us not to get a little frantic.
So take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, work out, meditate. The better shape you’re in, the better your store will run. I know that none of us will be booking a spa day in September, but there’s nothing to stop us from taking a walk around the block. Get out, get some fresh air, watch the birds, pet a dog. You’ll come back refreshed and ready to tackle the rush.
In those moments where stress has taken hold of your brain, try this quick breathing technique from Stanford University neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. His “physiological sigh” will work wonders to reset your brain.
The technique is simple: Breathe in twice through your nose, hold that breath, and then let it out in a long exhale through your mouth. (You can read the science here or watch writer Dan Pink demonstrate it here.)
Plan Now, Stay Sane Later
Implement any of these recommendations that will work for your store—before things get busy. Your customers deserve a smooth, calm experience. And you deserve it too.
Gilbert Russell is a seasoned dancewear retailer who helps independent stores thrive through his book Retail AI Unleashed, coaching programs, speaking engagements, and weekly newsletter.