As a general rule, we are taught that it is always better to give than receive. Whoever said this (which, after a quick Google search, could be anyone from Jesus to Elton John’s boyfriend) clearly never had much experience in working retail. The goal for the items in your store should be like Tiger Woods in Vegas — get in, get out, leave the money on the table. While receiving items from vendors may seem fairly routine, common pit falls do abound. The following scenarios are what clients have told us is critical to their success (and is easily remembered by using the acronym GREAT):

1. GET What You Pay For. Did you get all the items you ordered? Do your store employees know what to do if an order is not fulfilled? Is there a substitute item? If it is a popular selling item, when will you receive the missing item? How is the home office notified? Remember…communication is key!
2. RELEASE Cupid’s Chokehold. Ah…the sweetheart deals. If you do not have a policy in place, then you leave the potential for a vendor to get too cozy with your store personnel. Before you know it, your store becomes a dumping ground for every new product to hit the market. These types of stores are easy to identify — product is stacked from floor to ceiling, inventory turn reports reveal numbers that would lead you to believe product delivery should be every 90 days instead of 7 days, and your inventory keeps growing while your cash keeps shrinking.
3. EYE the receipt. It is imperative that you verify your receipt process.  Most grocers provide an electronic invoice.  Hand-held scanners can be used to check vendors in and weed out any unauthorized items and invalid pricing immediately.  If the costs are not correct, you should have a policy in place for notification to the vendor and to the home office.
4. That’s AMORE. Don’t let a vendor show your store personnel all the love. Showing your store personnel that you care and that they are a valued member of your organization, gives them assurance and confidence in their job…at least until their daily prayer of “Lord, let me prove that winning the lottery won’t spoil me” gets answered.
5. TRIM the Fat. Did you get items you didn’t order? How do you handle unauthorized items coming into your store? Your store personnel know to contact you, right?

Each of these five elements is critical and should be checked and re-checked to be certain the processes you have in place are followed religiously by all parties. Be sure to join us next week as we discuss the thrilling topic of audit invoices. Have a GREAT day!

The ad went on to point out the areas of businesses where you need to optimize your workforce to gain the most productivity.  The bullet points are: Staffing, Quality, Cost, Service, Performance, Sales and ROI.

Over the last several years, as c-store operators become more sophisticated, the survivors have been those companies who invested in the technology to most efficiently tie in the bullet items above.  They can operate quickly and more accurately than ever before, thus increasing their customer service levels since staff would be free to attentively serve customers instead of being bogged down with paperwork.

The best practice tools are available today, not just from CMIsolutions, but by an entire industry of POS vendors, grocery distributors and oil companies.  We work with thousands of stores each day to help our clients succeed. If you are on the sidelines, the urgency to get in the game has never been greater.

The c-store industry has been a cash cow for bankruptcy attorneys.  Ever wonder why?