A couple of months ago an especially energetic Tully's employee, after I had asked him why the store was so clean, said, "I believe that if I have time to lean against something, I have time to clean something." If you have time to lean, you have time to clean has been a standard belief for years in consumer retail. Yet, at Tully's Coffee, despite the fact they have exceptional employees, are spending thousands on improving the "experience" they provide customers, and a great new company website that features TellTully's.com , which is an excellent way to solicit input from customers, most stores in the Seattle area need of a cleanup. (I can only assume that, if stores near the head office are poorly maintained, there are other stores in need of elbow grease.)
As the covert mission is directed toward the frontline team leaders (Store Managers who are not only responsible for the filthy stores, but can do something about cleaning them up), who probably don't know there is a shareholders meeting coming, I would like to point out that this is a once a year opportunity to impress the investors with the new and shiny (clean) "New Tasty and Terrific Tully's Coffee."
As I have said many times, "Customers judge, consciously and unconsciously, everything they see, hear, smell, and feel (sense)". Knowing (and believing) that simple truth is especially important with group of investors (many who are running out of patience while they wait for the company to go public) coming to town for the meeting.
Hey Store Managers, it's simple stuff. Starbucks sweeps the floors every hour. Do it every forty-five minutes and be proud that you are better in the "Floor Sweeping" Category than your biggest competitor. Take all of your products off the shelves, then clean the shelves and the items. Clean your windows and get rid of the dirty or worn (in most cases unneeded) things you have taped to the glass in doors and windows. Make the stores extraordinarily clean!
Have a meeting and ask everyone, "What should we do to keep this place bright and shiny?" Then set up a system to do what they say should be done. (In soliciting input from everyone on your staff, you are engaging them and beginning the process of selling them on buying into "The Best of the Best" mission.
Tully's Coffee is doing real well in many areas, but the goal is to be the best the best, bar none.
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