In 2009, Riot Art & Craft approached Performance Partners to assist with the improvement of everything retail. Prior to our involvement, Riot Art & Craft’s major focus had been leasing and product and they decided that before opening more stores, it was time to focus on people.
Our work started with a full assessment of retail. Our team visited stores in all states and met with managers and staff and observed customer interaction on the shopfloor as well as general store operations. We then presented our findings to the executive team along with a set of recommendations and proposed timeline. This was quickly approved and we went about implementing our recommendations. These included:
General Manager Retail Recruitment
Unlike recruitment agencies that charge a percentage of salary, we went to work for Riot Art & Craft, on an hourly rate, to find the right General Manager Retail. Knowing the Riot Art & Craft business like we do, we were able to better match the candidates to the culture of the organisation as well as truly test their ability to deliver on the retail vision. We appointed the General Manager Retail and are now entrusted with the responsibility of hiring an Area Management team as well as key positions at Head Office.
Retail Culture Index [RCI]
We decided on using our RCI to formally measure the health of retail and give team members the opportunity to voice their ideas, concerns and successes. The RCI was deployed as a paper-based survey to all staff and managers. We then presented an executive summary of the report together with 90+ pages of comments and statistical summaries, to the executive team and the new GM Retail.
Store Manager Launch
Performance Partners arranged for Store Managers in each state to come together to formally meet the new GM Retail. Over breakfast, managers also received updates on:
- Company vision and strategy.
- Retail focus for 2010.
- Summary results from the RCI.
Policy & Procedure Manual
We worked closely with Riot Art & Craft to significantly improve their Policy & Procedure Manual. This manual included areas such as customer service, store presentation, discounts, stock management, cash handling, OHS as well as HR-related compliance.
Sales Program Design & Training
Working closely with Riot Art & Craft, we have designed a unique sales program that focuses on the service standards for all salespeople. This program was developed in conjunction with the best salespeople across the company and introduces salespeople to the Riot mindset and behaviours that will deliver exceptional service to customers. The program is titled, ‘Causing A Riot’. The program was successfully rolled out to all Store Managers and 2IC’s/3IC’s in a series of 2 and 1-day workshops.