So, the kids were packed back off to school, Autumn's clothing dragged from the back of the wardrobe and Winter coats dry cleaned and donned, then the counter was thrust into a whirlwind of training. And the overall theme?
Change. Yes, things have got to change.
But into what?
We still sell stuff, we still put stuff on peoples faces, gift wrap, bring up stock, do the figures, acknowledge customers within a nano second of them arriving, link sell, colour combine, explain the facts, provide choice, guidance, be gaily witty, put up with arseholes, clean grubby finger marks from acres of black resin and walk the elderly to the toilets, whilst retaining the known ingredients, function and availability of each and every product we sell to the public at the fore front of our carefully powdered brains.
And what are we changing exactly?
Because throughout all the retraining, nobody has actually pointed to anything we don't already do. We have had shinny things waved at us, been shown digital flickerings of great importance, dallied with online musings and been patronised, feted, cajoled and bribed.
Naively, I had hoped to come out of at least one of these sessions with wings or as a semi-qualified neuro surgeon, but I have actually arrived back on counter with the feeling that a big box of sweets and a, 'thank you for all your hard work' would have been a lot cheaper for everyone.
Now Retail Christmas is coming with new shinny smiles, we embrace any change that will stop someone on Christmas Eve saying,
'Oh, no, your not closing now are you???'
