Retail Staff Scheduling

2. With this much of the net sales dollar at stake, questions about how to control these labor dollars are always at the front of the retailer's mind. Service levels must be maintained and profits are essential. The balancing act is perpetual. An average capacity to cover the volume does not provide quality service when customers arrive in bunches nor does it make a profit when there are slow periods. Probably no phase of retail store operations is more controversial yet more important than the staffing of selling departments. It is at this point that, frequently, the viewpoints of the merchant, the controller and the customer come in conflict. Each group agrees, almost sanctimoniously, that it is the customer's interests which must be satisfied, but the question remains how to do it. It is a very complex situation. 3. The key to retail staff scheduling lies in flexibility, planning, and consistent scrutiny of the flow of activity in the operation. Managers in these businesses must understand that flow and be able to adjust staffing to meet its needs quickly. Otherwise some part of it will fail to fulfill its mission. 4. The purpose of this procedure is to set out guidelines for creating workable staff schedules and proposals for using them to meet company goals.