Brm456 Staffing Evaluation

Brm456 Staffing Evaluation

  • Submitted By: ptoneil
  • Date Submitted: 03/08/2009 6:23 PM
  • Category: Business
  • Words: 1218
  • Page: 5
  • Views: 399

Running head: WEEK 1: STAFFING EVALUATION

BRM456: Staffing Evaluation
Patrick O’Neil
University of Phoenix
Submitted to: John Ulveling
January 8, 2009

Staffing Levels

Determining the most appropriate staffing levels for a retail establishment can be a challenging task. “While store employees provide important customer service and merchandising functions that can increase sales, they also are the store’s largest operating expense.” (Levy & Weitz, 2007, p. 479) This paper will explore two different types of retail companies and evaluate their staffing levels, including an analysis of changes that could be made to improve sales and customer service.

Stewart’s Shops

One of the leading convenience store chains in New York is Stewart’s Shops, with over 300 stores and its own dairy and ice cream processing plants. ("Who We Are") The location visited was on Route 5 in Palatine Bridge, New York. At the time of the visit, there were two employees working the shop. The two shared cashier duties while carrying out several other tasks. One employee primarily handled tasks behind the counter such as serving ice cream, lottery ticket sales and cigarette inventory. The other handled tasks in the store including restocking the coolers and freezers and cleaning floors. The employee working behind the counter also had the lead on waiting on customers. If more than two or three customers were in line, the other employee would step behind the other register and start ringing up customers.
The store is located in a very rural area where more than half of the population has only a high school education and works in a blue collar job or is self-employed. ("Palatine Bridge," 2007) This location sells gas, but does not offer pat-at-the-pump meaning that many customers enter the store just to pay for their gas. These customers are typically in a hurry and want to be checked out quickly. A rough estimate made while at the store was that 25% of the customer...

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