As a convenience store manager, you always want your team to be performing at its best – but sometimes employees can let their fears get in the way of success. Convenience store employees are faced with a lot of difficult situations on a daily basis. When they overcome their fears, employees perform their jobs better while helping your business run more smoothly.
Overcoming Employee Fears
- Fear of hearing “no” from a customer: Increasing sales is always a goal in the convenience business, and employees should be able to suggest additional items to customers whenever possible. Sometimes the fear of hearing a “no” will prevent an employee from even trying to sell. You can help employees overcome this fear by encouraging them to brainstorm items to recommend in advance and role-play amongst themselves for additional practice.
- Fear of making mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes, but in the convenience store industry those mistakes could have serious consequences. The fear of those consequences could impact an employee’s ability to do their job well if they’re second-guessing every action. Confidence is fear’s worst enemy. When employees are properly trained and that training is reinforced with constructive feedback, employees will approach their jobs knowing they’re capable of success.
- Fear of dealing with angry customers: Nobody likes having an angry customer yelling at them, but an employee too timid to do their job is an ineffective employee. Training your employees on problem solving techniques or conflict resolution will provide them with the skills they need to handle situations involving unhappy customers.
- Fear of safety issues: The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of convenience store safety is most likely the possibility of robbery or theft. However, there are a lot of other safety concerns that employees have to worry about throughout the day – from the more mundane slips and falls that could happen to anyone, to the potential for fuel spills. The good news about workplace safety is there’s a lot you can do to prevent accidents and crime at your convenience store. When employees understand the policies and procedures you have in place to help keep them safe, they’ll be able to play a role in prevention and be prepared when safety issues do arise.
- Fear of compliance stings: The prospect of an undercover agent coming into your store at any time to test your employees on how they handle age-restricted sales can be rather intimidating. The consequences of failing a compliance sting are steep, and that can be a lot of pressure for your employees. Even if federal or state laws do not require you to do so, you should still make sure your employees are properly trained on all compliance-related topics so they do not have to worry about making a mistake during a sting. If you are able, setting up your own compliance checks will expose any knowledge gaps and give employees additional practice.
Convenience Store Training
Don’t let your employees’ fears get in the way of performing to the best of their abilities. The right training will prepare them for the challenges they face on the job. Our convenience store training programs teach the skills your employees need to succeed.
