Secret #7: Set the Standards for Customer Service.

Outshine other careless retailers, who have passed on a lazy and mundane tradition of customer service, and actively put the principles to work. Establish a set of individual superior service standards to be upheld, respected, and practiced by both the retail owner and employee.

Secret #8: Adopt a "No Customer Left Behind Policy."

With a statement of purpose that truly incorporates customer service, a retailer ensures that its customers always leave happier than when they arrived. Do not settle for this as a general goal, but commit to it with each and every customer who enters your store.

Secret #9: Empower Employees.

Burdening your employees with long forms and return procedures effectively imposes the same burden on your customers, which means that they will not leave happier than when they arrived and that you have abandoned your statement of purpose. Empower your employees to make quick decisions that have relatively small financial repercussions, without having to first seek your permission.

Secret #10: Treat Team Member Like an Investment, not an Expense.

Budgetary concerns will always strap an independent retailer when it comes to hiring employees. Yet the cost of trying to do it all yourself is significantly greater. Having the time to devise and implement business strategies is worth far more than what can be saved by cutting corners in staffing. Developing techniques to effectively recruit and motivate employees is a growth opportunity that no prosperous retail owner can afford to overlook.

Secret #11: Spend Time Educating Investments.

Unskilled and uneducated employees are common within the retail industry. Given the potentially devastating effect a poor team can have on a business-one sour employee can turn away more than a few customers-not investing money and energy in your team is a perilous and careless decision for retail owners. Without the proper attitude, training, team-building practices, and educational opportunities, retailers threaten the moral of their business and drive customers away.

Secret #12: Create Bigger Opportunities for "Bad" Employees.

There is no excuse for retaining an employee who does not reflect the company vision. Doing so sabotages the success of the business, resulting in lost time, money, and reputation. It behooves both the employer and employee to demand nothing short of exemplary service from all echelons. If the employee is not a good fit for your business, you do him no favors by keeping him around. In the worst-case scenario, you will trade one bad employee for another, losing nothing. In the best case, you will earn a great employee, trading a C Player for an A Player. Your C Player might be another employer's A Player; by letting him go, you encourage him to find a job at which he can succeed.

"The Retailer's Roadmap to Success is a business plan any retailer could strongly benefit from. Solid and simple advice told by someone who is actually doing and living it. Excellent strategies that can be implemented and executed immediately."
-John R. DiJulius III, author of Secret Service: Hidden Systems that Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service