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February is "Shipshape Month"

“Shipshape”
Just as I told my clients “Let’s make May our ‘Compliance Month,’ meaning that is when we should go over checklists to make sure that we are all in compliance with various government regulations, I am going to declare February “Shipshape” month.

The reason I use the phrase “shipshape” is because phrases like “spic and span” and “spring cleaning” imply a thorough cleaning up and then it is done for a year. That is not the idea I want to get across. Instead think of the image of sailors constantly chipping old paint, painting new paint, and scrubbing decks. In never stops because seawater and sea spray is filthy and constantly damaging the surfaces of the ship. Foot traffic and vehicular traffic is to C-stores what salt brine is to sea-going ships.

Spend $200 per month cleaning, no matter what
You are there every day. You don’t notice it. Or maybe you do, but you don’t notice it as much. Not only your store, but also most C-stores start to get dirty and much less attractive to new clients.

I think it makes a very big difference.

Checklist

1. Check your outside lighting. Clean out dead bugs, replace burned out lamps, and replace discolored globes.
2. Replace “old looking” plastic signs on the marquees.
3. Clean the inside floors. Hire someone to remove any wax build-up.
4. Clean outside parking lot, especially the oil spots left by cars parking in front of the store and at the islands. Hire someone with the equipment. You want the pavement to reflect the light from the overhead lamps.
5. Sell shopworn merchandise at or below cost to get rid of it. If you sell it below cost, you may count that toward the monthly allowance.
6. Replace fading decals and headers.
7. Start repainting large surfaces: outside walls first.
8. Plastic tends to deteriorate in light. Systematically replace suppliers’ displays. Make them bring new ones to replace old ones.
9. Repaint outdoor traffic and parking stripes.
10. Replace scratched windowpanes, even large ones.
11. Replace dull-looking peg hooks on the gondolas and end caps.
12. Gradually replace and improve the gondolas and end-caps.
13. Replace smaller equipment with shinier, newer, better ones, especially those that have to do with hot food and drink.

Don’t do this all at once. One reason for spreading it out and doing $200 worth each month is that your customers will see you making improvements. They like buying from a business that is doing well. It makes them feel good, and buy from you more often.

Copyright © - 2002 Dutch Hawkins Mandeville, LA USA - All Rights Reserved

November 9, 2002