Boutique Management: Creating Good Supervisors

Hiring or promoting customer service team members to supervisor can really help you manage your business. It's almost impossible for one person to run a boutique alone. You may be hesitant at first, after all, your boutique is your baby, but teaching yourself to delegate certain responsibilities to the right person can really lighten your load.

Having a well-trained supervisor can help you to manage your entire team. Choosing the right person for the job is rule number one. You want someone that is energetic, responsible, smart, and personable. It takes more than a person who is good at bossing people around. It takes tact and understanding, but also you want someone that is not going to be overwhelmed or run over when the other employees need to be talked to about sensitive subjects.

Training your supervisor is of the utmost importance. Your supervisor is a reflection of you and your store. Plus, they will be the example that the other employees will follow. If you can train a supervisor to be a good example, the rest of the crew will follow. No one wants to follow or listen to someone that is in a position above them if they feel like their higher in command person does nothing but boss them around. If your employees see that the supervisor is on their team, helping them to succeed, taking over responsibilities when things get behind, doing the things that the lower level employees do, and more, then they will respect that person.

Respect can lead to loyalty, the desire to please, and the inspiration to move up in the workforce. Giving your employees something to work towards and something to accomplish can inspire them to do a better job. When employees respect their superiors, they want to be like them. Therefore, training your higher level employees to set a good example can really pay off.

Teach your supervisors how to take things to the next level. If the lower level employees are supposed to straighten up displays, teach your higher level ones to create displays. Ask them to get display ideas from the people below them. Teaching them about visual displays will help them to stay interested in working for you. Let them rearrange your slatwall displays to move merchandise that they think should be selling better. Explain how to accessorize and feature items by using hanging mannequin forms or moving around slatwall accessories to draw the customer's attention to where you want it. Let them use slatwall panels to create new displays.

It doesn't have to be a slatwall display. It can be a flyer, a newsletter for the business, or a window display. Empowering people to express themselves and do a good job will not only benefit you and your staff, but it will also be reflected in the customer's perception of your boutique.