By Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
* As soon as you figure out what your customer wants, they will want something totally different.
* What customers say with their mouths is interesting, but what they say with their wallets is how they really feel.
* You will always remember the customer who managed to get under your skin and got you to lose your cool...even if you were right.
* Every big event coincides with a terrible storm.
* Customers will have suggestions for every part of your business - what you carry, what events you should hold, etc. But what they buy, attend, and otherwise support, is another matter entirely.
* You will work weekends, nights and holidays; if you don't like it, don't go into retail.
* Just because someone asks for a discount, doesn't mean they won't buy if you don't give them one.
* Customers never read the small print on coupons.
* 99% of the time, that 800 number on your caller ID is probably a merchant-services telemarketer trying to get you to switch to them.
* Sometimes a Tuesday might be your best day of the week; other times it will be a Saturday. In retail, there is often no consistency.
* There will always be customers who won't respect your store, products, or employees.
* Without a sense of humor, you will never survive. OK, you may survive, but you will be miserable.
* The customer is not always right.
* There are many businesses out there whose only business is to rip-off and scam other small businesses.
* Sales reps lie...even the good ones.
* If you let your vendor substitute one item for another one time, the next time they will simply send you whatever they feel like sending you, to the point that you won't even recognize it as your order.
* You'll have to fire the friend you were sure would be a great business partner or employee.
* 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of your sales.
* You can always be told "no" and say "no."
* Organization is a skill worth working on; it's what can make or break you.
* You need to listen for what customers actually spend their money on, not what they say they want.
* You'll discover an employee you loved during the interview is unable to do the job.
* The best parenting advice in the world doesn't mean a thing if you don't know what YOUR baby needs. Retail is no different. Know your baby.
* Consistently great customer service will make your business thrive, but one bad customer's experience, in the face of social media, can close your doors!
* Even with all of the maddening things that come along with being a retailer, the things you will learn about yourself, your customers, and your community will make your life more rewarding.
