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INSIGHTS FOR SMBS AND SMES

Operations

The Opening Checklist Should End With a Customer Walkthrough

A store can pass its opening checklist and still feel unprepared to a customer. Lights may be on while yesterday's promotion remains in the window, a pickup order blocks the counter, and...

1 min read

A store can pass its opening checklist and still feel unprepared to a customer. Lights may be on while yesterday’s promotion remains in the window, a pickup order blocks the counter, and the first employee cannot explain which service is available. Opening should test the customer’s route through the business, as well as the equipment.

Before unlocking, walk from the entrance to a product, its price, and the checkout. At a service business, follow the appointment instructions and find the person responsible for arrivals. Check the mobile version of the same journey: hours, directions, booking and contact details should tell a consistent story.

Give one employee responsibility for recording the first obstruction found each morning. Resolve that obstruction before adding another checklist item. A long form that everybody signs is less useful than a short check that changes what the first customer experiences. Review repeated problems weekly; recurring clutter or missing prices usually needs an ownership decision, not another reminder.

About the author

Amanda Brooks

All State Merchants contributing writer covering practical, source-aware business guidance for SMBs, SMEs and single-location operators.

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