The Back-Office Task Trap in Retail Stores

One of the most common mistakes in retail operations occurs when there is only one staff member in the store and, at the same time, that person is expected to handle back-office tasks such as stock counts, goods receiving, labelling, partial inventories, reporting, or other administrative duties.

This scenario automatically turns the sales consultant into a warehouse operative — and the consequence is inevitable:

• The customer walks into the store and is neither noticed nor greeted.
• The staff member is fully focused, “head down,” and unable to create a connection.
• The sales opportunity is lost within the first five seconds.

When there is only one staff member in the store, the customer must always come first.

If there is only one person in the store, no task that requires deep focus should be carried out during that period. This is because:

• The employee is not visually available to the customer

• The customer feels they are interrupting

• The experience becomes uncomfortable for both

• The likelihood of conversion drops dramatically

A customer who enters the store and is not acknowledged automatically assumes: “It’s better not to go in, they will try to sell me something” or “They don’t care about me.” Both perceptions are damaging.

What to do during quiet periods when there is only one person in the store?

In these situations, the employee should always be in a state of light activity, meaning activities that:

• do not require concentration
• allow them to keep an eye on the entrance
• allow them to switch into customer service mode within one second
• give the customer a sense of naturalness rather than “pressure”

Exemplos de tarefas adequadas:

• Folding and refolding items

• Organising display units

• Replenishing products

• Quick cleaning tasks

• Window display alignment

• Small visible stock checks

• Improving the presentation of store furniture

Estas tarefas têm dois efeitos positivos:

1. The customer feels confident entering the store, because they see the staff member busy, yet approachable.

2. The staff member keeps the store well presented, without compromising the customer experience.

Planning is the responsibility of the store manager.

No employee should ever have to improvise.
The store manager, coordinator or person in charge must ensure:

Schedules aligned with customer traffic

When an entry counter is in place, schedules should be planned based on:

• no histórico por hora

• Type of day (weekday vs weekend)

• Events and seasonality

When no footfall counter exists, schedules should be based on

• Historical data by hour

• Average value per hour

• Store behaviour patterns

Critical tasks should only be carried out when at least two staff members are present

Activities such as:

• Stock counts and inventories

• large-scale labeling

• receiving heavy goods

• report generation

• warehouse organisation

• internal

They should never be carried out when only one salesperson is available on the shop floor.

Conclusion

The way a team manages quiet periods is just as important as how it manages peak trading hours.

• When the staff member is engaged in light activity, the customer feels free to enter.
• When the staff member is “buried” in warehouse work, the sale is lost before it even begins.

Um bom planeamento operativo — feito pelo gerente — garante que a loja funciona de forma fluida, organizada e centrada no cliente.

FAQ

What should be done when there is only one staff member in the store?

Prioritise customer service and carry out only light tasks that allow the staff member to observe the customer and remain immediately available.

Which tasks should not be carried out by only one staff member?

Inventories, goods receiving, labelling, reporting, and any task that requires concentration and would divert focus away from the store entrance.

How should schedules be planned in retail?

By basing schedules on historical footfall or transactions per hour, seasonality, and ensuring that critical tasks are only carried out when two or more staff members are present.