Mind Your Audience, They might be listening.

I wouldn't consider myself prudish in any way, I have quite a dark sense of humour and I've been known to open my mouth at the wrong time and definitely say the wrong things. But this is a new one on me.

Today, I walked into a local shop (Supermarket Format) to be met in the middle of the floor on walking in by two members of staff with a mobile phone held up like they were taking a selfie. Phone on the shop floor pulling attention away from the customers, rude but it's only a selfie right? Morale is important. Leave them at it.

So they ignored me walking in. No hello, no effort to hide the phone. They looked at me and continued on. I did say hello. Okay, now I'm thinking thats wrong.

I walk passed them and hear one of the lads talking about what i assume they were looking at on the phone. Now it's getting to all manner of wrong. "Yeah, she is bleedin' deadly" I hear. Then "Her Box was bleedin' deadly". WHAT!!!!!! Did I really just hear that in a shop. From the staff?

I frequent another shop around the corner too, not in a million years would you hear the young lad who works there discuss this sort of thing, or have his phone out while dealing with customers.

Has the store size, and the fact it is part of a chain diminished the personalisation or the community feel you should get walking into a store.
As a business owner, I know i have thought about every stage and step from looking at my website, walking through the studio door to receiving their images, even after the fact has been thought of. Making sure my clients have not only a positive, but the best experience I can deliver.

For the sake of convenience and saving a few cent on products we buy is it really worth it to lose the sense of appreciation from the stores we buy in, or who we buy from?

Maybe it's time for people and companies to remind their staff, the logo on the door is not the brand. Your brand is anything associated with you. Including your staff. Make sure they put the best face forward.