\f' m --.____.._,_H_ _ ' __-_._ " FORCRITICAL ANALYSIS I " "'' msr gestalt\" like other upscale department stores. suffered the double whammy of a slumping economy and increased tion from discount retailers and online shopping How could the store. the 'box'. compete. retain its old customers M hard a mans future customer base? We"!!! I'm)" known that it's all about customer service'. Lauren said. 'But what's so great about grabbing a giant - min; cart and ogging through some giant warehouse in your shorts and ip-ops. and then ioining the herd at newt? That is not a shopping experience.' ndwlut isn't great about being treated like Oprah from the moment you hit the door until the sales associate swipes .ward and hands over something lovely that you lust purchased?' lack asked. Lauren's idea was that store customers receive that personal. upscale. \"you're somebody special here' treatrnent at W\"- Sales associates would raise their own professional level. regard customers as worthy of personalised service and use their own clientele. As added incentive. the entire DeMarco's sales team was changed over from hourly pay to straight cannission. 'Your pay is built through your own initiative and individualised service that makes customers return to you garland again'. uren instructed the sales force at the outset ol'the experiment. The idea in ed Corporate. which approved a two-year experiment. As expected. the new plan created a minor exodus among those who wanted the assurance of a 'regular pay cheque\". But as the program moved through its rst year. both store and corporate management was pleased with the overall Mills. Marketing pushed the new image of elite. personalised customer service. and phrases such as 'Katherine at DeMarco's helped me select this outt'. or 'Damien always lets me know when something new arrives at DeMarco's that he thinks is perfect for me' became the typical boa st of savvy shoppers. NOW. two years into the experiment. Corporate urged Lauren to submit a full assessment of the program as a potential model for implementation throughout the department store chain. Sales numbers vouched for the overall success. \"\"1\"le Over the last two quarters of the second year. Certain associates. including Katherine Knowles in designer dresses and Damien Forapolous in women's shoes. showed signicant gains as a result of straight commissions. and sales 950mm and customers responded favourably overall. urging a continuation of the program Reliance on commissions mired these and other sales associates to treat their individual department as it it were their own small business. Whig imparts on nuances of merchandise. exploring designs and trends. nding ways to promote their expertise and \"dine an impressive number of loyal customers. The satisfaction level of customers was apparent in the numbers not only sales numbers. but in repeat business. cu\"Met referrals to friends and customer commont cards. all of which had been tracked since the beginning of the progra The down side of the experiment was that while some associates soared. others either veered towards an aggressive. Pushy sales style or became intimidated by co-workers and teetered. monthly. on the verge of being replaced because they Weren't making sales. The once-proud tradition of cooperation among sales staff was. in many instances. being