Coming January 2010: Managing Your Tasting Room $30
Communication is a common problem in tasting rooms where staff rotation is frequent.
Orders, pick up requests, inquiries and other matters are frequently handled on the phone by a staff person who will not be there the next day, or on the day of the physical transaction.
One local winery owner complained that although he tries to communicate by sending each person (including his wife) an email—it results in even more confusion. The recipients thought the emails were 'assignments' and didn't understand the work was basically done, and an order was waiting for pickup.
Outside of ordinary sales orders, every tasting room has a steady stream of situational requests, like mid-delivery address changes, charity auction requests, and a-friend-will-pick-up.
I have three solutions.
1. Normal sales orders should have their own 'processing' basket. Sales rung up but not packed should be fairly evident; but any sale that requires more processing should have a note attached for the next day's employee. Employees that can't master the art of using sticky notes should be reconsidered.
2. For seamless day-to-day communication on other matters, maintain a sales counter log. A simple 3-ring binder will suffice. Or, if you have the capability, a 'Sales Log' on the POS system that every employee is required to read at the beginning of each day. Employees record open-ended conversations and initial their comments. Any actions taken (ringing up the order, packing the order, etc.) should also be notated. When the entire transaction is completed, the employee on duty signs off on the note with his or her initials and any pertinent comments. This works best for those odd and high-maintenance orders that fall outside of the regular 'ring-and-ship'.
3. Pick up orders should be clearly marked with 8" x 11" signs. In wine cellars and tasting rooms, orders and wine cases can quickly become stacked, depleted, and then re-stacked depending on the day's activity. Don't depend on an unmarked envelope with some paperwork, loosely attached to a case of wine, to survive in the Rubik's Cube environment of paid inventory storage. Print out a cover sheet in 72 point lettering with:
- The recipient's name for direct sales
- Account name AND shipper's name for wholesale pickup
- Whether the order is 'Paid', 'Invoiced', or 'Payment Required'
- Anticipated date of pickup
No matter how efficient your POS system or inventory software may be, human nature is notoriously inefficient. Therefore it's best to pull, assemble and CLEARLY MARK each order being held for pickup. Have a designated spot for pickup orders.
- Staple the cover page and associated paperwork to the FRONT of the case box. Use 4 staples, one in each corner. This prevents paperwork from being torn loose when boxes are moved or restacked. When your staff is in a hurry, they won't have to shuffle through a wall of case goods; they will be able to view and identify an order immediately.
- Organize storage with the earliest pickup dates on top.
- If you have a wine club or customer card file system, note the card that the order is waiting in the pick up area.
- Stack your paid, will-call, and weather-hold orders where the public cannot see them. Ask for identification before releasing an order, and ask for the customer's signature or the driver's signature on a copy of the invoice.
I hope this helps. Watch for my eBook, Managing Your Tasting Room, coming out in January 2010!
