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Training - The importance of product knowledge.
There is little doubt that well trained staff, whether they be shop staff serving the public, stocking the shelves or supervising the department, or salesmen selling shoes to the retailers, or indeed the buyers, merchandisers and technical staff at the retailers themselves, will all benefit from additional skills, knowledge and understanding of product, process and procedures.
Confidence increases, job satisfaction increases, staff turnaround reduces, productivity increases and a generally highly motivated, happy and productive staff results. Hopefully leading to additional sales. All from a structured, professional training programme.
But whereas training is readily available on sales techniques, fork lift truck driving, maths and English literacy, marketing and confidence building, presentation skills and speech therapy, there is almost no training available on the product ie. the humble shoe! Surely the buyer, merchandiser and sales staff will not only benefit individually from increased product knowledge, but this additional knowledge should, if focused correctly, result in higher sales, increased customer satisfaction and increased customer loyalty. A sales person who understands how a shoe is actually put together, what the difference between suede and nubuck actually is, why a top piece is on the bottom of a shoe and why velcro is sticky will enthusiastically divulge their new knowledge to unsuspecting customers who will be greatly impressed by the sales person’s understanding of the product. Many, indeed most, of today’s sales, buying and merchandising staff, and indeed quality and technical staff, are untrained in the fundementals of shoe design, production, sales, quality, fit and general product construction.
The Government recently admitted that the money it has invested in the training of footwear and textiles staff has not worked, being focused into the wrong areas. The skills shortage in the footwear sector is getting steadily worse with the true quality and technical knowledge of the product being lost as those people who actually did work in a UK shoe factory many years ago retire or move out of the industry leaving a void of knowledge, experience and product understanding behind. There are however still enough experienced individuals in the industry who are willing, able and eager to divulge their vast wealth of experience to the younger generation. Unfortunately, the Government and many companies are not prepared to seek out these individuals and reward them directly for divulging their vast wealth of knowledge.
Bureau Veritas regularly trains individuals and teams in a whole number of footwear related issues such as shoe making, shoe fitting, testing, restricted substances, Ethical Auditing, inspections, leather…… and a whole lot more product related subjects.
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