DealersEdge Professional Forums

We have a new GM here who wants to redesign our retail area, he has put it on me to come up with some ideas. How does your retail area look, if you could design it what would it look like? Just trying to get some ideas.

Thanks

Can I borrow your new GM for a couple of weeks?????
I've been trying to get my 1970's retail area upgraded for about 5 years now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After our "redneck Ikea" remodel in comrade grey, I was left with 2 feet of retail counter space. The remaining 20 feet was given to our cashier and file clerks.

I know the feeling. Big new office "upgrade" about 5 years ago with new facing on the customer side and the retail counter right next to it, about 4 feet long and old marble blue formica facing the customer with 2 countermen trying to work it. I may be an old Okie (true) but it really, really looks bad!

scott2112 wrote:After our "redneck Ikea" remodel in comrade grey, I was left with 2 feet of retail counter space. The remaining 20 feet was given to our cashier and file clerks.

I was lucky kept my counter size but the perfectly good counter top was replaced with what I like to call instutional gray counter (which did not have any holes to run the computer cable into) that looked real good for a day till they came back and drilled them.

Does anybody have any retail counter space in the customer lounge? Thats the idea they are going for here, instead of walking in a seperate door just walk up to the counter. Also going to have to upgrade our accessory display.

Even better, are the counter tops that are made for vertically challenged people. If I stand, I have to bend or squat to get to the keyboard. If I sit in the chair, its the equivalent of sitting in the front row of a movie theater...neck craned back 30 degrees.

To top it off, the cashier and file clerks have no grasp of hygiene, have no people skills, nor do they own a mirror.

I work in a cloud of gingivitis infused halitosis, wrapped in the stench of sour B.O. that speaks with the grammar of a concussed sailor. The customers often don't stay at the retail counter very long.

I work in a cloud of gingivitis infused halitosis, wrapped in the stench of sour B.O. that speaks with the grammar of a concussed sailor.

That is a poetic and disgusting description. I know it's not funny to have to deal with that every day, but I cracked up when I read it.

We have a small maybe 5x20 room that's closed off by a door from parts. We have a roll up window that we open in the AM and they can come right up and ask or order at the window. Our accessory wall is outside where the cust stands and as well as I have a wall inside the room with things on display. Nothing to crazy but its busy out there.

WhoParted wrote:Does anybody have any retail counter space in the customer lounge? Thats the idea they are going for here, instead of walking in a seperate door just walk up to the counter. Also going to have to upgrade our accessory display.

I have a small maybe 10x8 retail room, which has a regular door that stays open right in the "customer lounge". I use the brackets, because our customer lounge is in the corner of our showroom, with no walls or dividers. I then have a door on the other side of the room behind a glass display case I use for a counter, and the customers ring a bell for service. I don't mind being next to the customer lounge. Except, even with that door there, I gotta try and keep the techs a little quite and watch for language. I wish there was a glass door I could shut to the parts room, so it still looks intiving when closed. Nothing like a customer waiting and listening in on the tech talking shit about their car being so messy, or all the other "parts department" talk that takes place at the tech counter. Also the shop noise travels through the parts department, and I don't know about your techs, but mine make animal noises.

So defiantly keep the noise factor in mind, if your going to be in the waiting lounge. You don't want the customers thinking they dropped their car off at the zoo.

Also, tell the GM you want that coffee machine next to the parts counter. I get more customers making impulse buys off the case by the coffee machine than I do at the cashier's window.