Shapers SHape up shopping experiences... Here’s how

It is 10:30 PM. The store will close in five minutes. The staff is all set to pack up. The billing clerk still has a longish queue to finish. So, she asks the store security to switch on the ‘store closed’ sign at the entry. She doesn’t know she has to stay longer tonight.

Sam jumps out of his car, walks up to the entry, and goes past the ‘shop closed’ sign. “You still have 5 minutes to close” he snubs the security staff as he swiftly walks up to the aisle. He has a long list to add to his cart. He can’t find his favorite corn flakes pack and calls out to the store attendant.

“Sir, I just checked my warehouse, they have closed issues for the day” And that does it.

“Get me your Store Manager, right now. This is not acceptable. I need my cornflakes NOW!”. 

That night the store staff leave for their homes at 11:15PM, after broking a deal to deliver the cornflakes to Sam’s home at 07:00AM. Sam wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer. The staff hasn’t seen the likes of him before. They would do anything to avoid another such encounter. Welcome to the world of the aggressive goal-focused SHAPER Shopper!

Shaper Shoppers like Sam, can be a blessing for folks at home. “I will get that… Not to worry …we still have 10 minutes for the store to close. Let’s see why they will not sell … I’ll be right back”
And, Shaper Shoppers are of course a nightmare for the store staff. “How could you not have mosquito repellent during the monsoon season? This is simply not on!”

More often than not, their assertive behaviour leaves the store staff feeling challenged. While Shapers are rational and mean no harm, they can be quite intimidating. They can’t quite understand how the store can be so inefficient. “People are just making excuses!” 

Shapers never fail to raise the bar on performance effectiveness...even when they shop. They thrive on that pressure to out-perform. If you are a Store Manager, you know a Shaper Shopper can do you a lot of good, when your staff have no option but to satisfy such a tough Customer, and learn to be more effective.

Shapers can turn-on the heat like no one else can! Don’t avoid the pressure. Take a longer run up, get lighter, jump higher. Experience the joy of getting better. 

If you can’t cope with that pressure, you may choose to avoid Shapers. You can hate them or hide. You can never ignore them. When you are with a Shaper, you never waste time... you either shape up, or ship out. 

How much of a Shaper do you have in you?