I have a closet full of old produce training manuals and videos (VHS tapes no less, yikes!). Much has changed over the years when it comes to training produce folks. Yet so much remains the same.
What’s changed is easy to point to. Technology has made things easier; tools that map out merchandising planning, help with ordering and inventory control, or for writing an effective labor plan are a few examples. Packaging advances have lessened the need to prep as much at store level, so clerks can spend less time in the backroom and more time on the sales floor, interacting with customers and keeping up with stocking.
However, after all these years, to say retail produce training is essential is an understatement.
If you took a poll on what produce managers consider the top key training points, you would easily accumulate about 50 or more points. That’s because all are important and should be a part of a training process.
What could be distilled into the top 10 points would include: product identification and knowledge; customer service; cold chain awareness; sanitation and safety; product handling and prep; rotation; stocking tips; setting time and listing priorities; and speed.
Old school, sure, but the fundamentals still count.
Teamwork is big in the produce aisle as well. As much as possible, I’d assign one or more of my senior clerks to work with the new produce clerk and have them shadow everything they did. After a couple of days, it was amazing how well the veterans did with this assignment, feeling valued to be a part of the process. The new clerks seemed to catch on more quickly than if just with the boss as the trainer. In no time the fledging clerks could be turned loose on their own, being assigned what they could handle and gradually adding to their responsibilities.
As the produce manager, I preferred to intervene and offer advice at first — usually tips on how best to do something so it clarified the clerk’s approach to a task, making them more efficient.
“Use older stock first. Load up your cart with enough product so you don’t make two trips.”
As time went on, I gave them more independence – and jumped in with more advisement than advice.
“You’re on the wet rack today. You might want to give everything a good straightening and culling before you do anything else.”
Big difference there between the holding-their-hand specifics, and the suggestive “You might…”
It’s all in how the trainer handles the produce charges as they progress, and everyone is different. In all stages, the produce manager (or whoever is doing the training) should also look for what the trainees are doing right, be patient and don’t hesitant to offer praise. Everyone relishes it, lives for it. Genuine approval goes a long way toward building confidence.
“That display you just rotated and stocked — that’s exactly what we want. Nice work.”
A little added teasing can be an inclusive training moment too. “Keep it up, and you may turn out to actually like this crazy produce game.”
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years’ experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.
More from Armand Lobato:
The ideal ‘normal’ produce manager work week
Crackle …“All Department Managers to the Conference Room, Please”
A thousand points of produce sales moments