From the article "Balducci's offers ham for Chanukah" by Bill Hutchinson, New York Daily NewsOy vey! Pork for Chanukah?
The Greenwich Village gourmet grocery store, Balducci's, has become the butt of the Jewish holiday by advertising its boneless hams as "Delicious for Chanukah".
Manhattan novelist Nancy Kay Shapiro spotted the kosher faux pas while browsing the meat section Saturday at the chain's outpost at Eighth Ave. and W. 14th St.
When Shapiro went back Sunday, she took photos of the unorthodox display promoting boneless spiral-cut hams for $8.99 a pound, petite smoked hams for $6.99 a pound and boneless smoked hams for $6.29 a pound.
Instead of pointing out the mistake to management, she posted the snapshots on her blog to "amuse others."
"I just thought it was funny," Shapiro, a self-described "unobservant Jew," said. "I wasn't offended in any way. I just thought, here's somebody who knows nothing about what Jews eat."
Shapiro said that when she went back to the store Tuesday, the first night of Chanukah, the signs had vanished.
A Balducci's official was so verklempt about the error he didn't want to speak on the record. He fessed up that "it was a mistake," blaming it on a stock clerk who normally doesn't work the meat department.
He referred all other questions to the company's marketing department in Connecticut.
Read the entire article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2007/12/06/2007-12-06_balduccis_offers_ham_for_chanukah.html
On her blog, Ms. Shapiro said when she saw the sign she "blinked at for a couple of secs, trying to decide if this was an example of truly monumental cluelessness or ... nah. It's just the Department of Monumental Cluelessness, Well-Meaning Division."
Two things:
1.) Sometimes customers tell you when something is wrong in your store and sometimes they don't. These days it's particularly dangerous when they don't because they don't just tell their friends they tell everyone on the Internet. That's why you have to be extra vigilant about how your store is perceived by the public.
2.) You have to do a daily 360 Degree Pass-By each morning before unlocking the doors for business. Here's how:
Begin at the front door and walk each aisle, looking for things that need to be fixed before you open for business. These areas include:
Survey the Parking Lot: Is the parking lot easily accessible? Are store associates cars parked in the best spaces? Is it clean and brightly lit?
Size Up the Store Front: Does your store front require paint or repair? Is there clutter to be cleaned up or exterior displays to be reorganized? Can customers easily see your store front sign? Are all the bulbs in working order? Are your windows clean and free of old signs? Do the window displays need to be attention?
Access the Decompression Zone: The Decompression Zone is the 5’ to 15’ just inside the front door of the store. Its purpose is to slow down rushed and distracted customers so they can concentrate on shopping. Is your DZ uncluttered, inviting and easy to navigate?
Work Your Speed Bumps: Do your Speed Bump displays – small tables or fixtures of hot product placed just beyond the Decompression Zone – need to be fluffed or re-stocked? Work your Speed Bumps – they sell product!
Power Wall Ahead: Look Right: Your main Power Wall is located just inside your store and to the right. This is a premium location that is highly visible and heavily shopped; it should be used to merchandise hot product stories, new items, and high demand items. Are your Power Wall displays set to sell? Do they need to be re-stocked or re-merchandised?
Review Your In-store Signing: Does your signing reflect the style and personality of the store? Can customers easily read them? Is there old sale or product signing that needs to be removed? Are there signs with cutesy references to breakage and unwatched children present or other offensive signing that needs to be removed?
Check Out the Check Out Counter: Is there enough room on the counter for a customer to comfortably complete the transaction? Are there impulse items displayed at the checkout to encourage add-on sales? Is there an interesting display behind the checkout counter that will keep customers thinking about product? Is your policy and procedure signing customer friendly? Do you have enough of this week’s Bag Stuffers to make it through the day?
Walk the Aisles: Is there product spilling over into the aisles? Are there stack or dump displays blocking the main aisles? Can customers easily maneuver a shopping cart, wheel chair or stroller down the aisles? Can two carts easily pass one another throughout the store?
Survey Your Merchandise Presentation: Are your displays fresh? Do they encourage customers to stop and look, and entice them to buy? Are there open peg hooks or empty spots on the shelves that need to be restocked? Is the product “faced” (brought to the front of the shelf or hook)? Are there bin tickets missing?
If you do the 360 Degree Pass-By each day, you will soon become attuned to things that are out of place or need your immediate attention. And customers will not be offended by signs like the one in Balducci's.
Once a month you need to dig deeper. Our next post will include KIZER & BENDER’s No-Fail Perception Exercise.
Size Up the Store Front: Does your store front require paint or repair? Is there clutter to be cleaned up or exterior displays to be reorganized? Can customers easily see your store front sign? Are all the bulbs in working order? Are your windows clean and free of old signs? Do the window displays need to be attention?
Access the Decompression Zone: The Decompression Zone is the 5’ to 15’ just inside the front door of the store. Its purpose is to slow down rushed and distracted customers so they can concentrate on shopping. Is your DZ uncluttered, inviting and easy to navigate?
Work Your Speed Bumps: Do your Speed Bump displays – small tables or fixtures of hot product placed just beyond the Decompression Zone – need to be fluffed or re-stocked? Work your Speed Bumps – they sell product!
Power Wall Ahead: Look Right: Your main Power Wall is located just inside your store and to the right. This is a premium location that is highly visible and heavily shopped; it should be used to merchandise hot product stories, new items, and high demand items. Are your Power Wall displays set to sell? Do they need to be re-stocked or re-merchandised?
Review Your In-store Signing: Does your signing reflect the style and personality of the store? Can customers easily read them? Is there old sale or product signing that needs to be removed? Are there signs with cutesy references to breakage and unwatched children present or other offensive signing that needs to be removed?
Check Out the Check Out Counter: Is there enough room on the counter for a customer to comfortably complete the transaction? Are there impulse items displayed at the checkout to encourage add-on sales? Is there an interesting display behind the checkout counter that will keep customers thinking about product? Is your policy and procedure signing customer friendly? Do you have enough of this week’s Bag Stuffers to make it through the day?
Walk the Aisles: Is there product spilling over into the aisles? Are there stack or dump displays blocking the main aisles? Can customers easily maneuver a shopping cart, wheel chair or stroller down the aisles? Can two carts easily pass one another throughout the store?
Survey Your Merchandise Presentation: Are your displays fresh? Do they encourage customers to stop and look, and entice them to buy? Are there open peg hooks or empty spots on the shelves that need to be restocked? Is the product “faced” (brought to the front of the shelf or hook)? Are there bin tickets missing?
If you do the 360 Degree Pass-By each day, you will soon become attuned to things that are out of place or need your immediate attention. And customers will not be offended by signs like the one in Balducci's.
Once a month you need to dig deeper. Our next post will include KIZER & BENDER’s No-Fail Perception Exercise.
