There is very little that can be done to control Mother Nature or prevent certain types of accidents. Snowstorms, floods, wildfires, sandstorms, freak accidents and the like will present problems to even the most well prepared individuals and organizations.
As retailers, we need to have our own plans in place to deal with emergencies. This is just a reminder to make sure the people working in your retail stores know what to do in case of an emergency.
For example, in the event of a power outage are staff supposed to ask all customers to leave the store and then lock the doors? This is usually done in the interest of public safety and store security. But, perhaps, that is not the way you want your stores to handle it. You may be located in a part of the world that experiences power outages very often. In that case, you may have some less strict rules in place. Or you may sell perishable items that cannot withstand more than a short power outage.
What if severe weather conditions cause road closures, or cause public transit systems to shut down, should your staff close the store(s) because there are no customers? Who makes the decision, and when? And then how is it communicated?
However your organization decides to handle emergencies, make sure all of your store staff understand it well. On the job training is not the best way for your people to learn how to handle these situations. You can prevent a certain amount of chaos by communicating your expectations in advance.
We hope you never have to find out how well prepared your organization is.
All the Success!!
DMSRetail
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