Question about hiring rep/staff for a store

[BadEddy]

Hi all. 

I think it would be great if I could have one or a couple people at my store to welcome the clients and help them try the products. Most of what I make is furnitures for couples so trying is always best. 

Before to jump into this I'd like to see what are the usual practices for that cause of course people would be paid. But how to pay them is my question. I want to pay for what I get and want them to be paid for what they do. 

Commissions on sales where they helped would be top but how to handle this? 

Pay per day or hours could work to I guess but there again, how to handle this?

 

Any thoughts, ideas, advices?

 

Thanks lot

 

[Tamara Artis]

If you pay them by hour there is a big chance you will have people that stand AFK somewhere in the corner while your staff clock counts their "working" hours (this is from my personal experience), commission on sales sounds good but then again how will you know they actually earned it? I mean you can't be online 24/7 to see they are really helping the visitors and they will always help them during the times you are not online. 

Also, if its a furniture shop I guess people need to see how it looks and try the poses so only situation I can see a rep usable is when one person comes to buy something with couples animations and doesn't have any friend online to come and try the poses so your sales rep could jump on and try them with a customer. For that I would leave your sales reps a simple tip jar and let them earn their tips.

[BadEddy]

Hi. thanks for your reply!

All those warnings you gave me are exactly what I fear. The tip jar is not a bad idea at all. now does someone wants to tip after spending 1000 on a couch? that I don't know lol. 

 

Anyone can think of other ideas to add to this? I'm all ear!

[Syle Devin]

You could pay someone by the hour and then set up a system to monitor what goes on in your store. For example you monitor peopel who visit and then monitor chat to see if your employee actually helps them. Then you could have a screen recorder alt avatar for your store. It's a bit of work but it is a way that you could make sure yoru employee is not, as BadEddy said, standing in the corner going afk.

[WADE1 Jya]

first advice is don't use the word "hire" it has rather exact legal implications. call it something else like... 'opportunity'.

[Sassy Romano]

The staff that I have, have always been selected from the pool of customers of my products.  They have been those whom i've identified as great evangelists, active in the support chat helping others, bright and cheeful, never with a bad attitude.  That has so far always given me good results.

I have a timeclock, they can turn up when they like, leave when they like it's up to them.  Camping and being afk has rarely been an issue because they just enjoy interaction and being social and i've never minded them sorting inventory, doing RL college work or whatever as long as if someone needs help, they're on hand.

I do offer a commission incentive but none of them want it. 

My items are somewhat different to furniture and I have a community in the support group which you may not have but this is what has worked for me.

I work on trust and so far have not been disappointed.

[Krueger]

You have to work on a commission basis.  Trust me: I've tried fixed payments and it doesn't work.