Next, the store’s manager takes the new employee out to lunch to see how he/she is feeling and if he/she is a good first-day fit. “We call the first day, ‘observation and comfort day,’” said Hines. “Of course, there is the paperwork we all have. But after the paperwork is done, they work in the front of our store so that every customer who comes in is introduced to the new associate. Immediately, we want the new associate to know the key customers by name and face. So by the time the day is over, it’s the [associate’s] best day. You will probably not get that at other companies. We try to include them as part of the team as soon as they are hired.”
 Hines even added the day of the week chosen for the employee’s first day is important. Most companies have an employee start on a Monday. But Hines said Monday is a nightmarish day for that purpose. “Monday is the beginning of the week when you have tons of things going on,” he said. “There’s an obvious conflict in trying to get that person the proper time on the front end. You might want to consider Saturday. It’s a great day to have the cake. And a lot of customers come in so a lot of introductions can be made. There’s not as much stress when it comes to receiving goods and administrative things. Make them feel included and loved on the first day. It makes a big difference on the associate level.”
Hines mentioned he sets goals employees need to achieve. And he rewards success. “We have something called Associate Recognition Forms,” he said. “We post them in the lunch areas. Often as managers, we look at what went wrong. What wasn’t right? But how many of you have pets? We know that scolding pets normally doesn’t work. What works are the treats. Positive reinforcement works. We teach our managers to look for the good. Look for the behaviors [by associates] that are in line with the culture. Every now and then, you can be constructive, but reinforce the good. We send ‘thank you’ cards, handwritten by the vice president, to employees who go beyond the call and do something really good.
 “We also believe in performance pay,” he added. “We have merit raises for behavioral issues. Every three months, we ask our managers to rate every associate in the store based on criteria. Based on the feedback, we give raises. It’s not about an annual review. It’s about rewarding people who are helping to keep the company successful.”
Hines additionally has an elite service team he calls the G Team. “These associates exude the standards we are looking for,” Hines said. “Another thing I do is send birthday cards out. Some might do that, but I write a personal note to associates. As far as I’m concerned, they are part of the family. They make it possible for me to have my great career. And I send them an anniversary card [from date of hire]. I let them know how much I appreciate what they do for the team.”
To help determine if your associates are doing an excellent job, Hines strongly recommended hiring a secret shopper service. “This is where the proof in the pudding comes in,” said Hines. “This is where you really get traction. You write down exactly what you want to see when the mystery shoppers walk into the store.”
Concluded Hines: “Once you know what it is you want to design, you want to create communications systems to take that information and get it out to all of the customers and associates. Lastly, you want to put a measurement system in place so you know it’s working. Therefore, you can see the improvements and move those numbers forward. If you do that, you will absolutely increase your growth and profitability.”
On the Show Floor
In between seminars such as Hines’, there were a few hours per day during the show for print music retailers to visit manufacturer booths. Exhibitors seemed pleased with the turnout, as well as the business written. “We’re a new RPMDA member and it’s our first time exhibiting,” said Marc Harris, president of Stoughton, Mass.-based Harris Musical Products. “We’re motivated because it was here in Boston, which is local for us. We’re glad we tried it. It’s been successful and we’re even considering exhibiting next year when [RPMDA] is in Salt Lake City. We’ve met a lot of quality dealers and it’s been a good show. As we’re expanding into the musical-themed gift market, it fits in well with music print dealers.”
 Paris-based Arpeges is a seven-time exhibitor. On hand this year was Pierre Cotelle, the company’s directeur commercial. “It’s great to have a friendly conversation with the retailers,” he said. “We work together to help them develop a business so that both of us can make money. It’s been a very profitable show for us. We met a lot of dealers.”
Cotelle added however that the weak U.S. dollar has forced his company to change its sales policy here. “We had to increase the discount for dealers by about 15 percent,” he said. “It definitely affects the bottom line a lot.”
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