When you walk through the stores of Uptown Normal you are greeted with a friendly smile and a warm welcome. This great customer service is due to dedicated employees and friendly personnel.

The best way to keep customers coming back for more is by making sure they have a good experience at your store in the first place. The key to their success — finding the right people to fill their summer positions.  

Washburn Flowers, The Pod, Chill Out, and Mother Murphy’s all employ hardworking individuals to help make their stores run smoothly and have specific qualifications for what a good employee is like. 

Patrick Cullen, owner of Washburn Flowers, first looks for someone who knows about the flower business; however, what is second on his list of being a good employee is being a self-starter. 

“[I want] somebody that you don’t have to tell what to do all the time, they keep busy without you always having to tell them you have to do ‘this’ or you got to do ‘that,’ somebody who has self initiative,” Cullen explained.

Bekah Berry, co-owner of The Pod, also believes that it is important to know what you are selling. Then customer service is key.  

“We would first make sure they have a good presence with people, that they are people-oriented people. We do have people who come in for jobs and they don’t even like to work with people, they just need a job. So first I would say they would need to be good with people,” Berry explained.

“We’re business owners here, so we are obviously invested on a different level, this is our baby — we would want to try and find people with just a desire to try and serve people,” Berry added. 

Owner of Chill Out Joe Ritacco believes that a productive employee is a good employee. 

“Punctuality is actually number one I’d say — be there on time and show that you are ready to work, that is always a good start,” Ritacco said. 

“The most important thing to reiterate is that being good with people is a very big thing. You definitely want to try and be as personable as possible but still have the positive work ethic to move forward in a job — always try and look for the next thing to do and try and advance yourself,” Ritacco added. 

Michael Williams, owner of Mother Murphy’s, believes a good employee is someone who provides excellent customer service. 

Ryan Hansen / Daily Vidette Staff Photographer: Brian Coyle, a senior majoring in management and quantitative methods, has worked at Mother Murphy’s and Shockwave Skate Shop for two years while studying at ISU.  

“I want to employ someone who is knowledgeable about the product lines that we sell,” Williams said. 

“I try and find people who are outgoing, friendly, and communicate easily. Some people are more introverted and I try and find people who are a little more extroverted. I want people who are going to be friendly and greet you with a smile and make sure to offer you help and make sure you know that there is customer service available if you would like some,” Williams added. 

When looking for a job this summer, keep in mind these helpful tips from small business owners. It is important to be knowledgeable about the product you are selling. Do research before starting a job or going on an interview. Be self-motivated while on the job.

Most importantly, be friendly and helpful to the customers.

These suggestions from store owners are the keys to success when obtaining and keeping a job in this limited economy.