An Association of Marketing Students®

OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY
Retail Merchandising
Associate Level

INSTRUCTIONAL AREA
Communication and Interpersonal Skills

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS

PROCEDURES

1.	The event will be presented to you through your reading of these instructions, including the Performance Indicators and Event Situation.  You will have up to 10 minutes to review this information to determine how you will handle the role-play situation and demonstrate the performance indicators of this event.  During the preparation period, you may make notes to use during the role-play situation.

2.	You will give an ID label to your adult assistant during the preparation time.

3.	You will have up to 10 minutes to role-play your situation with a judge (you may have more than one judge).

4.	You will be evaluated on how well you meet the performance indicators of this event.

5.	Turn in all your notes and event materials when you have completed the role-play.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

1.	Explain the nature of positive customer/client relations.

2.	Demonstrate a customer-service mindset.

3.	Show empathy for others.

4.	Demonstrate problem-solving skills.

5.	Handle difficult customers.

EVENT SITUATION

You are to assume the role of sales associate in the shoe department for The Department Store. You need to assist a customer (judge) who is making an inquiry about a sale circular.

You have discovered a mistake in this week’s corporate circular, which was sent out to approximately 100,000 customers in a two-state area. The direct mail ad read as follows:

ASSORTED MEN’S DESIGNER SHOES $6.00

The advertisement should have read as follows:

ASSORTED MEN’S DESIGNER SHOES $60.00

The department manager is not scheduled to work today, so you decided that you should talk to the general manager. Before you have had a chance to react to the situation and discuss it with the general manager, a customer (judge), looking frustrated, has approached you and asked to see the $6.00 sale shoes.  You must handle this situation while attempting to explain the error, maintain the customer’s goodwill and prevent losses in profit.  

The confrontation will take place in the shoe department. The customer (judge) will begin the role-play by greeting you, gruffly stating that he/she cannot find the advertised sales shoes and asking for your help. After you have dealt with the customer (judge) and have answered his/her questions, the customer (judge) will conclude the role-play by thanking you for your help.

JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS, PROCEDURES AND JUDGE’S ROLE

In preparation for this event, you should review the following information with your event manager and other judges:

1.	Procedures

2.	Performance Indicators 

3.	Event Situation

4.	Judge Role-Play Characterization
Participants may conduct a slightly different type of meeting and/or discussion with you each time; however, it is important that the information you provide and the questions you ask be uniform for every participant.

5.	Judge’s Evaluation Instructions

6.	Judge’s Evaluation Form
Please use a critical and consistent eye in rating each participant.

JUDGE ROLE-PLAY CHARACTERIZATION

You are to assume the role of a frustrated customer shopping in the shoe department at The Department Store. A sales associate of that department (participant) will assist you as you make an inquiry about a sale circular.

A mistake ran in this week’s corporate circular, which was sent out to approximately 100,000 customers in a two-state area. The direct mail ad read as follows:

ASSORTED MEN’S DESIGNER SHOES $6.00

In the role-play, you will learn that the advertisement should have read as follows:

ASSORTED MEN’S DESIGNER SHOES $60.00

You knew that $6.00 is a great price for designer shoes, so you arrived at the store just as it opened. As you walked around, you noticed that the sales associate (participant) was reading the circular. You will approach the assistant manager (participant) to ask where the $6.00 shoes are. The sales assoicate (participant) should handle this situation while attempting to explain the error, maintain your goodwill and prevent losses in profit.  

The role-play will take place on the sales floor. You will begin the role-play by greeting the assistant manager, stating gruffly that you cannot find the advertised sales shoes and asking for help. The sales associate (participant) may or may not tell you that the department manager is not in today, only the store’s general manager.

During the course of the role-play you are to ask the following questions of each participant:

1.	Aren’t you obligated to stand behind your published price?

2.	Don’t you owe me some compensation since I’ve come all the way down here?

3.	What are you going to do to prevent this from happening in the future?

After the sales associate (participant) has assisted you and has answered your questions, you will conclude the role-play by thanking the sales associate (participant) for his/her assistance.

You are not to make any comments once the role-play is over except to thank the participant.

JUDGE’S EVALUATION INSTRUCTIONS
Evaluation Form Information

The participants are to be evaluated on their ability to perform the specific performance indicators stated on the cover sheet of this event and restated on the Judge’s Evaluation Form.  Although you may see other performance indicators being demonstrated by the participants, those listed in the Performance Indicators section are the critical ones you are measuring for this particular event.

Evaluation Form Interpretation

The evaluation levels listed below and the evaluation rating procedures should be discussed thoroughly with your event chairperson and the other judges to ensure complete and common understanding for judging consistency.

Level of Evaluation	Interpretation Level	
		
Excellent	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an extremely professional manner; greatly exceeds business standards; would rank in the top 10% of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Good	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an acceptable and effective manner; meets at least minimal business standards; there would be no need for additional formalized training at this time; would rank in the 70-89th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Fair	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with limited effectiveness; performance generally fell below minimal business standards; additional training would be required to improve knowledge, attitude and/or skills; would rank in the 50-69th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Poor	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with little or no effectiveness; a great deal of formal training would be needed immediately; perhaps this person should seek other employment; would rank in the 0-49th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	

JUDGE’S EVALUATION FORM
RMAL-01
Event  1
DID THE PARTICIPANT:

1.	Explain the nature of positive customer/client relations?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at explaining the nature of positive customer/client relations were inadequate or unclear.	Adequately explained the nature of positive customer/client relations.	Effectively explained the nature of positive customer/client relations.	Very effectively and 
thoroughly explained the 
nature of positive customer/
client relations.	
	
2.	Demonstrate a customer-service mindset?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at demonstrating a customer-service mindset were weak or inadequate.	Adequately demonstrated a customer-service mindset.	Effectively demonstrated a customer-service mindset.	Very effectively and 
thoroughly demonstrated a customer-service mindset.	
	
3.	Show empathy for others?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at showing empathy for others were weak or inadequate.	Adequately showed empathy for others.	Effectively showed empathy for others.	Very effectively and thoroughly showed empathy for others.	
	
4.	Demonstrate problem-solving skills?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at demonstrating problem-solving skills were unclear or inadequate.	Adequately demonstrated problem-solving skills.	Effectively demonstrated problem-solving skills.	Very effectively and thoroughly demonstrated problem-solving skills.	
	
5.	Handle difficult customers?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at handling difficult customers were weak or inadequate.	Adequately handled difficult customers.	Effectively handled difficult customers.	Very effectively and
thoroughly handled difficult customers.	
	
6.  Overall impression of the participant’s skills and performance?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 1	2, 3, 4	5, 6, 7	8, 9, 10	
Demonstrated few skills with little or no effectiveness.	Demonstrated limited ability to link some skills effectively.	Effectively demonstrated specified skills.	Demonstrated skills in a confident, articulate and integrated manner that meets the highest professional business standards.	

Judge’s  Initials 		TOTAL SCORE