Avoiding Personal Injury Claims During The Holidays In Your Retail Business
The holidays may be a merry sales season for a lot of obvious reasons, but the influx of additional customers can mean that your store will also be at more risk of seeing accidents, which could be followed by personal injury claims. When it comes down to it, it will be your responsibility as the owner to ensure there are extra steps taken during the holidays to keep your customers safe. Here are a few ways you can avoid more customer accidents during the holidays.
Be Cautious with Holiday Decor
It is common knowledge that a store decorated for the holiday season will entice customers to do a bit of seasonal shopping. However, holiday displays can cause clutter and may require electrical cords to be functional. Make sure any extension cords you use are not in traffic areas and overall the decor you choose will not pose any type of trip or safety hazard.
Adjust Scheduling to Maintain a Good Customer to Employee Ratio
The steady flow of customers during the last few months of the year will mean there will be a bigger chance for spills, merchandise getting knocked in the floor, and even restroom areas becoming overwhelmed with trash. Make sure you keep your store a safe place to shop by scheduling additional employees to stay on top of maintenance tasks. The last thing you need is to have a store full of customers and a store full of potential safety concerns at the same time.
Never Overstock Merchandise On the Salesfloor
With so many extra people coming in to grab things off of your shelves, you may be tempted to overstock merchandise just to cater to the higher than usual demand. It is a good idea to keep your shelves stocked without a doubt. However, there is a fine line between stocking sufficiently and stocking to the point that it could be a risky move on your part. Merchandise should not be stacked so high that it compromises the stability and heavy items should always be kept on lower levels that are within reach of the customers. Furthermore, additional merchandise displays on the salesfloor should be kept at a minimum to prevent trip hazards.
The holiday season can change a lot of things in a retail situation with the hustle and bustle of seasonal shoppers out to get those deals to fulfill their lists. Make sure that one of the things that changes is not the safety of your store by incorporating practices to avoid personal injury claims from your customers. Consult an accident lawyer for more safety tips for retail businesses.
