This is where being “first to coach, last to fit” comes into play. Any time you have two or more Outfitters with you, you should be playing the role of the Team Leader, managing the sales floor, and acting as the point person on the sales floor. In this role, you serve as the first point of contact for a customer when entering the store and connect them with an Outfitter who will take them through the Fleet Feet Outfitting Experience. You’ll also be moderating the flow of traffic into the store and managing the customer queue using WaitWhile.

Although you’re great at Outfitting, your primary responsibility as Team Leader is to oversee the overall Retail Experience for everyone walking through the door, not just for one customer. Playing this role on the sales floor not only improves the Retail Experience for your customers but also gives you the ability to observe your team working with customers and act on all coaching opportunities that come up throughout the day.

For the Team Leader role to work successfully, it's best to...

• Make it a habit. Every sales day and every shift needs a Team Leader. It’s essential to always have someone responsible for managing the sales floor and overseeing the team of Outfitters, whether it’s expected to be busy in-store or not.

• Assume the role most often. To have an effective and efficient sales floor, it's best for the RXM to play this role most of the time. However, there should be other trusted store leaders or experienced Outfitters who demonstrate a high level of leadership capability and can step into the role when the RXM is unavailable. If this is the case...

• Provide thorough Team Leader training. For anyone, outside of the RXM fulfilling this role, use the Team Leader Course on Fleet Feet University and Team Leader Training Checklist to ensure they have a clear understanding of the expectations in the role. 

• Be flexible. While every shift can benefit from a Team Leader, that doesn’t mean the role will look exactly the same in every situation. Depending on the circumstances and needs of the store, team, and customers, some tasks, such as queue management or staff training, will require a greater or lesser focus. Non-negotiable responsibilities include:

  • • Ensure all customers are greeted 

    • Resolving customer concerns

    • Owning the phone

    • Oversee Outfitter breaks

    • Solve issues

    • Opening/closing checklists

    • Lead pre-shift Daily Huddle Meeting

• Team Leader Course on Fleet Feet University

• Team Leader Role Guide

• Team Leader Training Checklist

• Leading Team Leader Training Guide

• Sales Floor Playbook

• Outfitter Coaching Log

• Waitwhile

• Visual Merchandising Guide