Martin Thorborg's Video Blog 2

Older employees in shops give me some really good service experiences here in the USA. It makes me wonder why Danish shops struggling to find staff don’t make more use of older people.

The video is from October 2008. I talk about my experiences in Florida and my thoughts on shops and staffing at the time.

Getting started with the equipment I have

Welcome to my blog. I feel like making another video post, even though the quality is, to put it mildly, not very high.

I could have bought a nice camera, set up lighting and invested in an expensive microphone. But then I’d probably never have got the project started.

So I’m using the camera in my laptop and a microphone I bought on Amazon for about 150 kroner. The content has to be the main thing, and you’ll have to live with the poor quality.

The first working hours at Starbucks

I’m sitting at Starbucks in Mizner Park, where I often work and write my blog posts. There are shops, offices and a pleasant atmosphere around me.

I spend the first couple of hours here almost every day. The temperature is around 27–28 degrees, and it’s comfortable.

At Spamfighter’s office, it’s perhaps 20 degrees on a good day. John and Tony like it cold, so I sit there in a hoodie. I don’t feel like doing that until after midday. Here I can work and get plenty of good things done.

Older employees in shops give good service

What I want to discuss today is the level of service here in the USA. I find it much better, and there may be several explanations, including the tipping system.

But one thing I notice is that it’s often older people serving in the shops.

In a clothing shop, it might be someone aged 60 or 70 who greets me. I find them warm, friendly and welcoming. They know the products and have time to help.

It makes a big difference. I feel welcome.

Why don’t we make more use of older people?

When I come home to Denmark, I sometimes have a completely different experience: A young shop assistant who seems grumpy, knows very little about the products and isn’t interested in the customer.

At the same time, I hear business owners complaining that they can’t find staff and have to settle for whoever they can get.

And then I think about older people sitting at home, perhaps feeling unappreciated. Why don’t the shops hire some of them?

They could get out and meet other people, and the shops could get employees who, in my view, would arrive on time and treat customers with respect. That would make a big difference to the service experience.

A job can also provide a network and a sense of purpose

You could argue that older Americans only work because they can’t afford not to.

But I also see well-off older people choosing to work in shops. It can be a way of building a network and feeling appreciated and needed in everyday life.

My colleague John tells me about an older man in his building who has plenty of money but still works as a bagger at Walmart.

He packs customers’ shopping into bags. For a family with children who have gathered their shopping and put it on the conveyor belt, it’s lovely to have someone else pack it and help carry it to the car.

That’s good service, and it helps customers. Read also Min vej som leder about my experiences with people at work.

Where does it go wrong?

I don’t understand why Danish shops can be short of staff while older people sit at home without being brought into the picture.

Is it the tax? Is it because older people are happy staying at home? Where does it go wrong?

I don’t have the answer here. But I’d like to hear how you think we could get more older people into shops, where they can meet people and give customers good service.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts. Have a fantastic day, and thank you for watching.