Employee Management and Customer Service in the Retail Industry, by Gary Heil and Chris Thomas, attempts to combine the psychology of dealing with employees and customers with the practical realities of managing a retail business.

Preface. CHAPTER 1: HIRING GOOD PEOPLE. The Job Description. Finding Employees. Interviewing Job Candidates. Background Checks. Selecting a Candidate. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 2: FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT LAWS. Federal Wage-Related Laws. Federal Health and Safety Laws. Federal Benefits Laws. Federal Antidiscrimination Laws. Sexual Harassment and Wrongful Discharge. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 3: MANAGING PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY. The Accountability Dilemma. Cooperation vs. Competition. Building Cooperation. The Workplace “Caste System”. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. CHAPTER 4: MANAGING UNION EMPLOYEES. A Brief History of Labor Unions. Types of Unions. The Grievance Process. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 5: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. A Bit of Benefits Background. Health Care Coverage and Costs. Guaranteed Income Plans. Other Types of Benefits. Building in Maximum Flexibility. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 6: RETENTION AND MOTIVATION. The Case for Employee Retention. Structure Drives Behavior. Why Workers Leave. The Role of Change. Learning From Goodbyes. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 7: BUILDING CORE VALUES. Regaining Trust. Retail-Specific Values. Corporate Citizenship. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 8: MANAGING IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. Drug Abuse in the Workplace. Off-the-Clock Work. The Smoke-Free Workplace. Workplace Violence. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 9: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. Business as a Human Endeavor. The Service-savvy Employee. Ideas, Large and Small. Changing the Service Mind-set. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. CHAPTER 10: RETAIL TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS. Technology and Workplace Privacy. Temporary Workers. Free Speech and Blogging. Competing with E-commerce. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. Endnotes. Glossary. Index.

Preface Chapter 1: Hiring Good People Chapter 2: Federal Employment Laws Chapter 3: Managing People Effectively Chapter 4: Managing Union Employees Chapter 5: Employee Benefits Chapter 6: Retention and Motivation Chapter 7: Building Core Values Chapter 8: Managing in Difficult Situations Chapter 9: Customer Service and Relationship-BUilding Chapter 10:Retail Technology and Trends Glossary Index