Teacher Guide
SIR07 Retail Services Training Package
Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Supporting resources for:
SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail
17 November 2009
flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox
© Commonwealth of Australia 2009
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth of Australia.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Table of Contents
Section 1 – About this Toolbox ................................................................................... 3
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 About the Teacher guide ................................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Qualification supported ................................................................................................................. 3
1.4 Employability skills ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.5 Learners ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.6 Teachers/trainers/facilitators ........................................................................................................ 5
1.7 Underpinning ideas........................................................................................................................ 5
1.8 Toolbox Implementation Guide...................................................................................................... 6
Section 2 – Organising structure, context and key features ..................................... 7
2.1 Units of competency ....................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Context ........................................................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Key features ................................................................................................................................... 7
Section 3 – Using the Retailer Toolbox .................................................................... 12
3.1 Preparing learners to use the Toolbox ........................................................................................ 12
3.2 Online teaching strategies ........................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Collaboration in the Retailer Toolbox ......................................................................................... 15
3.4 Customising the Toolbox ............................................................................................................. 16
3.5 Assessment strategies ................................................................................................................... 19
3.6 Mapping to units of competency (Learning map) ....................................................................... 19
Taking it back .................................................................................................................................... 20
Buy now, pay later ............................................................................................................................. 23
How do I look?................................................................................................................................... 26
First in, first out ................................................................................................................................. 28
Looks a bit ‘sus’! ............................................................................................................................... 30
Change of shift ................................................................................................................................... 33
Emergency! ........................................................................................................................................ 36
The customer’s always right .............................................................................................................. 37
Scenario: I’ll take that too ................................................................................................................. 41
Scenario: Balancing act..................................................................................................................... 45
Scenario: Sales snapshot ................................................................................................................... 48
Scenario: Market share ..................................................................................................................... 52
Scenario: Delivery for you! ............................................................................................................... 54
Scenario: Will I or won’t I? ............................................................................................................... 56
Section 4 – Implementing the Retailer Toolbox ...................................................... 57
4.1 Scenarios ..................................................................................................................................... 57
4.2 The Hub ....................................................................................................................................... 76
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Part of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework
© Commonwealth of Australia 2009 | Licensed under AEShareNet - S Licence Disclaimer and copyright
ii
Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Section 1 – About this Toolbox
1.1 Introduction
The Retailer Toolbox provides a valuable source of training material for delivery of
the newly endorsed SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail.
The Toolbox is based around scenarios that provide learning experiences which
replicate real life work situations faced by retail operators. The scenarios are
supplemented by:
 training sessions that provide background theory and practical tasks
 topics that encourage sharing of ideas and experiences
 activities to be completed in the workplace.
1.2 About the Teacher guide
This Teacher guide will help you to use the Toolbox in the delivery of SIR20207
Certificate II in Retail. It explains all the activities and supporting resources the
Toolbox contains, and offers delivery and customisation strategies.
This Teacher guide is organised into four sections:
 Section 1 About this Toolbox
 Section 2 Organising structure, context and key features
 Section 3 Using the Retailer Toolbox
 Section 4 Implementing the Retailer Toolbox.
1.3 Qualification supported
This Toolbox supports SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail. The core units of
competency addressed are:
 SIRXCCS001A Apply point-of-sale handling procedures
 SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
 SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
 SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
 SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
 SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
 SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
 SIRXOHS001A Apply safe working practices
 SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft.
The elective units of competency addressed are:
 SIRXMER001A Merchandise Products
 SIRXSLS001A Sell Products and Services
 SIRXSLS002A Advise On Products and Services
 SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
 SIRXMPR002A Provide Marketing and Promotion Program Support.
Rather than working through element by element, learners are presented with a
series of scenarios that mirror tasks they will come across in their everyday work.
These have been mapped back to the unit/s of competency so that both learners
and teachers can easily monitor progress.
All units have 100% coverage in this Toolbox. A Learning Map detailing the
coverage of each unit by the various Toolbox resources can be found in Section
3.6 of this guide.
1.4 Employability skills
Employability Skills are skills that apply across a variety of jobs and life contexts.
The Commonwealth of Australia defines them as, "skills required not only to gain
employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one's
potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions".
(Employability Skills Summary,
http://employabilityskills.training.com.au/index.php, accessed 30 September,
2009.)
There are eight Employability Skills:

Communication.

Teamwork.

Problem solving.

Initiative and enterprise.

Planning and organizing.

Self-management.

Learning.

Technology.
An Employability Skills Summary that lists the elements of each skill that have
been identified for SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail is available. To locate the
summary, go to http://employabilityskills.training.com.au. Search for the
summary by entering the qualification code.
Employability skills are embedded into the scenarios and supporting resources in
this Toolbox. The degree of coverage of a skill will vary depending on:

the type of activity

the teacher’s delivery method

whether the learner is completing the activity individually or in a group

whether the activity is being completed face-to-face or at a distance.
For example, by utilising a social networking tool to plan and conduct a group
discussion about emerging technologies used in the retail industry, learners could
demonstrate all eight employability skills.
It should be noted that activities in this Toolbox are not intended to be final
assessment items. A trainer should be using a variety of assessment methods and
instruments to assess skills, knowledge and employability skills.
1.5 Learners
While young females still make up around 70% of all learners in this industry,
there is an increasingly broadening demographic. Learners now include many
women in their 30s and 40s wishing to re-enter the workforce or looking for a
change of career.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Learners generally are on work placement, or are already employed in retail, so
they usually have a workplace to provide context, opportunities for practice, and
extension of classroom learning.
Prior knowledge
It is desirable that learners have:
 adequate literacy and numeracy levels
 basic computer skills
 some experience using online communication tools such as email, discussion
lists and chat rooms
 access to current or simulated workplaces in the retail industry.
Practical requirements
To complete ‘On the floor’ activities, learners need access to a retail workplace or
a simulated workplace.
All learners need to have a basic induction into online communication and the
importance of following etiquette in their interactions with others.
1.6 Teachers/trainers/facilitators
This Toolbox may be useful for:
 workplace trainers in one-on-one or group training situations
 teachers and/or trainers in face-to-face learning environments
 facilitators of online learning programs.
1.7 Underpinning ideas
Action-based engagement strategies have been chosen to suit the learner profile
and include:
 holistic scenarios covering elements of more than one unit of competency to
reflect what actually happens when dealing with a customer or situation
 graphic content that reflects real life situations
 tasks requiring learners to look for solutions to situations that they can apply
when faced with real customers
 opportunities for practical application of background knowledge
 prompts for collaboration between learners to help consolidate learning, to
allow application of theory to practice, and to promote transferability of skills
between enterprises
 catering for a range of learning styles and purposes by providing multiple entry
points
 an interface that allows learners to navigate in a variety of ways, maximising
accessibility.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
1.8 Toolbox Implementation Guide
A copy of the Toolbox Implementation Guide can be found at
http://toolboxes.flexiblelearning.net.au/documents/index.htm
The Toolbox Implementation Guide has been designed to help you get started
with your Toolbox project and is based on the experiences of training providers
nationally who have been working with Toolbox products over the last few years.
The guide focuses mainly on supporting teachers involved in Toolbox product
implementation, but will also be a useful reference for technical, support and
other staff.
It contains four main sections:
1. Finding your way around Toolbox products – things you should know
2. Different ways you can use your Toolbox product for training delivery and
support
3. Planning for the implementation of your Toolbox product
4. Further reading and helpful websites.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Section 2 – Organising structure, context and
key features
2.1 Units of competency
In many cases, this Toolbox uses scenarios that cover elements of more than one
unit of competency. This scenario based approach allows for a real life study of
the course, placing learning in a context that would actually apply to a retail
outlet rather than channelling learning through individual units of competency.
The Learning Map in Section 3.6 gives you detailed information about which units
of competency are covered by which scenario. It also identifies any gaps that
exist that teachers will need to address another way.
2.2 Context
To provide an authentic learning context, the scenarios in this Toolbox are located
in the fictitious Retailer Shopping Centre. Learners can explore various shops and
work through scenario tasks, complete training sessions and/or do activities in
their real workplaces.
2.3 Key features
The Retailer Shopping Centre floor plan provides a realistic learning context in
which learners can explore what is happening in four shops using either the floor
plan or the menu.
By setting the scenarios in four shops, the Toolbox provides a range of contexts,
allowing learners to more easily identify with the learning. This approach also
promotes transferability of skills.
Home page
The home page of the Retailer Toolbox is shown below.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
The floorplan provides links to:
 each of the four shops
 The Hub activities
 information/glossary.
The menu provides links to:
 a Scenario home page that includes links to all scenarios
 a Training Room home page that includes links to all training sessions
 a Glossary containing important industry words and terms
 a Learning Map showing the elements of the units of competency covered by
each scenario and associated training session topics.
Scenarios
The ‘Taking it back’ scenario page is shown below.
Each scenario in the Toolbox includes:
 a page in which learners are introduced to a situation
 tasks to enable the learner to address the situation (often sequential to meet
industry requirements)
 a workplace activity called ‘On the floor’ that can be done in addition to, or
instead of, the scenario tasks
 links to specific training session topics that are relevant to the scenario,
providing relevant background theory and activities on a ‘just in time’ basis
 discussion topics in The Hub to promote collaboration and sharing of ideas and
experiences
 star retailer tips, where relevant, containing relevant information and content,
web links and additional explanations to assist the learner to complete the
activity
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
On the floor
Following on from each scenario is an ‘On the floor’ activity, which is intended as
an extension/application activity for learners to take into their workplace. It could
be used in a range of ways depending on learner needs, for example practice and
repetition, practical application of theory learned in the scenario, workplace
assessment and recognition of prior learning.
The ‘On the floor’ section includes a brief summary of what was learned in the
scenario for learners to refer back to when applying the task on the job. It also
contains a worksheet that is completed as the learner applies the task in the
workplace. A checklist is also included to show what the learner has covered in
completing these tasks.
You could complement this section in other ways to enable learners to gather
evidence for assessment. For example, you could ask your learners to keep a
diary of what happened and how the situation was handled each time they
receive a customer complaint.
You may also incorporate into your lesson plans a mandatory use of the ‘On the
floor’ tools, asking your learners for example, to complete the task five times with
five different transactions/customers.
More details are provided about individual scenarios in Section 4 of this guide.
Training sessions
When learners enter the Training Room, they can select from a pool of training
sessions. They can work through each session by choosing topics using tabs at
the top of the page.
The introductory page of the Point of Sale transactions training session is
illustrated below.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Once learners have chosen a topic, they can choose to learn more about the
topic, see a demonstration of the topic or do a practical activity using the Learn,
See and Apply menus. The Refund topic introductory page is illustrated below.
The Hub
In The Hub, learners are presented with a range of collaboration activities
organised by scenario. These activities are also embedded within each scenario
and are intended as opportunities for collaboration between learners. They will
also assist learners to apply learning in the scenario activities to their own
workplaces.
You could also use these topics as stand-alone learning objects. For example, if
you are delivering content around a refund but are not using the scenario in the
Toolbox, you could complement your own training with these collaboration topics
as appropriate with minimal or no customisation. For information about how to
use these topics with your learners, see Sections 3 and 4 of this guide.
The Hub home page is illustrated below.
Skill store
The Skill Store is a self assessment RPL pathway where learners are provided with
tools to help them determine if they should consider RPL for any of the units rather
than completing them via the scenarios.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Learners are presented with three case studies which have been developed to reflect
the range of demographics in the target learner audience. Each case study describes
the individual’s background and the way they used the Skill store to help them self
assess.
Alternatively, learners can go directly to the self assessment tools and complete the
checklist to get an idea about which units they should consider for RPL.
The Skill Store home page is shown below.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Section 3 – Using the Retailer Toolbox
3.1 Preparing learners to use the Toolbox
It is important to prepare learners to use the Toolbox. The following tips for
trainers and learners highlight important information you should consider when
introducing the use of Toolboxes into your courses.
 Set aside adequate time to familiarise yourself with the Toolbox so you can
properly support your learners.
 Plan ahead and obtain management support, set realistic timeframes for
implementation and gain support from the learner’s employer before
introducing the Toolbox.
 Be aware of legislation that may impact on flexible delivery of the Toolbox, for
example learners working at home, traineeship agreements and
enterprise-based arrangements.
 Integrate the Toolbox into your teaching delivery, just as you would any new
teaching resource. Flexible delivery is not about leaving learners alone to learn
for themselves, but about using a new medium as a part of an overall teaching
delivery structure.
 Where possible, provide an orientation to the Toolbox in a practical,
face-to-face session with learners actually using the Toolbox. In this session,
include clear directions on how you want the learners to work through the
Toolbox and define the methods of communication that will be used throughout
the course.
 If you choose to do The Hub activities via a discussion board, you will need to
set up discussion threads prior to commencing the activity.
 You may need to provide instructions to the learners on how to use
communication tools such as email, discussion board or chat.
 If you are delivering the program online, email may be the primary method of
communication with your learners, so ensure that you have a clear system of
email folders for managing the traffic.
 If you are not meeting learners face-to-face on a regular basis, keep in contact
using your agreed communication method.
 Be clear about timeframes by setting targets for learning. These can help you
with your online lesson planning. You will need to set frameworks so your
learners know what to do and when to do it.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
3.2 Online teaching strategies
Collaboration and interaction using Toolboxes
Teaching in an online environment focuses on facilitating and guiding the
learner’s progress. Learners have significant learning resources available to them
in the Toolboxes, in the workplace and on the World Wide Web. Helping your
learners to navigate this information and pinpoint the relevant materials to meet
performance criteria is your central role. It requires a clear statement of learning
objectives and regular feedback from you on learner progress. Email and
discussion boards are powerful communication tools when applied in this context.
Toolboxes are designed to encourage learner collaboration through
communication tools and you should decide how to set up this collaboration. The
activities are customisable depending on requirements. For example, you might
set up a discussion board topic that includes a start and finish date and a
proportion of final assessment weighted to participation. You might notify your
learners of these requirements by email, as well as through an initial posting on
the discussion board. The discussion board (along with other tools) is a useful
record of learner contributions for assessment purposes.
Online discussions will only work if there is a sense of team collaboration and it is
important that you consider how to develop this team environment. Here are a
few tips.
Starting together as a group – online icebreakers
 You can use an online icebreaker in a computer training room or with learners
who are at different locations.
 If you intend your learners to collaborate online (using email, a learning
management system or a web discussion board), it is important to give them a
chance to become familiar with each other by using the medium before they
get down to the serious part.
 Go to http://www.thiagi.com for some ideas. Follow the link from Free
Resources to the Freebies page, then choose Training games.
 Set group projects based on the workplace task sheets.
The downloadable worksheets that are accessed throughout the Toolbox, most
commonly in the ‘On the floor’ section of each scenario, can be used to undertake
group activities. Learners are commonly asked to list observations of their
workplace and then share these with their fellow learners.
A small group could:
 work together to identify a similar workplace problem that they will base their
task on, and later report back to the whole group as part of their review
process
 work together if they are in the same organisation to identify a common
problem, and then work on it as a team within their organisation.
Some advantages of this approach are:
 it can facilitate social learning, especially useful if learners are geographically
dispersed or isolated
 learners practise using online communication tools in a practical task-focused
way
 it can allow learners to practise planning, collaboration, consultation and
networking skills
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
 it can be integrated with assessment of underpinning skills, such as
communication skills, and of the key competencies.
Here are some practical suggestions for implementing group projects.
 Limit teams to no more than three or four learners.
 Set a date for completion of the group project.
 Consider asking learners to write a self-assessment of their contribution to the
group process. This will encourage learners to reflect on their collaborative
skills and provide you with more information if you are considering using the
group work as an assessment item.
 Provide guidelines on how you expect your learners to collaborate, for example
entirely online, or through a mix of face-to-face meetings and online
communication.
Tips for implementation – fun ways to do it
Here are some other types of group activities that you may like to adapt. They
are in a (very) rough order from easiest to hardest for learners to do online.
 Debate – turn the group work topic into a debate. Assign teams to the ‘yes’
and ‘no’ cases, choose an adjudicator, and hold the debate on your discussion
board or chat system. An example could be ‘There is too much unnecessary
OHS legislation in the retail industry’.
 At the coalface – focusing on a particular topic, learners tell each other about
their own experiences at work. It is usually easy for most people to talk about
their own experiences. The questions you set for the group should also
encourage some critical reflection, for example ‘What would you do
differently?’
 WebQuest – learners find good websites on a particular topic. The chief idea of
a web quest is to search for answers to a problem or a ‘quest’ on the net and
then feed the information back to the group either informally or in a report.
This can be through discussion, contributions to a wiki or a group report
assembled via instant messaging and emailing contributions in a text
document. The facilitator can set different groups to research different aspects
or a problem or workplace practice. This is a good way to develop web
research skills and collaboration skills at the same time. This would be
particularly useful in the tasks relating to legislation and policy.
 Workplace research – use team research to direct learners to look at a
particular issue/problem/process in their workplace(s). Put learners in small
teams and have them report back to the larger group.
 Peer review – learners team up with a study buddy and give structured
feedback on each other’s work on a given task. This is useful for encouraging
group collaboration and support, and to practise the important skill of giving
and receiving feedback. Use the process of Praise–Improvement–Praise to
facilitate this.
 Role play – use this where practising an interpersonal skill is relevant, such as
dealing with the customer. Use role plays carefully; they require some skill on
the part of the facilitator. Ensure that debriefing occurs to deal with any issues
that come up as the group reflects on and evaluates the interactions. The
actual learning comes from this post role play session.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Social networking
Every day, your learners communicate with each other in new and different ways.
Email, mobile phones, text messaging and Podcasts are common forms of
communication young people use. They are powerful tools and it stands to reason
that if they can be used in everyday communication, they can be used in
education too.
Social networking tools allow you to assist learners to network with other learners
as they complete Toolbox activities.
For example, you can ask learners to create networks by:
 sharing their work in weblogs, for example writing in their own blog or sharing
mobile phone photos in moblogs (mobile weblogs)
 collaborating with others to develop documents, for example using wikis to put
together a project report
 creating and sharing photos of their work using photo sharing software, for
example Flickr
 creating and sharing bookmarks of sites they have found useful in research, for
example del.icio.us
 creating and sharing media files capturing their work, for example MP3s or
video files
 sharing their evidence for assessment in social networking spaces on the
internet.
3.3 Collaboration in the Retailer Toolbox
In the Retailer Toolbox, learners are presented with opportunities for
collaboration through The Hub. This contains a range of activities organised by
scenario. These activities are also embedded within each scenario. While you can
choose to explore these topics with your learners in traditional ways, such as
group discussion, many of the tips above can be implemented to enhance the
learning and sharing experience.
This is particularly valuable in the retail industry, where individual store policies
and procedures vary vastly and what is done in one store may be quite different
in another. In order to maximise learners’ abilities to develop the transferable
skills the industry desperately needs, these collaboration topics are of the utmost
importance.
In Section 4 of this guide you will find more specific examples of how you could
implement some of the above when working through The Hub topics with your
learners.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
3.4 Customising the Toolbox
The Retailer Toolbox is designed so that it can be customised to suit the learner
cohort. You can customise the Toolbox in three main ways:
 basic programming
 substitution of the downloadable/printable Word documents within the Toolbox
 packaging the learning objects.
Basic programming
You may choose to use basic programming skills to alter aspects of the Toolbox to
suit your learners, for example:
 to relocate the customers to other stores, allowing changes in setting,
opportunity to practise the same scenario in different settings and even
opportunities to practise in one setting and be assessed in another
 to add your own industry jargon to the glossary
 to rename the stores.
This all may be possible with some minor alterations to the html in the scenario
web pages.
Some design aspects of the Toolboxes can be easily customisable but other
aspects are more difficult. For this complex customisation, we recommend that
you proceed only if you have the relevant trained technical personnel.
Some multimedia content of the Toolbox is easily updateable and some
applications, such as the Media Player, are completely updateable by making
changes to an XML document.
It is important to realise that a number of the multimedia applications, such as
the demonstration of processing a refund on a Point of Sale terminal in the Point
of Sale transactions training session, can only be edited by someone with access
to Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and basic Flash Actionscript skills.
Where possible, all Flash Actionscript has been placed in an easy to locate area in
the Flash .fla file.
If you only want to offer one or two aspects of the Toolbox, or limit access to
certain resources, you can simply disable the links to the resources that you do
not wish your learners to access.
In most cases Toolboxes can be modified and redistributed with minimal licensing
or copyright encumbrance. However, before commencing any modifications, we
recommend that you check the licence details of the Toolbox to ensure that any
customisation undertaken does not contravene the conditions of that licence.
For licensing conditions, visit:
http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox/license.htm
Remember to retain the original files in their CD-ROM format so that you always
have an original copy of the Toolbox as a backup.
Substitution of Word documents
The Retailer Toolbox contains links to many printable Word documents, such as
worksheets, checklists, lists of steps, etc. These can be easily replaced with, or
supplemented by, new Word documents that are more suited to your own
learners. For example, if your learners all work in fashion outlets, you could
change the documents to reflect that.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Packaging the learning objects
While this Toolbox is designed with holistic delivery in mind, individual
components can still be used separately. This is done for two reasons:
 to allow you to customise a package of the learning to suit your learners
 to allow broader use of some individual components within other
qualifications/industries.
The Retailer Toolbox is made up of a collection of stand-alone learning objects,
including:
 eight scenarios
 eight accompanying ‘On the floor’ links (containing workplace application
activities)
 eight training sessions
 various topics in The Hub
 a glossary.
The design of this Toolbox implies a basic packaging of these learning objects, as
demonstrated in Case Study 1. However, you can direct your learners to access
different learning objects in different combinations.
The following case studies demonstrate a range of ways that the learning objects
in the Retailer Toolbox could be used to deliver the SIR20207 Certificate II in
Retail Operations.
Example 1: Workplace based training
Surf Warehouse is a small chain of stores employing many part-timers who have
all had at least three months retail experience. The stores are busy – especially
on weekends which is when most part-timers work.
There’s not much time for formal training, so the Manager uses the ‘On the floor’
sections in each scenario of the Toolbox to identify the existing skills and
knowledge of each staff member.
He then guides individuals through the scenario activities and associated training
sessions where he has identified a gap in skills and/or knowledge. He substitutes
some of the generic policies and procedures in each task for those of Surf
Warehouse to make the training more relevant for his staff.
Example 2: An online approach
Clare facilitates an online course for her Certificate II students who are based all
around the region.
She follows these steps to incorporate the Toolbox into her course.
1. She registers each student onto her organisation’s learning management
system. This automatically generates secure logins for access to course
materials and communication tools such as email and discussion forums.
2. She issues students with a course outline with details of the content to be
covered week by week. The course outline also lists all of the resources,
including specific parts of the Toolbox, which will be used throughout the
course.
3. She posts all of the Hub topics from the Toolbox into separate topics in the
discussion forum in the learning management system to encourage
collaborative learning.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
4. She collects evidence from students’ contributions to the Hub and all work
submitted as per the course outline for assessment purposes.
Example 3: Field trip
As part of her course delivery for the semester, Maria is planning a trip to a retail
factory outlet. Since funding is short, and there will not be other opportunities for
this kind of visit, she wants to make sure she covers as much as possible in the
one trip.
She’s noticed that several of the Apply activities in the training sessions of the
Toolbox suggest learners visit their local shopping centre to see how things are
done in practice. She decides to develop these activities into worksheets that her
learners can complete during the field trip.
She’ll have to plan the field trip carefully, as there are many opportunities to
cover a range of competencies. She could even use or modify some of The Hub
topics for a debrief after the field trip.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
3.5 Assessment strategies
Assessment of a unit(s) of competency requires the gathering of evidence of
underpinning knowledge and practical skills.
As part of an evidence portfolio for underpinning knowledge, an assessor may
choose to use completed activity sheets presented by a learner online or face to
face, as well as meaningful contributions to online discussions.
Practical performance of skills may be carried out in a simulated work
environment, but the industry strongly recommends, wherever possible, they be
performed under a partnership arrangement in the workplace.
While the Retailer Toolbox does not contain assessment tools, it provides
opportunities for your learners to gather evidence for assessment, specifically
though their contributions in The Hub and their work ‘On the floor’. There are
many printable worksheets, checklists and proformas available to learners that
can be completed to contribute to their portfolio of evidence. This would need to
be assessed, in conjunction with more practical tasks, in their workplaces.
3.6 Mapping to units of competency
(Learning map)
If used in its entirety, the Toolbox covers the following elements/units of
competency. Teachers are responsible for keeping accurate records of which parts
of the Toolbox are used and which parts of the competencies are covered in
delivery.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Taking it back
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Gather
required
information
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Conduct communication with customers in a professional,
courteous manner according to store policy.
1.8 Use verbal and non-verbal communication to develop rapport
with customers during service delivery.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and non
verbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
Decide
whether to
grant a
refund
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.2 Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to
supervisor.
Process the
refund
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.9 Process customer returns or refunds according to store policy
and procedures.
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.1 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
1.2 Open and close point of sale terminal according to store policy
and procedures.
1.6 Attend active point of sale terminals according to store policy.
3.1 Complete point of sale transactions according to store policy.
3.2 Identify and apply store procedures in respect of cash and non
cash transactions.
3.3 Identify and apply store procedures in regard to exchanges
and refunds.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
Process the
refund
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.1 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario activities continued
Complete
refund
documents
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Record customer details and information where necessary.
SIRXCO001A Communicate in the workplace
5.1 List and describe a range of retail documents.
5.2 Read and interpret information from a range of retail
documents.
Review what
you’ve done
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.2 Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to
supervisor.
Training session: Retail documents
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Refund slip
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.3 Record customer details and information where necessary.
SIRXCO001A Communicate in the workplace
5.1 List and describe a range of retail documents.
5.2 Read and interpret information from a range of retail
documents.
Training session: POS transactions
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Refund
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.3 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
1.4 Open and close point of sale terminal according to store policy
and procedures.
1.6 Attend active point of sale terminals according to store policy.
3.1 Complete point of sale transactions according to store policy.
3.2 Identify and apply store procedures in respect of cash and non
cash transactions.
3.3 Identify and apply store procedures in regard to exchanges and
refunds.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.4 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.5 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Legislation and policy
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Refund
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
Required skills and knowledge.
Training session: Communication
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Getting info
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedure.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Buy now, pay later
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Begin the
transaction
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Conduct communication with customers in a professional,
courteous manner according to store policy.
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.1 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
Total the
items
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.1 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
Take the
deposit
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.1 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
1.2 Open and close point of sale terminal according to store
policy and procedures.
1.6 Attend active point of sale terminals according to store
policy.
3.1 Complete point of sale transactions according to store policy.
3.2 Identify and apply store procedures in respect of cash and
non cash transactions.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.1 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario activities continued
Complete layby documents
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Record customer details and information where necessary.
SIRXCO001A Communicate in the workplace
5.1 List and describe a range of retail documents.
5.2 Read and interpret information from a range of retail
documents.
Pack goods
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
5.2 Select appropriate wrapping or packaging material.
5.3 Wrap merchandise neatly and effectively where required.
5.4 Pack items safely to avoid damage in transit, and attach
labels where required.
Process
instalments
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.1 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
1.2 Open and close point of sale terminal according to store
policy and procedures.
1.6 Attend active point of sale terminals according to store
policy.
3.1 Complete point of sale transactions according to store policy.
3.2 Identify and apply store procedures in respect of cash and
non cash transactions.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.1 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
Review what
you’ve done
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.2 Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to
supervisor.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: POS Transactions
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Lay-by
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
1.3 Operate point of sale equipment according to design
specifications.
1.4 Open and close point of sale terminal according to store policy
and procedures.
1.6 Attend active point of sale terminals according to store policy.
3.1 Complete point of sale transactions according to store policy.
3.2 Identify and apply store procedures in respect of cash and
non cash transactions.
3.5 Accurately enter information entered into point of sale
equipment.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.4 Identify purpose of equipment used in store or department.
1.5 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
Training session: Retail documents
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Lay-by
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.3 Record customer details and information where necessary.
SIRXCO001A Communicate in the workplace
5.1 List and describe a range of retail documents.
5.2 Read and interpret information from a range of retail
documents.
Training session: Legislation and policy
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Lay-by
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
Required skills and knowledge.
Training session: Other retail equipment
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Packing
SIRXCC001A Apply point of sale handling procedures
5.2 Select appropriate wrapping or packaging material.
5.3 Wrap merchandise neatly and effectively where required.
5.4 Pack items safely to avoid damage in transit, and attach
labels where required.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
How do I look?
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
What’s Joelle
doing wrong?
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
4.1 Maintain personal dress and presentation in a neat and tidy
manner.
4.2 Maintain personal hygiene according to store policy and
legislation.
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
2.1 Apply store policy and procedures for personal hygiene.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
What impact
is it having?
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
4.1 Maintain personal dress and presentation in a neat and tidy
manner.
4.2 Maintain personal hygiene according to store policy and
legislation.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
2.1 Apply store policy and procedures for personal hygiene.
What if she
worked
elsewhere?
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.3 Recognise and describe organisational culture.
What's Joelle
doing right?
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
4.1 Maintain personal dress and presentation in a neat and tidy
manner.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
4.2 Maintain personal hygiene according to store policy and
legislation.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
2.1 Apply store policy and procedures for personal hygiene.
2.2 Apply store policy and procedure for cleaning of work area.
Review what
I’ve done
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Work effectively
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Your image
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
4.1 Maintain personal dress and presentation in a neat and tidy
manner.
4.2 Maintain personal hygiene according to store policy and
legislation.
Training session: OHS
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Store image
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.3 Recognise and describe organisational culture.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
First in, first out
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Reorganise
existing stock
according to
FIFO policies
SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
1.7 Rotate and store stock according to the first in, first out
(FIFO) principle.
2.1 Carry out stock rotation procedures according to store
routine and policy.
2.3 Place merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully-stocked
display appearance and promote sales.
Identify stock
to be
discarded or
marked down
SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock according to store policy.
1.9 Apply stock price and code labels when required according to
store policy.
2.2 Perform store code checking and reporting procedures,
including recording waste and markdowns.
2.4 Place excess stock in storage or dispose of according to store
policy and legislation.
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
2.3 Remove and dispose of waste or other potential hazards to
relevant personnel and remove from floors according to store
policy and legislative requirements.
Mark down
selected stock
SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock according to store policy.
1.9 Apply stock price and code labels when required according to
store policy.
2.2 Perform store code checking and reporting procedures,
including recording waste and markdowns.
2.4 Place excess stock in storage or dispose of according to store
policy and legislation.
Review what
you’ve done
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.2 Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to
supervisor.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Legislation and policy
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
FIFO
SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock according to store policy.
1.7 Rotate and store stock according to the first in, first out
(FIFO) principle.
1.9 Apply stock price and code labels when required according to
store policy.
2.1 Carry out stock rotation procedures according to store routine
and policy.
2.2 Perform store code checking and reporting procedures,
including recording waste and markdowns.
2.3 Place merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully-stocked
display appearance and promote sales.
2.4 Place excess stock in storage or dispose of according to store
policy and legislation.
Training session: OHS
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Handling
SIRXINV001A Perform stock control procedures
1.2 Unpack goods using correct handling techniques and
equipment according to store policy.
2.5 Maintain safe lifting, shifting and carrying techniques
according to OHS policy and legislative requirements.
Hazards
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
1.1 Maintain work areas in a safe, uncluttered and organized
manner according to store policy and procedures.
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
1.1 Follow and maintain safety procedures to achieve a safe work
environment according to all relevant OHS legislation, including
codes of practice, relating to particular hazards in the industry or
workplace.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Looks a bit ‘sus’!
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Identify
opportunities
for theft
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.5 Store products and equipment in a secure manner.
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.5 Maintain security of cash, cash register and keys according to
store policy.
2.6 Maintain security of stock, cash and equipment in regard to
customers, staff and outside contractors according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
Reorganise
the store to
minimise theft
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.1 Apply store security systems and procedures according to
store policy.
1.5 Store products and equipment in a secure manner.
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.3 Maintain surveillance of merchandise according to store
policy and legislative requirements.
2.5 Maintain security of cash, cash register and keys according to
store policy.
2.6 Maintain security of stock, cash and equipment in regard to
customers, staff and outside contractors according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
Recognise
suspicious
people or
situations
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.3 Observe and deal with suspect behaviour by customers
according to store policy and legislative requirements.
Take
appropriate
action to deal
with
situations
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.3 Observe and deal with suspect behaviour by customers
according to store policy and legislative requirements.
2.7 Deal with suspected or potential thieves according to store
policy and procedures.
1.4 Deal with internal and external theft according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.4 Check customers’ bags as required at point of sale according
to store policy and legislative requirements.
2.7 Deal with suspected or potential thieves according to store
policy and procedures.
Review what
I’ve done
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
procedures and legislative requirements.
Training session: Security
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Opportunities
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.1 Apply store security systems and procedures according to
store policy.
1.5 Store products and equipment in a secure manner.
2.5 Maintain security of cash, cash register and keys according to
store policy.
2.6 Maintain security of stock, cash and equipment in regard to
customers, staff and outside contractors according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
Systems
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.1 Apply store security systems and procedures according to
store policy.
1.5 Store products and equipment in a secure manner.
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.4 Check customers’ bags as required at point of sale according
to store policy and legislative requirements.
2.5 Maintain security of cash, cash register and keys according to
store policy.
Devices
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.3 Maintain surveillance of merchandise according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
Watch out
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.3 Observe and deal with suspect behaviour by customers
according to store policy and legislative requirements.
2.3 Maintain surveillance of merchandise according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
2.7 Deal with suspected or potential thieves according to store
policy and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Legislation and policy
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Security
SIRXRSK001A Minimise theft
1.1 Apply store security systems and procedures according to
store policy.
1.4 Deal with internal and external theft according to store policy
and legislative requirements.
2.1 Take appropriate action to minimise theft by applying store
procedures and legislative requirements.
2.4 Check customers’ bags as required at point of sale according
to store policy and legislative requirements.
2.7 Deal with suspected or potential thieves according to store
policy and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Change of shift
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Shani’s
situation
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.1 Provide notification of skill availability, or non-attendance of
shift, according to set timeframes and according to store policy
and procedures.
1.2 Interpret staff rosters accurately.
1.3 Recognise and describe organisational culture.
5.1 Receive and act upon instructions.
5.4 Plan and organise daily work routine within the scope of the
job role.
5.5 Prioritise and complete tasks according to required
timeframes.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.1 Maintain a welcoming customer environment.
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
1.5 Demonstrate confidentiality and tact.
4.4 Identify lines of communication with supervisors and peers
according to store policy.
Sean’s
Situation
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.1 Provide notification of skill availability, or non-attendance of
shift, according to set timeframes and according to store policy
and procedures.
5.1 Receive and act upon instructions.
5.4 Plan and organise daily work routine within the scope of the
job role.
5.5 Prioritise and complete tasks according to required
timeframes.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
2.1 Answer telephone according to store procedures.
2.2 Use questioning and listening to identify caller and accurately
establish and confirm requirements.
2.4 Record and promptly pass on messages or information.
2.6 Perform follow-up action as necessary.
4.4 Identify lines of communication with supervisors and peers
according to store policy.
4.6 Use questioning to minimise misunderstanding.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario activities continued
Nicole’s
situation
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.1 Provide notification of skill availability, or non-attendance of
shift, according to set timeframes and according to store policy
and procedures.
5.1 Receive and act upon instructions.
5.4 Plan and organise daily work routine within the scope of the
job role.
5.5 Prioritise and complete tasks according to required
timeframes.
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
2.1 Answer telephone according to store procedures.
2.2 Use questioning and listening to identify caller and accurately
establish and confirm requirements.
2.4 Record and promptly pass on messages or information.
2.6 Perform follow-up action as necessary.
4.4 Identify lines of communication with supervisors and peers
according to store policy.
4.6 Use questioning to minimise misunderstanding.
4.7 Identify and avoid signs of potential workplace conflict
wherever possible.
Review what
I’ve done
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
4.8 Demonstrate participation in team problem solving.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Working effectively
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Your team
SIRXCOM001A Communication in the workplace
4.4 Identify lines of communication with supervisors and peers
according to store policy.
4.6 Use questioning to minimise misunderstanding.
4.7 Identify and avoid signs of potential workplace conflict
wherever possible.
4.8 Demonstrate participation in team problem solving.
Your role
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
1.1 Provide notification of skill availability, or non-attendance of
shift, according to set timeframes and according to store policy
and procedures.
1.2 Interpret staff rosters accurately.
1.3 Recognise and describe organisational culture.
5.1 Receive and act upon instructions.
5.4 Plan and organise daily work routine within the scope of the
job role.
5.5 Prioritise and complete tasks according to required
timeframes.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Emergency!
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Identify what
is happening
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
2.2 Identify designated personnel responsible for first aid and
evacuation procedures.
2.3 Accurately identify safety alarms.
Examine what
has to be
done and who
should do it
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
2.1 Follow fire and emergency procedures, including store
evacuation, according to store policy and legislation.
Understand
what I should
and shouldn’t
do
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
2.1 Follow fire and emergency procedures, including store
evacuation, according to store policy and legislation.
Review what
happened
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
2.1 Follow fire and emergency procedures, including store
evacuation, according to store policy and legislation.
2.2 Identify designated personnel responsible for first aid and
evacuation procedures.
2.2 Identify designated personnel responsible for first aid and
evacuation procedures.
2.2 Identify designated personnel responsible for first aid and
evacuation procedures.
2.3 Accurately identify safety alarms.
Training session: OHS
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Emergency
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
2.1 Follow fire and emergency procedures, including store
evacuation, according to store policy and legislation.
2.2 Identify designated personnel responsible for first aid and
evacuation procedures.
2.3 Accurately identify safety alarms.
Hazards
SIRXCLM001A Organise and maintain work areas
1.1 Maintain work areas in a safe, uncluttered and organized
manner according to store policy and procedures.
SIRXOHS001A Apply safe work practices
1.1 Follow and maintain safety procedures to achieve a safe work
environment according to all relevant OHS legislation, including
codes of practice, relating to particular hazards in the industry or
workplace.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
The customer’s always right
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Find out
what’s wrong
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.1 Maintain a welcoming customer environment.
1.2 Greet customer warmly according to store policy and
procedures.
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
1.5 Demonstrate confidentiality and tact.
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
2.1 Convey a positive, helpful attitude to customers when
handling complaints according to store policy.
2.2 Handle complaints sensitively, courteously and with
discretion.
2.3 Establish and confirm with customer nature of complaint by
active listening and questioning.
Decide what
action to take
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.1 Maintain a welcoming customer environment.
1.2 Greet customer warmly according to store policy and
procedures.
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
1.5 Demonstrate confidentiality and tact.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario activities continued
Decide what
action to take
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Conduct communication with customers in a professional,
courteous manner according to the store policy.
1.2 Meet customer needs and reasonable requests or refer to
supervisor according to store policy and legislative requirements.
1.4 Identify and anticipate possible problems and take action to
minimise the effect on customer satisfaction.
1.5 Recognise and act upon opportunities to deliver additional
levels of service beyond the customer’s immediate request.
1.6 Maintain contact with customer until sale is completed
according to store policy.
1.8 Use verbal and non-verbal communication to develop rapport
with customers during service delivery.
1.9 Encourage repeat customers by promotion of appropriate
services or products according to store policy.2.1 Convey a
positive, helpful attitude to customers when handling complaints,
according to store policy.
2.2 Handle complaints sensitively, courteously and with
discretion.
2.3 Establish and confirm with customer nature of complaint.
2.4 Take action to resolve complaint to customers’ satisfaction
wherever possible.
2.5 Promptly refer unresolved customer dissatisfaction or
complaints to supervisor.
2.6 Take the opportunity to turn incidents of customer
dissatisfaction into a demonstration of high-quality service to
customers according to store policy.
2.8 Take follow-up action as necessary to ensure customer
satisfaction.
Review what
I’ve done
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
2.6 Take the opportunity to turn incidents of customer
dissatisfaction into a demonstration of high-quality service to
customers according to store policy.
2.8 Take follow-up action as necessary to ensure customer
satisfaction.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Communication
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Getting
info
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedure.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
Service
SIRXCOM001A Communicate in the workplace
1.1 Maintain a welcoming customer environment.
1.2 Greet customer warmly according to store policy and
procedures.
1.3 Create effective service environment through verbal and nonverbal interaction according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Use questioning and active listening to determine customer
needs.
1.5 Demonstrate confidentiality and tact.
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
1.1 Conduct communication with customers in a professional,
courteous manner according to store policy.
1.5 Recognise and act upon opportunities to deliver additional levels
of service beyond the customer’s immediate request.
1.6 Maintain contact with customer until sale is completed according
to store policy.
1.7 Farewell customer appropriately and courteously according to
store policy.
2.1 Convey a positive, helpful attitude to customers when handling
complaints according to store policy.
2.2 Handle complaints sensitively, courteously and with discretion.
2.3 Establish and confirm with customer nature of complaint by
active listening and questioning.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Communication continued
Complaints
SIRXCCS002A Interact with customers
2.1 Convey a positive, helpful attitude to customers when handling
complaints, according to store policy.
2.2 Handle complaints sensitively, courteously and with discretion.
2.3 Establish and confirm with customer nature of complaint.
2.4 Take action to resolve complaint to customers’ satisfaction
wherever possible.
2.5 Promptly refer unresolved customer dissatisfaction or complaints
to supervisor.
2.6 Take the opportunity to turn incidents of customer
dissatisfaction into a demonstration of high-quality service to
customers according to store policy.
2.7 Complete documentation regarding customer complaints
accurately and legibly.
2.8 Take follow-up action as necessary to ensure customer
satisfaction.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: I’ll take that too
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Receive
merchandise
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.1 Unpack merchandise according to store policy and procedures and
legislative requirements.
1.4 Identify damaged, soiled or out-of-date stock and take
corrective action as required according to store procedure.
2.1 Prepare labels and tickets for window, wall or floor displays
according to store policy.
2.2 Prepare tickets using electronic equipment or neatly by
hand according to store procedures.
2.3 Identify soiled, damaged, illegible or incorrect labels and
tickets and take corrective action.
2.4 Use and maintain electronic ticketing and labelling
equipment according to design specifications.
Plan displays
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.2 Place merchandise on floor, fixtures and shelves in determined
locations according to OHS and other relevant legislative requirements.
1.3 Display merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully stocked
appearance and promote sales.
1.5 Place stock range to conform with fixtures, ticketing, prices or bar
codes.
Arrange
displays
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.2 Place merchandise on floor, fixtures and shelves in determined
locations according to OHS and other relevant legislative requirements.
1.3 Display merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully-stocked
appearance and promote sales.
1.5 Place stock range to conform with fixtures, ticketing, prices or bar
codes.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: I’ll take that too continued
Maintain
displays
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
3.2 Replace labels and tickets according to store policy.
3.3 Maintain correct pricing and information on merchandise according to
store procedures, industry codes of practice and legislative requirements.
4.1 Reset and dismantle special promotion areas.
4.2 Assist supervisor in selection of merchandise for display.
4.3 Arrange and face up merchandise as directed and according to layout
specifications and load-bearing capacity of fixtures.
4.4 Identify, reset or remove unsuitable or out-of-date displays as directed.
4.5 Identify optimum stock levels and replenish stock according to store
policy.
4.6 Maintain display areas in a clean and tidy condition.
4.7 Remove excess packaging from display areas.
5.1 Identify and apply correct handling, storage and display techniques
according to stock characteristics and legislative requirements.
Training session: OHS
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Hazards
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.2 Place merchandise on floor, fixtures and shelves in determined
locations according to OHS and other relevant legislative requirements.
4.6 Maintain display areas in a clean and tidy condition.
4.7 Remove excess packaging from display areas.
Handling
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.7 Ensure stock presentation conforms to special handling techniques and
other safety requirements.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Merchandising and marketing
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Setting up
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.1 Unpack merchandise according to store policy and procedures and
legislative requirements.
1.2 Place merchandise on floor, fixtures and shelves in determined locations
according to OHS and other relevant legislative requirements.
1.3 Display merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully-stocked appearance
and promote sales.
1.4 Identify damaged, soiled or out-of-date stock and take corrective action
as required according to store procedure.
1.5 Place stock range to conform with fixtures, ticketing, prices or bar codes.
Signage
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
2.1 Prepare labels and tickets for window, wall or floor displays according to
store policy.
2.2 Prepare tickets using electronic equipment or neatly by hand according
to store procedures.
2.4 Use and maintain electronic ticketing and labelling equipment according
to design specifications.
2.5 Store ticketing equipment in a secure location.
3.1 Place labels and tickets visibly and correctly on merchandise.
3.2 Replace labels and tickets according to store policy.
Maintaining
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
3.3 Maintain correct pricing and information on merchandise according to
store procedures, industry codes of practice and legislative requirements.
4.1 Reset and dismantle special promotion areas.
4.2 Assist supervisor in selection of merchandise for display.
4.3 Arrange and face up merchandise as directed and according to layout
specifications and load-bearing capacity of fixtures.
4.4 Identify, reset or remove unsuitable or out-of-date displays as directed.
4.5 Identify optimum stock levels and replenish stock according to store
policy.
4.7 Remove excess packaging from display areas.
Training session: Security
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Systems
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
2.5 Store ticketing equipment in a secure location.
5.1 Identify and apply correct handling, storage and display techniques
according to stock characteristics and legislative requirements.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Other retail equipment
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Display
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
1.2 Place merchandise on floor, fixtures and shelves in determined locations
according to OHS and other relevant legislative requirements.
Other
SIRXMER001A Merchandise products
2.2 Prepare tickets using electronic equipment or neatly by hand according to
store procedures.
2.4 Use and maintain electronic ticketing and labelling equipment according to
design specifications.
2.5 Store ticketing equipment in a secure location.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Balancing act
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Get the
terminal
reading
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
1.1 Perform register or terminal balance at designated times
according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Acquire and accurately interpret register or terminal reading
or print-out.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
2.1 Operate keyboard using typing techniques within designated
speed and accuracy requirements.
2.2 Enter and edit information accurately.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
3.3 Enter data accurately and within designated time limits.
Separate and
secure the
cash float
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
1.2 Separate cash float from takings prior to balancing procedure
and secure according to store policy.
1.3 Supply change to register or terminal according to store
policy.
Count takings
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
2.1 Count cash accurately.
2.2 Calculate non-cash documents accurately.
SIRXCCS001A Apply point-of-sale handling procedures
1.3 Clear point-of-sale equipment and transfer tender according
to store procedure.
1.5 Maintain supplies of change in point-of-sale terminal
according to store policy.
1.7 Complete records for transaction errors according to store
policy.
3.7 Tender correct change.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Balancing act continued
Reconcile
takings
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
2.3 Determine balance between register or terminal reading and sum of
cash and non-cash transactions.
2.4 Report discrepancies between register or terminal reading and sum of
cash and non-cash transactions to relevant personnel according to store
policy.
2.5 Record store and individual department takings and file records
according to store policy.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
2.1 Operate keyboard using typing techniques within designated
speed and accuracy requirements.
2.2 Enter and edit information accurately.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
3.3 Enter data accurately and within designated time limits.
Training session: POS Transactions
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Balance
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
1.1 Perform register or terminal balance at designated times
according to store policy and procedures.
1.4 Acquire and accurately interpret register or terminal reading
or print-out.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
2.1 Operate keyboard using typing techniques within designated
speed and accuracy requirements.
2.2 Enter and edit information accurately.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
3.3 Enter data accurately and within designated time limits.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Handling takings
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Cash
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
1.2 Separate cash float from takings prior to balancing procedure
and secure according to store policy.
1.3 Supply change to register or terminal according to store
policy.
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
2.1 Count cash accurately.
Non-cash
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
2.2 Calculate non-cash documents accurately.
Reconciling
SIRXFIN001A Balance point-of-sale terminal
2.3 Determine balance between register or terminal reading and
sum of cash and non-cash transactions.
2.4 Report discrepancies between register or terminal reading
and sum of cash and non-cash transactions to relevant personnel
according to store policy.
2.5 Record store and individual department takings and file
records according to store policy.
SIRXICT001A Operate retail technology
1.2 Operate equipment according to design specifications and
safety requirements.
2.1 Operate keyboard using typing techniques within designated
speed and accuracy requirements.
2.2 Enter and edit information accurately.
3.1 Enter data using relevant equipment according to store policy
and procedures.
3.3 Enter data accurately and within designated time limits.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Sales snapshot
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Greet the customer
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
2.1 Determine and apply timing of customer approach.
2.2 Identify and apply effective sales approach.
2.3 Convey a positive impression to arouse customer
interest.
2.4 Demonstrate knowledge of customer buying behaviour.
Work out the
customer’s needs
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
3.1 Apply questioning techniques to determine customer
buying motives
3.2 Use listening skills to determine customer requirement
3.3 Interpret and clarify non-verbal communication cues.
3.4 Identify customers by name where possible.
Match the products
to the customer
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
3.5 Direct customer to specific merchandise.
4.1 Match customer needs to appropriate products and
services.
4.2 Communicate knowledge of products features and
benefits clearly to customers.
4.3 Describe product use and safety requirements to
customers.
4.4 Refer customers to appropriate product specialist as
required.
4.5 Answer routine customer questions about merchandise
accurately and honestly or refer to senior sales staff.
SIRXSLS002A Advise on products and services
2.1 Evaluate merchandise according to customer
requirements.
2.2 Demonstrate features and benefits of products and
services to customer to create a buying environment.
2.3 Apply detailed specialised knowledge of product to
provide accurate advice to customers.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Sales snapshot continued
Sell the benefits to
the customer
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
4.1 Match customer needs to appropriate products and
services.
4.2 Communicate knowledge of products features and
benefits clearly to customers.
4.3 Describe product use and safety requirements to
customers.
4.4 Refer customers to appropriate product specialist as
required.
4.5 Answer routine customer questions about
merchandise accurately and honestly or refer to senior
sales staff.
Close the sale
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
5.1 Identify and accept customer objections.
5.2 Categorise objections into price, time and
merchandise characteristics.
5.3 Offer solutions according to store policy.
5.4 Apply problem solving to overcome customer
objections.
6.1 Monitor, identify and respond appropriately to
customer buying signals.
6.2 Encourage customer to make purchase decisions.
6.3 Select and apply appropriate method of closing sale.
Look for opportunities
to sell more
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
7.1 Recognise and apply opportunities for making
additional sales.
7.2 Advise customer of complementary products or
services according to customer’s identified need.
7.3 Review personal sales outcomes to maximise future
sales.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Selling products
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Products
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
1.1 Demonstrate knowledge of the use and application of relevant products
and services according to store policy and legislative requirements.
1.2 Develop product knowledge by accessing relevant sources of
information.
SIRXSLS002A Advise on products and services
1.1 Develop and maintain product knowledge according to store policy and
legislative requirements.
1.2 Convey product knowledge to other staff as required.
1.3 Research and apply comparisons between products and services.
1.4 Demonstrate knowledge of competitors’ product and service range and
pricing structure.
Benefits
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
4.1 Match customer needs to appropriate products and services.
4.2 Communicate knowledge of products features and benefits clearly to
customers.
4.3 Describe product use and safety requirements to customers.
4.4 Refer customers to appropriate product specialist as required.
4.5 Answer routine customer questions about merchandise accurately and
honestly or refer to senior sales staff.
Close
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
5.1 Identify and accept customer objections.
5.2 Categorise objections into price, time and merchandise characteristics.
5.3 Offer solutions according to store policy.
5.4 Apply problem solving to overcome customer objections.
6.1 Monitor, identify and respond appropriately to customer buying signals.
6.2 Encourage customer to make purchase decisions.
6.3 Select and apply appropriate method of closing sale.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Selling products continued
Sell more
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
7.1 Recognise and apply opportunities for making additional sales.
7.2 Advise customer of complementary products or services according to
customer’s identified need.
7.3 Review personal sales outcomes to maximise future sales.
Training session: Communication
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Getting info
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
3.1 Apply questioning techniques to determine customer buying motives
3.2 Use listening skills to determine customer requirement
3.3 Interpret and clarify non-verbal communication cues.
3.4 Identify customers by name where possible.
Service
SIRXSLS001A Sell products and services
2.1 Determine and apply timing of customer approach.
2.2 Identify and apply effective sales approach.
2.3 Convey a positive impression to arouse customer interest.
2.4 Demonstrate knowledge of customer buying behaviour.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Market share
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Identify a range of
programs
SIRXMPR002A: Provide marketing and promotion
program support
1.1 Obtain and confirm timing and purpose of promotional and
marketing programs.
1.2 Access relevant sources of information regarding upcoming
promotional activities.
Know your role
SIRXMPR002A: Provide marketing and promotion
program support
1.3 Confirm own role in supporting specific marketing and promotion
programs with relevant supervisory personnel.
3.1 Secure campaign-related marketing materials to meet internal or
external demand.
3.2 Issue campaign-related marketing materials to meet internal or
external requests according to business policy and procedures.
3.3 Lodge orders for additional campaign-related marketing materials
in a timely manner.
Communicate
about the program
SIRXMPR002A: Provide marketing and promotion
program support
1.4 Communicate details of promotional and marketing programs to
customers as directed.
2.1 Receive and action enquiries concerning promotional and
marketing programs according to business policy and procedures.
2.2 Provide accurate details of promotional and marketing programs
on demand to internal or external personnel according to business
policy and procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Merchandising and marketing
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Marketing
SIRXMPR002A: Provide marketing and promotion program
support
1.1 Obtain and confirm timing and purpose of promotional and marketing
programs.
1.2 Access relevant sources of information regarding upcoming
promotional activities.
1.3 Confirm own role in supporting specific marketing and promotion
programs with relevant supervisory personnel.
3.1 Secure campaign-related marketing materials to meet internal or
external demand.
Training session: Communication
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Service
SIRXMPR002A Provide marketing and promotion program
support
1.4 Communicate details of promotional and marketing programs to
customers as directed.
2.1 Receive and action enquiries concerning promotional and marketing
programs according to business policy and procedures.
2.2 Provide accurate details of promotional and marketing programs on
demand to internal or external personnel according to business policy and
procedures.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Delivery for you!
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Check
documents
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.4 Check incoming stock and validate against purchase orders and delivery
documentation according to store policy and relevant legislative
requirements.
Check
delivery
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.2 Unpack goods using correct handling techniques and equipment
according to store policy.
1.4 Check incoming stock and validate against purchase orders and delivery
documentation according to store policy and relevant legislative
requirements.
1.5 Inspect items received for damage, quality, use-by dates, breakage or
discrepancies and record according to store policy.
Receive
delivery
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock systems according to store policy.
1.8 Dispatch stock to appropriate area or department.
1.9 Apply stock price and code labels when required according to store
policy.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Training session: Legislation and policy
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Stock
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.1 Maintain cleanliness and orderliness in receiving bay according to store
policy and procedures.
1.3 Remove and promptly dispose of packing materials according to store
policy and relevant legislative requirements.
1.4 Check incoming stock and validate against purchase orders and
delivery documentation according to store policy and relevant legislative
requirements.
1.5 Inspect items received for damage, quality, use-by dates, breakage or
discrepancies and record according to store policy.
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock systems according to store policy.
1.8 Dispatch stock to appropriate area or department.
1.9 Apply stock price and code labels when required according to store
policy.
Training session: Retail documents
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Stock
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.4 Check incoming stock and validate against purchase orders and
delivery documentation according to store policy and relevant legislative
requirements.
1.5 Inspect items received for damage, quality, use-by dates, breakage or
discrepancies and record according to store policy.
1.6 Record stock levels on store stock systems according to store policy.
Training session: OHS
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Hazards
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.1 Maintain cleanliness and orderliness in receiving bay according to store
policy and procedures.
1.3 Remove and promptly dispose of packing materials according to store
policy and relevant legislative requirements.
Handling
SIRXINV001A Performa stock control procedures
1.2 Unpack goods using correct handling techniques and equipment
according to store policy.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Scenario: Will I or won’t I?
Scenario activities
Task
Unit/element/performance criteria
Find sources
of information
for the retail
industry
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.1 Identify and access sources of information on the retail industry.
Look at
careers in
retail
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.2 Obtain information to assist with effective work performance
and career planning within the retail industry.
Examine the
role of retail
associations
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.4 Identify and analyse role of employee and employer
associations in industrial relations system.
Use a
workplace
agreement
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.3 Identify and interpret relevant awards and agreements.
Training session: Retail industry
Topic
Unit/element/performance criteria
Info
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.1 Identify and access sources of information on the retail industry.
3.2 Obtain information to assist with effective work performance
and career planning within the retail industry.
Careers
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.4 Identify and analyse role of employee and employer
associations in industrial relations system.
Awards
SIRXIND001A Work effectively in a retail environment
3.3 Identify and interpret relevant awards and agreements.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Section 4 – Implementing the Retailer
Toolbox
4.1 Scenarios
The following tables are intended as tools to help you to implement the various
resources in the Toolbox. The tables include a description of each scenario and
provide advice on the other resources available in the Toolbox that could be used
to support them. The tables also suggest examples of other ways you could
deliver the scenarios that may be more suitable to your learners.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Taking it back
This scenario is based around Penny, a customer who wishes to obtain a cash
refund.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners step through the
processing of a refund by
completing the following
tasks.
1. Gather information.
Ask learners to perform a role play to practise
their questioning and listening techniques. As an
extension of this activity, they could view the
task online and then be given another similar
scenario to act out in order to reinforce the
learning.
1. Gather information.
2. Decide whether to grant
a refund.
3. Process the refund.
4. Complete the refund.
2. Decide whether to grant a refund.
This task would lend itself to group discussion –
particularly the ‘What if …’ activities.
3. Processing the refund.
If resources are available, ask learners to
demonstrate their Point of Sale processing skills
on a range of real terminals rather than, or in
addition to, using the online tool.
4. Complete the refund.
If appropriate, learners could use their own
workplace refund procedures and refund slip.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Point of Sale transactions – refund topic
- Retail documents – refund topic
- Legislation and policies – refund topic
- Communication – getting info topic
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Gathering information
- Refund policies
- No sales receipt = No refund!
- Processing the refund
- Refund documents

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Refund worksheet
- Refund checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Buy now, pay later
This scenario is based around Sarah, a customer who wants to lay-by an outfit for
her formal.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners step through the
processing of a lay-by
transaction by completing the
following tasks.
1. Begin the transaction.
If resources are available, ask learners to
demonstrate their Point of Sale processing
skills on a range of real terminals rather
than, or in addition to, using the online tool.
1. Begin the transaction.
2. Total the items.
3. Take the deposit.
4. Complete the lay-by
documents.
5. Pack the goods.
6. Process the instalments.
2. Total the items.
Ask learners to manually total the products,
in addition to using the simulated scanner
provided.
3. Take the deposit.
Ask learners to work out the minimum
deposit manually. The minimum percentage
could also be varied to allow more practice.
4. Complete the lay-by documents.
Ask learners to role play with one another to
explain the terms and conditions to the
customer, pointing out their responsibilities
for payment, etc.
5. Pack the goods.
Ask learners to actually pack some goods for
storage. Their efforts could be scored by you
or by other learners.
6. Process the instalments.
Ask learners to demonstrate their Point of
Sale processing skills on a range of real
terminals rather than, or in addition to, using
the online tool. Payments could also vary so
that different forms of payment (other than
cash) are used, for example credit card.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Buy now, pay later continued
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Point of Sale transactions – lay-by topic
- Retail documents – lay-by topic
- Legislation and policies – lay-by topic
- Other retail equipment – packing topic
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Totalling lay-by items
- Processing a deposit
- Lay-by conditions
- Wrapping and packing

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Lay-by worksheet
- Lay-by checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
First in, first out!
This scenario is based around Martin, the shift supervisor, who is instructing his
staff about managing stock in the perishables section of a supermarket.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners step through the process of
stock rotation and the application of
the first in, first out principle by
completing the following tasks.
1. Reorganise existing stock by
following FIFO policies.
This activity consists of two different
steps. Both steps could be followed by
or replaced by a customised version
that applies examples of stock relevant
to the retail field your learners work in,
for example seasonal stock in a fashion
store.
1. Reorganise existing stock by
following FIFO policies.
2. Identify stock to be discarded or
marked down.
3. Mark down selected stock.
2. Identify stock to be discarded or
marked down.
Introduce a ‘What if …’ element to this
activity and ask learners to extend their
learning. For example, ‘What if … it was
ten minutes until closing time.’ You
could also focus more on the procedures
for disposing of various items in the
correct way. In its original form, this
task only mentions correct disposal
methods in the star retailer tip. A
discussion could centre on how items
could be safely discarded if marked for
disposal.
3. Mark down selected stock.
Substitute or extend questions to cater
more specifically to your learners.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Legislation and policies – FIFO topic
- OHS – handling and hazards topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Marking down items

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Applying FIFO to control stock worksheet
- FIFO and stock control checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
How do I look?
This scenario is based around Joelle, a retail operator, who is having some
problems with her personal presentation.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners must help Joelle
identify those problems and
work on improving them with
her by completing the following
tasks.
1. What’s Joelle doing wrong?
This could be substituted for, or
complemented by, a game where a range of
uniforms and settings are provided. Learners
draw a setting out of a hat. Learners could be
asked to have a race to dress themselves in
the appropriate attire for the setting they
have drawn. This could be followed by a
debrief where other learners guess their role
or critique the appropriateness of their
personal presentation.
1. What’s Joelle doing wrong?
2. What impact is it having?
3. What if she worked
elsewhere?
4. What’s Joelle doing right?
2. What impact is it having?
Ask learners to offer their reactions to a
range of personal presentation scenarios.
3. What if she worked elsewhere?
Take learners on an excursion to a shopping
centre to observe and note down the range of
uniforms and personal presentation standards
they see. Debrief later about what they saw.
4. What’s Joelle doing right?
The activity could be combined with the
previous idea and expanded upon so that
learners vote for the stores they observed
with the best and worst presentation.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Working effectively – your image and store image
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Personal presentation guidelines
- Impact of poor service
- Respond to this statement

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Personal presentation worksheet
- Personal presentation checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
The customer’s always right
This scenario is based around Roderick, a customer who has an angry complaint.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners step through the
processing of handling a
complaint by completing the
following tasks.
1. Find out what’s wrong.
Simply handling one complaint won’t equip
learners with the skills to handle all
complaints. This activity could be substituted
with or complemented by a small group task
where a range of different complaints are
presented and learners work through the
steps in managing them. This could be done
through a role play or through discussion and
recording of actions taken. The results could
then be shared through reports, class
discussion, bulletin boards or another means
appropriate to the audience.
1. Find out what’s wrong.
2. Decide on what action to
take.
2. Decide on what action to take.
As above.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Communication – getting info, service and complaints topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Getting information
- Handling a complaint

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Handling customer complaints worksheet
- Handling customer complaints checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Looks a bit ‘sus’!
In this scenario Mr Watt is telling his staff about a recent spate of shoplifting in
the centre.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners need to follow
procedures for minimising theft
in the store in the upcoming
holiday by completing the
following tasks.
1. Identify opportunities for theft.
Using a fictitious store is the safest method
here for security reasons. You’ll need to be
careful during this scenario not to discuss
individual store security systems and devices.
Anecdotal discussions will be effective in this
situation but care must be taken and learners
should be warned to keep specifics, including
identities, confidential.
1. Identify opportunities for
theft.
2. Reorganise the store to
minimise theft opportunities.
3. Recognise suspicious people
or situations.
4. Take appropriate actions to
deal with situations.
2. Reorganise the store to minimise theft
opportunities.
As above.
3. Recognise suspicious people or
situations.
This activity could also work well with some
anecdotal discussions offered by learners,
who will likely offer some interesting
examples of attempted theft for discussion.
Role plays could also be fun and informative.
4. Take appropriate actions to deal with
situations.
This multiple choice activity could be
converted to a more active game in a
classroom environment where learners vote
for the best action to take in each situation
and contribute to a debrief afterwards to
discuss the right and wrong answers.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Security – opportunity, systems, equipment and watch out topics
- Legislation and policies – security topic

(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Research items commonly stolen
- Identifying opportunities for theft
- Handling suspicious situations

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Minimising theft in my workplace worksheet
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- Minimising theft checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Change of shift
In this scenario, staff are discussing the latest roster.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners need to identify the
issues and make decisions
about how to handle them
effectively in team environment
by completing the following
tasks.
1. Shani’s situation.
Ask small groups of learners to develop a five
minute induction session for Watt’s News or
another store which demonstrates the roster,
staffing, and communication policies. If time
permits, these could be presented to the
class or posted for other groups to see.
1. Shani’s situation.
2. Sean’s situation.
3. Nicole’s situation.
2 & 3. Sean’s situation & Nicole’s
situation.
Role plays could be substituted for both of
these decision trees. Split the class up into
sides – look at consequences for all involved
Ravi, Mr Watt, Nicole, Sean. Who’s to blame
the most? Who suffered the most? What can
be done to avoid such problems in the
future? What can you learn from this sort of
situation?
Sharing of anecdotes from learners’ own
roster experiences would also be a good way
to discuss and determine the best way to
manage conflicts.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Working effectively – your team and your role topics
- Communication – service topic
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Staff rosters
- How your decisions affect others
- Handling workplace

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Responsibilities, teamwork and communication worksheet
- Responsibilities, teamwork and communication checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Emergency!
In this scenario the fire alarm has sounded and Robert, the warden, needs to
follow emergency procedures.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how to react
and what their responsibilities
are in an emergency situation
by completing the following
tasks.
1. Identify what is happening.
If learners are all based in the same location,
this activity could be supplemented by an
examination of the procedures and
exit/assembly areas for their campus. An
evacuation drill may even be coordinated to
coincide with your class.
1. Identify what is happening.
2. Examine what has to be
done and who should do it.
3. Understand what a retail
operator should and shouldn’t
do.
2. Examine what has to be done and who
should do it.
Learners could appoint various personnel and
allocate them tasks, as per the policy
provided.
3. Understand what a retail operator
should and shouldn’t do.
This multiple choice activity could be
converted to a more active game in a
classroom environment where learners vote
for the best action to take in each situation
and contribute to a debrief afterwards to
discuss the right and wrong answers.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Communication – service topic
- OHS – emergency topic
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Identifying emergency exits
- What’s wrong with this statement
- A drill or emergency situation

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Emergencies in my workplace worksheet
- Emergency procedures checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
I’ll take that too!
In this scenario the inexperienced retail operator learns that the big sale she just
made is no coincidence – merchandising can have a big impact on people’s
buying patterns.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how to
set up a store to
maximise interest and
sales.
1. Receive merchandise.
The steps in receiving merchandise could be
written on cards, cut and pasted in a different
order into a Word document or copied into a
different multimedia application. Learners could
then be asked to order the steps into the most
appropriate sequence. Learners could also role play
the right and wrong ways of completing each step.
1. Receive merchandise.
2. Plan displays.
3. Arrange displays.
4. Maintain displays.
2. Plan displays.
If access to a retail shop is available, learners could
play a game of ‘Last man standing’ where learners
are asked to go to a cold, warm or hot spot in the
store. Those that go to the wrong spot or are last
to arrive are out.
Learners could also be asked, in groups or alone,
to stack items in a range of spaces on a shelf.
3. Arrange displays.
Learners could be sent on a treasure hunt where
they must find a range of different displays –
triangular etc. They could communicate their
findings in a range of ways, such as Twitter,
emailing or texting digital photographs.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Security – systems topic
- OHS – hazards, handling topics
- Merchandising and marketing – setting up, signage and maintaining
topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- The steps for receiving merchandise
- Identifying examples of displays
- The stages of a display

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Merchandising activity worksheet
- Displaying merchandise checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Balancing act
In this scenario Aliyah is left to balance the POS terminal for the first time on her
own.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how to
balance a POS terminal by
counting the cash and non cash
takings and comparing them to
the terminal reading.
1. Get the terminal reading.
This activity could be repeated with a range
of real transaction receipts from the store the
learner works in, or has access to, so as to
reinforce the learning.
1. Get the terminal reading.
2. Separate and secure the cash float.
Learners could be asked to physically remove
a range of different cash floats for different
stores, starting with a prescribed make up of
denominations and finishing with them
making a decision about amounts and
denominations for a given situation or store.
2. Separate and secure the
cash float.
3. Count takings.
4. Reconcile takings.
3. Count takings.
This activity should be reinforced with
handling and counting real cash bundles and
coins to give the learners experience and
confidence in handling cash correctly.
4. Reconcile takings.
Learners could be provided with a range of
different reconciliation problems and asked to
think of possible causes and solutions. This
could be delivered as a discussion or as
individual work to be reported back to the
class.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- POS transactions – balance topic
- Handling cash – cash, non-cash and reconciling topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- How I get a terminal reading
- How I separate the float
- How I bundle cash
- Balancing problems I’ve had

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Balancing activity worksheet
- Balancing a POS terminal checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Sales snapshot
In this scenario Ben's just started as a retail operator in the electrical department
where he learns how to sell and advise on products.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how
communicate with customers
to find products to suit their
needs and maximise sales.
1. Greet the customer.
Supplement this activity by asking learners to
role play situations and rate each other on
their performances according to the secret
shopper survey.
1. Greet the customer.
2. Work out the customer’s
needs.
3. Match the product to the
customer.
4. Sell the benefits to the
customer.
5. Close the sale.
6. Look for opportunities to sell
more.
2. Work out the customer’s needs.
Again, a role play would be a good practice
activity here. It could also be turned into a
game where learners must attempt to guess
the customer’s needs by asking the least
amount of questions.
3. Match the product to the customer.
This activity could be repeated using products
and scripts learners prepare themselves and
facilitate in turns.
4. Sell the benefits to the customer.
If this is delivered in a classroom setting,
learners could be shown the video on the
interactive whiteboard or other audio visual
equipment available. They could view the
customer’s comments first, be given time to
suggest the best responses Ben could give
and then listen to the actual response. Ben’s
response could then be critiqued by the class.
5. Close the sale.
Role play some verbal and non-verbal buying
signals and ask learners to interpret them.
6. Look for opportunities to sell more.
Select some items for sale and ask learners
to suggest related and unrelated cross selling
opportunities or products. This could be done
as a class activity or in smaller groups, if
necessary.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Communication – getting info and service topics
- Selling products – products, benefits, close and sell more topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Tips for approaching customers
- Non-verbal cues
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
- Role plays
- Common objections
- Cross selling stories

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Selling products worksheet
- Selling products checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Market share
In this scenario staff are concerned about how the new shop opening up might
affect business at Watt’s News.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how about
marketing and promotional
activities and how they can
participate.
1. Identify a range of programs.
This activity could be converted into a game
show with a host, using the same questions,
and learners playing in teams to get the best
score. Extra questions could be added,
including visual clues, such as sample loyalty
cards and vouchers. The game could be
expanded to reinforce all of the content in
this unit, if desired.
1. Identify a range of
programs.
2. Know your role.
3. Communicate about the
program.
2. Know your role.
This activity could be delivered in reverse
too. Learners could be given a promotional
activity and be asked to list the roles required
of a retail operator.
3. Communicate about the program.
These same situations, or others, can also be
demonstrated through role playing.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Merchandising and marketing – marketing topic
- Communication – service topic
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Spot the promotional program
- What’s my role?
- What would you do in this situation?

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Marketing activities worksheet
- Steps in promoting a business checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Delivery for you
In this scenario the retail operator has an unexpected delivery arrive in the store.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how to
receive and handle new stock.
1. Check the documents.
Because the type of documents used and the
way they are checked varies, learners could
be asked to check documents from their own
retail environment.
1. Check the documents.
2. Check the delivery.
3. Receive the delivery.
2. Check the delivery.
Again, learners could be given the
opportunity to work with their own stock as
the condition of goods will vary in different
retail environments.
3. Receive the delivery.
Learners could be shown a variety of stores,
or photos of stores, and be asked to identify
the best place for stock to be placed when a
delivery is received. This could be made into
a game where the picture is enlarged to
poster size and learners all have a chance to
mark a spot on the picture. The learner with
the closest answer is the winner.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Retail documents – stock topic
- Legislation and policies – stock topic
- OHS – hazards and handling topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- What happens if there’s an error?
- What happens with deliveries in your workplace?
- Avoiding vendor theft

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
- Receiving a delivery worksheet
- Receiving a delivery checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Will I or won’t I..?
In this scenario Cassie is deciding what she wants to do in the retail industry and
is finding out about career options.
Scenario description
Alternative delivery ideas
Learners find out how to access
and use sources of information
to learn more about working in
retail.
1. Find sources of information for the
retail industry.
This activity could be supplemented by giving
learners an assignment to find out more
about a particular problem or situation and
report it to the class, whether electronically
or in a face-to-face presentation.
1. Find sources of information
for the retail industry.
2. Look at careers in retail.
3. Examine the role of retail
associations.
4. Use a workplace agreement.
2. Look at careers in retail.
This activity could be used as a game, such
as ‘Celebrity heads’ where some learners
stand at the front of the group with a
different job label on their heads. Learners do
not see what is written on their job label.
Each learner has to guess the job on the label
by asking the rest of the class closed
questions about the job. If the learner
receives a ‘Yes’ response, they get to ask
another question. If they get a ‘No’ answer,
then the next learner gets a turn.
3. Examine the role of retail
associations.
Learners could be split into smaller groups or
work as individuals to research an
association, before reporting back to the
class. A guest speaker from an association
may also be organised.
4. Use a workplace agreement.
To contextualise the learning, it would be
helpful for learners to use and refer to their
own workplace agreements or awards.
Supporting resources
To assist learners, the following learning objects/resources are provided:
 Training sessions
- Working in retail – info, careers and awards topics
(See Section 4.2 for details)
 The Hub activities
- Where to look for answers
- Jobs in your workplace
- Finding help

(See Section 4.3 for details)
 On the floor
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- Working in retail activity worksheet
- Working in retail checklist
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
4.2 The Hub
While The Hub questions are embedded in each scenario, they can be accessed
alone via The Hub link on the floor plan interface and used separately to the
scenarios.*
The Hub topics are simply a collection of discussion starters and their application
in your lesson plan is limited only by your imagination. They are intended as
collaboration activities and you could use a range of delivery methods when
implementing them, depending on the resources you have available, your
learners, and the form of delivery you are using.
The following table shows some simple examples of how you may implement
these topics with your learners.
*If you wish to use The Hub topics as stand-alone discussions that are not
connected to the scenario, you will need to slightly reword the topics to
disassociate them with the scenario, for example by removing the shop name or
other references to the actual scenario.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Taking it back
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Gathering information
Write down what you need to ask
a customer who wants a refund in
your workplace. Look at other
learners’ questions. Are their
questions different from yours?
How are they different? Why do
you think they are different?
This could be delivered in small to medium
groups using a simple game structure. For
example, each learner could write down their
top five questions on separate slips of paper.
All the slips would then be displayed together
and learners would explore all the questions
and select five new ones they prefer. If time
permits, learners could pair off and trade
questions throughout the room until they
have their final top five questions. These
could then be shared with the rest of the
group and common questions could be
identified, making up a final list of questions.
Refund policies
SammiGirl’s policy is to give
refunds when customers change
their minds, although this is not
required by legislation. What
happens in your workplace if
customers change their minds and
want a refund? Share this
information with other learners
and add up the number of
workplaces that will and won’t
give ‘change of mind’ refunds. Is
there a reason why these policies
are different?
A simple vote could be taken, either online or
in the classroom, to determine which stores
would and which would not grant a refund in
this situation. Voting slips could be
distributed to create more interest. Results
could then be analysed to determine the
types of stores that have more liberal refund
policies. Reasons for this could then be
discussed.
No sales receipt = No refund!
Does your workplace allow a
refund if the customer doesn’t
have a sales receipt? Tell two
other learners what happens in
your workplace and find out what
happens at theirs. Are there
differences? If so, why are there
differences?
After initial discussion, this topic could be
expanded by a role play. Groups of three
learners could act out the scenario, with one
learner playing the customer and the other
two playing retail operators. One retail
operator could refuse the refund on the basis
of the customer not having a receipt. The
other could grant the refund. Each retail
operator would need to explain to the
customer the reasons for their decision. A
debrief discussion could follow.
Processing the refund
How would the same refund be
processed using the Point of Sale
terminal in your workplace? Write
down the steps you would follow
and compare them to the steps
two other learners have written.
How are the steps different? How
are they the same?
A simple scoring system on butcher’s paper
could be used here to collect and analyse
learners’ steps and come up with a final list
of common steps in processing the refund.
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Taking it back Continued
Refund documents
SammiGirl’s policy is to collect the
customer’s name and address
even when a sales receipt is
produced. Other stores might
collect a name and address only if
the customer can’t supply a
receipt. What happens at your
workplace? Compare your answer
with other learners. How many
workplaces collect customer
details regardless of receipts?
Discuss the reasons for any
differences.
Social technology software, such as Flickr,
could be used here to post learners’ sample
refund documents. Learners can view,
comment on and compare the samples.
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Buy now, pay later
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Totalling lay-by items
When more than one item is put on
lay-by, some stores use a scanner to
total the cost. In other stores the total
cost might be calculated manually and
recorded by hand.
Try taking a vote or score to see how
many stores that learners work in total
lay-by items manually, and how many
scan. If there is a majority either way,
you should skew the rest of the
discussion that way.
What do you do in your store to total
lay-by items? Write down the steps you
would follow and compare them to the
steps other learners have written. How
are your steps different? How are they
the same?
See if there are enough similarities in
the steps taken by each learner’s store
to develop a generic list of steps for
distribution.
Processing a deposit
How is a lay-by deposit processed
using the Point of Sale terminal in your
workplace?
Again, see if there are enough
similarities in the steps taken by each
learner’s store to develop a generic list
of steps for distribution.
Write down the steps you would follow
and compare them to the steps other
learners have written. How are your
steps different? How are they the
same?
Individual steps could be posted on a
common bulletin board, compared and
then collated.
Lay-by conditions
Use a completed lay-by record
document to practise explaining the
terms and conditions to a customer.
You could do this as a role play with
another learner or your supervisor.
You could use a traditional role play
approach where one learner plays the
customer while the other plays the
retail operator.
Wrapping and packing
What do you sell that needs to be
packed in your store? Make a list of five
different items and write down what
packing and wrapping materials you
would use for each.
Develop a list of the top five popular
packing items.
Alternatively, you could introduce a
third learner to act as the critical friend
who observes the performance and
gives advice about how the role play
went. Roles could then be rotated, as
could the variety of lay-by conditions
used.
Try a quiz like Family Feud where
learners try to guess the top five
packing materials as voted by the class.
Compare your answers with those of
three other learners. How do the types
of items sold affect the type of
wrapping or packing material used?
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
First in, first out!
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Marking down items
Obtain a copy of a store's procedures
for marking down perishable items.
Try exchanging procedures to see the
impact it has on decision making. This
may mean developing a couple of
different procedures if learners are
unable to refer to other learners’
procedures.
Answer these questions.
1. It's 12.00 pm today. What is the
store policy regarding mince meat
that was produced yesterday at
7.00 pm?
2. It's 7.00 am today. What is the
store policy regarding fresh flowers
that came into the store three days
ago?
You could also try adding a range of
other questions to customise the
discussion, depending on your learners’
workplaces or the retail area you wish
to concentrate on.
3. It's 7.00 am on a Thursday
morning. What is the store policy
regarding fresh fish fillets that came
in last Monday evening?
4. What is the store policy about ham
that was sliced and placed in the
coolroom 40 hours ago?
5. It's 6.10 pm. According to the store
policy, what will you do with roast
chickens that were taken out of the
oven at 3.00 pm?
Compare your answers with those of
three other learners. Which answers
were different? Which answers were
the same?
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How do I look?
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Personal presentation
guidelines
Do you wear a uniform at your
store? If so, what does the
uniform consist of? Did you
have to buy it yourself, or did
the store provide it? If you
don't have a uniform, are
there guidelines on what you
should wear when you are at
work?
Learners could all come to class presented as
though they were going to work in their store,
including uniform, if appropriate. Discussion
could be based around the questions provided
still.
Are there other guidelines on
personal presentation that you
have to follow, eg hair and
makeup? Describe these
guidelines.
Write down what you wear
when you are at work and list
three other rules about
personal presentation you
have to follow. Compare your
list to what other learners
have written. How many
learners wear a uniform? If
learners don't have a uniform,
what do they wear at work?
Why do you think stores have
rules about personal
presentation?
Impact of poor service
Think of one example when
you, as a customer,
experienced poor service, eg a
retail operator who was rude,
dressed inappropriately, etc.
How did this experience make
you feel about the retail
operator ... about the store?
Learners could take turns in role playing their
reactions to a range of poor service situations.
Each learner’s example could be placed in a
draw and learners could then take turns in
acting out the poor service example. The class
would then be able to pick what was wrong and
share their reactions to it.
Write down your reaction. Now
compare your reaction with
two other learners. Write a
short summary of the effects
of poor presentation and
service.
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How do I look? Continued
Respond to this statement
“It doesn't matter how you
look, it's what's inside that
counts.”
Is this true of a retail
operator? Write down what
you think and then discuss
your opinion with two other
learners.
A blog could work well here where learners add
their thoughts to the ongoing discussion online.
This could also be the topic of a debate where
learners take the negative and affirmative side
and discuss.
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The customer’s always right
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Getting information
The retail operator needed to
ask questions to get more
information before resolving
the customer complaint. But
could she have done this in a
different way?
After initial discussion, this topic could be
expanded by a role play. Groups of three
learners could act out the scenario, with one
learner playing the customer and the other two
playing retail operators. One retail operator
could ask the same questions asked in the
scenario. After the customer answers each
question, the second retail operator could ask
the question again in a different way and see
what reaction they get from the customer. A
debrief discussion could follow.
How could the retail operator
have asked the questions
without making the customer
more upset? How could her
body language and other
non-verbal cues have helped
calm the customer down?
Discuss this with other
learners.
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Looks a bit sus!
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Research items commonly
stolen
Research the five items most
commonly stolen from your
workplace.
A final poll could be taken and a top ten list
could be displayed in the classroom or posted
online.
Write them down and then
share your answers with two
other learners. Discuss what
sorts of items tend to be
stolen. Discuss the reasons
why.
Identify opportunities for
theft
Visit a shopping centre near
you. Make a list of the
opportunities for theft you see
during your visit. Share your
list with other learners.
A shopping centre visit is suggested for many
topics throughout this toolbox.
Handling suspicious
situations
Think of a time when you've
come across a suspicious
person or situation in your
store. What did you see? What
did you do? What happened
next?
Regardless of the delivery method you choose to
share learners’ stories about this topic, be
careful not to discuss any detail which will either
compromise store security or reveal the identity
of a suspected thief.
This topic could be combined with other hub
topics and even Apply topics in the Training
sessions so that one excursion can be conducted
which covers a range of scenarios/topics. Careful
mapping would need to be done first and clear
checklists or questionnaires prepared prior to the
visit so learners are clear about what they
should be observing during the visit.
If you don't have a story of
your own, ask your supervisor
or a colleague for an example.
Share your story with a group
of learners but do not identify
any particular individual or
store. Your trainer will give
you further guidelines on
completing this activity.
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Change of shift
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Staff rosters
Collect a sample roster from
your store. Compare your
roster with two other learners.
A social technologies tool such as Flickr could be
used for displaying the range of different rosters
and a threaded discussion could be used to
answer the accompanying questions.
List three ways that they are
the same.
List three ways that they are
different.
Why do you think there are
similarities and differences?
How your decisions affect
others
Think of a time when you, or
someone you work with, made
a decision that had
consequences for others. What
happened? How did it affect
others? Share your story with
other learners.
The basic story telling idea should be maintained
but it could be delivered in a range of ways. For
example, each learner could write down their
response. Learners could then randomly select
an example and read it out “through someone
else’s eyes”.
Handling workplace conflict
Sean and Nicole are two retail
operators who are in conflict
with one another over a roster
misunderstanding. Their
conflict is affecting the whole
team - and the customers!
A mock staff meeting could be held which
attempts to role play working through some of
the questions until the conflict is resolved. This
can include all learners as various staff
members. Alternatively, just the main players,
Sean, Nicole, Ravi and Mr Watt, could play roles
in a fishbowl situation while the rest of the class
observe. A debrief should follow.
Give the boss, Mr Watt, some
advice on how to resolve this
conflict by answering the
following questions.
1. How can he help them work
through the conflict?
2. What staff members need
to be involved?
3. What needs to happen?
4. What can everyone do to
avoid this happening again?
Work in small groups to
complete this activity.
Compare your group's answers
with one other group's
answer.
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Emergency
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Identifying emergency
exits
It's important to familiarise
yourself with all the
emergency exits in the store
BEFORE you need them. This
also applies to assembly
areas. Draw a map of your
store and identify the
emergency exits and assembly
areas. Share your map with
another learner.
A social technologies tool such as Flickr could be
used for displaying the maps and a threaded
discussion could be used to compare them.
What's wrong with this
statement?
"It's only a drill. I don't need
to worry about following all
the procedures. I'll just finish
what I'm doing first."
This could also be the topic of a debate where
learners take the negative and affirmative side
and discuss.
Alternatively, learners could work in small
groups and prepare a map of their classroom
and campus.
Why is this the wrong way to
think? Discuss this topic with a
group of other learners.
A drill or emergency
situation
Think of a time you've been
involved in a drill or
emergency in your store. What
happened? What did you hear?
What did you need to do? Who
helped? Were there any
problems? Share your story
with other learners.
If you’ve been able to arrange a real emergency
drill/evacuation, this topic would form a good
debrief.
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Will I or won’t I..?
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Find sources of information
for the retail industry
The sources of information for these questions
could be compiled via a Wiki.
Where would you find the
answers to these common
retail operator questions?
Students could also be asked to visit the various
sources and keep a blog of what they are
finding.



How much leave will I get?
I don't want stay on the
register all my life. What
else is there at my store?
What other careers are
there in retail?
Share your ideas with other
learners.
Careers in retail
List all the different jobs in
your workplace. Share your
ideas with other learners.
The list could be managed via a Wiki. Learners
could take it further by categorising jobs under
different headings.
Employee and employers
associations
Learners could be asked to give a presentation
or prepare a portfolio together. You may need to
provide groups with topics to cover too.
Have you got an issue at work
that you think you might need
help with?
It could be about your own
working conditions or it could
be an idea you have to
improve something in your
workplace.
Choose an issue and think
about:



what advice you are
looking for?
which association might be
able to help you
where you would start your
search for help.
Research your topic and report
back to other learners with
what you've found.
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Balancing Act
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Get the terminal reading
In SammiGirl the terminal is
balanced at the end of the
working day. In other places
this could be done at the end
of a shift or before a break.
A Wiki could be prepared where learners can
register their votes. Learners could even be
asked to set up and facilitate this. Learners may
be given a range of options for registering their
votes, eg Twitter, SMS texting, email.
What happens in your
workplace? Share this
information with other
learners and tally up the
responses to see which is the
most common time for
balancing.
Separate and secure the
cash float
Share the four cash floats you
made for the Retailer stores
with other learners.
Are all the float denominations
and totals similar?
What are the similarities?
What are the differences?
Why are there similarities and
differences?
Learners could post their cash floats on a blog
and conduct the discussion there. In a classroom
situation, this could be done via post it notes on
the walls. First, four learners could post their
floats on the wall. Next, the remaining learners
can post their floats next to the ones that
correspond or create a new area on the wall.
As a debrief, the type of stores that use each
float type could be discussed so that an
understanding of the factors that affect different
floats can be gained, eg store size, types of
products, cost of products.
Take a vote to find out which
is the best cash float for each
store.
Count takings
How is cash bundled or
prepared in your workplace?
Share your descriptions with
other learners.
List as many different noncash items as you can think
of. Combine your list with
others until you have one final
list.
Reconcile takings
Choose a balancing problem
you've come across in your
workplace, or that you know
about.
In class this could be done by asking selected
learners to demonstrate how they do it, one
after the other.
In a non-classroom setting, learners could be
asked to record themselves bundling cash and
post the recording onto Flikr or YouTube.
Lists could be posted on a Wiki. Alternatively, a
book of troubleshooting balancing problems
could be compiled from each of the examples
and taken into the workplace for future
reference.
Write a list of steps you would
take to solve the problem.
Share your list with other
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
learners.
Sales snapshot
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Greet the customer
Make a list of tips for greeting and/or
approaching a customer for each of
these situations:
These lists could be built on the
whiteboard, or via a Wiki. Lists could be
edited after votes are in to finalise the
top three tips.



face-to-face
telephone
mail/email.
Share your list with other learners
and, as a group, vote on the top
three tips for greeting customers in
each situation.
Work out the customer's needs
There are more customers at the
photography counter of a department
store. Look at the photo (photo is
inserted).
What non-verbal cues can you
identify?
What information might the retail
operator be able to get from these
non-verbal cues?
The photos could be displayed on an
interactive whiteboard or a data projector
to prompt classroom discussion.
Learners could be asked to look at the
photos on Facebook, Flikr or another
social networking site and use the
feedback tools to answer the questions
and make comments.
What could the retail operator say to
confirm this information?
Discuss your answers with other
learners.
Match the product to the
customer
List five strategies you could use to
build your product knowledge to help
you successfully match products to
customers.
The list can be arrived at by consensus in
a classroom discussion. Remote learners
can negotiate the lists via a Wiki or blog.
Compare your list with other learners.
Add any additional strategies that you
like to your own list for future use.
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Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox
Sales snapshot continued
Sell the product to the customer
For this activity, work in a group of at
least three people. You will be acting
out a role play where a retail operator
will be selling the features and
benefits of a product to a customer.
This activity is really designed for a
classroom environment. To customise it
for another audience, learners could ask
colleagues in the workplace or family
members to help them conduct a role
play and then submit the results.
1. Decide who will play each of these
roles:
Alternatively, learners could conduct the
role play via Skype or video conferencing.

customer

retail operator

observer.
2. In your group, choose a product as
the focus for your role play. For this
product:

identify five features

list one rational and one
emotional benefit for each
feature.
3. For the role play the retail operator
should:

establish the customer's needs

sell the features and benefits of
the product to the customer.
The observer should watch and report
back on how the retail operator went
with:

working out the customer's needs

explaining the product's features

selling the benefits to the
customer.
Close the sale
What if you can't close a sale due to
customer objections or barriers?
As a group:

make a list of common objections
or barriers to closing a sale

come up with a strategy for
overcoming each objection or
barrier.
Sell more
Share some ideas or stories about
how you have, or could, maximise a
sale.
In a classroom situation, this could be
delivered via small groups working on
their own lists and strategies and then
reporting back to the class.
The same thing could be done remotely,
where the groups collaborate via a Wiki
and then submit their findings
electronically.
The objections or barriers to making a
slae could be acted out in a game of
charades.
Group discussion is the best way to share
anecdotes. The group discussion could be
in a classroom or virtual, using video
conferencing or Skype.
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I’ll take that too
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Receive merchandise
The steps for receiving and preparing
merchandise might be different, or
done in a different order, from store to
store.
Learners could be asked to write one
step for preparing a window display on
a large card. Then they would need to
negotiate which order they stand in at
the front of the classroom.
Imagine that you have been asked to
prepare a window display for each of
the following stores.
A list could be constructed and edited
by learners via a Wiki.
Write the steps you would take to
receive and prepare the stock ready for
the display:

cake shop

exclusive jewellery store

florist.
Share your steps with other learners.
Look at the similarities and differences.
Explain your choices.
Arrange displays
Props and positioning are important
ways to display merchandise. Other
techniques include:
This task could also be conducted in a
treasure hunt format with the
person/team finding the most items the
soonest winning.

lighting

colour

signage
Learners could tweet their findings or
send SMS texts to each other each time
they identify examples of props etc.

price.
Visit a shopping centre and try to find
two examples of each of these
techniques.
Learners could be asked to take digital
photos of each item to verify their
findings.
For each example you find, list the
store and technique used and describe
the effect.
Share your examples with other
learners.
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Maintain displays
Some items that are part of displays
are put away, or sent back to the
manufacturer once the display is
finished. Other items might be retained
in the store and become 'normal' stock.
As a group, make a list of Mother’s Day
gifts, and then categorise them. This
could be done on the whiteboard or via
a Wiki.
Think about Mother's Day. What kind
of merchandise could be returned to
stock? What items would be specialist
and need to be removed?
Make a list of each and compare it to
other learners' lists.
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Market share
The Hub topic
Suggested implementation
Identify a range of programs
Go to your local shopping centre.
Spot at least three examples of
promotional activities. If you can,
collect any documents that go
with each activity.
Learners could tweet their findings or send
SMS texts to each other each time they
identify examples of promotional activities.
Share what you've found with
other learners
Know your role
Split into groups. Imagine you
are working for a store that has a
rival opening around the corner
who will sell cut price versions of
your products. Choose a
promotional activity that might
help the store keep its existing
customers and even attract new
ones.
This task could also be conducted in a
treasure hunt format with the person/team
finding the most items the soonest winning.
Learners could be asked to take digital photos
of each item to verify their findings.
The answers to the questions could be given
via a presentation where teams are
competing for the advertising account of an
imaginary store.
Where learners can’t make physical
presentations a PowerPoint presentation, a
video or some other format could be
submitted.
Answer the following questions.
1. Describe the type of activity.
2. What is the purpose and
timing of this activity?
3. What would the retail
operator's role be?
4. What type of customers is it
targeting?
5. What materials will you need
for the activity?
6. What will you need to tell
customers and how will you
tell them?
Communicate with the
customer
What would you do in this
situation?
You work in a cafe that issues
'coffee cards'. These cards entitle
customers to a free coffee after
they've bought five coffees.
This could be conducted via a role play where
learners play the part of a customer, a retail
operator and a store supervisor. The role play
can be repeated with different learners and
different situations.
The cards are initialled by a staff
member every time one is
purchased. A customer has a card
with five sets of initials on it, but
you don't recognise the fifth set.
Discuss with other learners what
you should do.
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Delivery for you
Check the documents
Errors will happen from time to
time when a delivery arrives. Find
out your workplace procedures for:


checking delivery documents
taking action if an error is
detected.
Classroom discussion could be one option
for delivering this collaborative activity.
Learners could also post samples onto a
bulletin board or Wiki. However some stores
may not allow learners to share such
information.
To get this information you might
need to interview a colleague, read
policy and procedure manuals, or
ask your supervisor.
Compare your answers to these
questions with other learners.
Discuss why you think there are
similarities and differences
between different stores.
Check the delivery
What happens with deliveries in
your workplace?
A role play could be used to demonstrate
this process, followed by a debrief of how
this varies from store to store.
Where are deliveries received?
When are they received?
Who receives deliveries?
What checks are done and when?
How is incoming stock recorded?
Tell two other learners what
happens in your workplace and
find out what happens at theirs.
Are there differences? If so, why
are there differences?
Receive the delivery
Make a list of tips for avoiding
vendor theft. Share your lists with
other learners and assemble a list
of top ten tips.
This list could be compiled and edited to
finalise a top 10 via a whiteboard in a
classroom or via a Wiki. Both could be
facilitated by the learners.
Here are a couple of ideas to get
you started:

Don't ever let delivery people
go into store areas.

Don't be rushed into signing off
on a delivery.

Set specific times to receive
deliveries. (Some dishonest
delivery drivers will time
deliveries at busy times to try
to get away with vendor theft.)
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Toolbox contact details:
Flexible Learning Toolbox Help Desk
Phone: 1300 736 710
Email: toolboxhelp@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website: flexiblelearning.net.au/toolbox
For more information contact:
2009 Australian Flexible Learning Framework
National Communication
Phone: (07) 3307 4700
Fax:
(07) 3259 4371
Email: enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website: flexiblelearning.net.au
GPO Box 1326
Brisbane QLD 4001
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