Let’s be real—most smoke shop owners either let their employees run wild, or they turn into drill sergeants. Both extremes lose you money. Your staff are the front line between you and your customer. If they’re lazy, sloppy, or careless, it costs you sales and invites theft. But if you’re a tyrant, they’ll leave, and you’ll be back to working the counter yourself.
The fix? A clear system of accountability that keeps your people in check without suffocating them. You don’t need gimmicks. You need rules, measurement, and consequences.
Why Your Staff Needs Structure
Employees don’t care about your shop the way you do. They never will. Stop expecting that. What they do respond to is:
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Clear expectations (they know exactly what’s required).
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Visible measurement (they know they’re being tracked).
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Consistent consequences (good = rewarded, bad = corrected).
This is how you turn a job into a system. And systems are what keep you from being chained to your own register.
Step 1: Set the Standards
A. Write It Down
If it’s not written, it’s optional. Your staff handbook should spell out:
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Opening and closing routines (cleaning, cash, floor check).
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Customer service expectations (greet in 10 seconds, offer upsell, thank every customer).
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Merchandising rules (front‑facing, no empty hooks, restock checklist).
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Cash handling (count‑in, count‑out, no personal bills in the drawer).
B. Non‑Negotiables
Highlight 3–5 things that are fireable offenses: theft, shorting the drawer, failing ID checks, no‑call/no‑shows. If you waffle on these, you’re toast.
Step 2: Track the Right Metrics
If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing. Track daily per employee:
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Sales per shift (are they moving product, or just babysitting the counter?)
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Upsell attempts/conversions (are they pushing attach items?)
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Average ticket size (shows if they’re engaging customers).
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Compliance checks (did they follow open/close routines?).
This is your scoreboard. And people play different when they know the score.
Step 3: Correct Behavior Fast
Bad behavior is like mold. Ignore it for a week and it spreads.
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First miss: Correct immediately—clear, calm, short. (“You skipped the upsell. Next customer, you offer tips with papers. Got it?”)
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Second miss: Write‑up or documented warning.
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Third miss: Time to replace.
Never argue. Never let it slide. Just apply the rule.
Step 4: Balance Pressure With Incentives
You can’t only beat the drum of discipline. Smart owners use simple, cheap incentives to keep morale alive.
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Daily spiffs: $10 for highest upsell rate.
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Weekly leaderboard: Gift card for top average ticket.
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Recognition: Shoutout best performer at shift meetings.
Note: incentives don’t have to be expensive. Employees respond more to attention and recognition than a $50 bonus.
Step 5: Train in Micro‑Doses
Training isn’t once‑a‑year PowerPoints. It’s 10 minutes a week:
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One product feature.
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One sales script.
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One operations drill.
That’s it. Short, sharp, repeatable. The repetition makes the system stick.
Step 6: Don’t Forget the Respect Factor
Accountability isn’t about barking orders. It’s about respect. If you want employees to show up and sell hard:
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Back them up with clean stores and stocked shelves.
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Don’t dump your stress on them—coach, don’t rant.
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Be consistent. Nothing kills morale faster than favoritism.
Employees respect owners who are firm, fair, and predictable.
Common Mistakes Shop Owners Make
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Letting “favorite” employees slide (the rest of the staff sees it instantly).
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Hiring warm bodies instead of people who can sell.
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Thinking high turnover is “normal.” It’s not—good systems keep people longer.
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Avoiding conflict. If you can’t confront employees, you’ll always be the one working doubles.
The Final Word
You don’t keep employees in line by being their buddy or their dictator. You keep them in line by running a system—clear standards, tracked metrics, fast correction, simple incentives, and consistent respect. Do that and you’ll have a team that works without you babysitting. Fail at it and you’ll always be covering someone’s shift yourself.
Want more no‑BS systems for running your shop like a business, not a babysitting service? Head over to ChadWadeTV.com and get the playbooks that real owners use to stay profitable.