Purpose
Produce a word-for-word feedback script a retail manager can walk into a conversation with — anchored to observable behaviors and core competencies, calibrated for the right tone, and structured so the employee leaves knowing exactly what to keep doing or change. Removes the fear and vagueness that make managers avoid feedback or deliver it poorly.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Prepare for a one-on-one or performance check-in with a team member
- Deliver positive recognition or reinforce a behavior worth repeating
- Address a recurring issue like tardiness, low sales conversion, poor upselling, or inconsistent customer service
- Coach an underperformer without demoralizing them
- Give corrective feedback on a specific incident (a customer complaint, a cash-handling error, a conflict with a coworker)
- Script a difficult conversation they've been putting off
Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- Employee role: Title and tenure (e.g., "sales associate, 8 months")
- Feedback type: Positive reinforcement / developmental coaching / corrective / performance review check-in
- The specific situation: What happened — concrete, observable events, not labels ("shows up late" not "unreliable")
- Core competency or standard involved: What this connects to (customer service, sales targets, punctuality, teamwork, merchandising, cash accuracy)
- What good looks like: The performance standard or expected behavior
- Prior history: Has this been discussed before? Any patterns, or first occurrence?
- Relationship context: Is this a strong performer having an off week, or an ongoing concern?
If prior history or relationship context is missing, assume a first-time conversation with a generally solid performer and note the assumption so the manager can adjust tone.
Instructions
Step 1: Calibrate the Feedback Type and Tone
Set the emotional register before writing a word.
- Positive reinforcement: Warm, specific, and immediate — name the behavior and its impact, avoid the "compliment sandwich" that buries praise
- Developmental coaching: Curious and collaborative — the manager is a partner solving a problem, not a judge
- Corrective: Direct, calm, and respectful — clear about the standard and the gap, without shaming
- Review check-in: Balanced — celebrate wins, name growth areas, set forward-looking goals
Match the number of feedback points to the type: positive can stack several; corrective should isolate one primary issue so it lands.
Step 2: Build Observations Using the SBI Framework
For each feedback point, structure it as Situation → Behavior → Impact:
- Situation: When and where it happened ("Tuesday during the afternoon rush")
- Behavior: The observable action, free of interpretation ("you left three customers waiting at the fitting room without acknowledging them")
- Impact: The effect on customers, the team, sales, or the store ("two of them put their items down and left")
Never use "always," "never," or personality labels. Tie every observation to the named core competency or performance standard.
Step 3: Write the Opening
Open in a way that reduces defensiveness and sets purpose:
- State the intent plainly ("I want to talk through how the fitting-room area is going")
- For corrective conversations, lead with respect and directness, not small talk that feels like a trap
- For positive, get to the recognition fast — don't make them wait for it
Step 4: Structure the Two-Way Discussion
Feedback is a conversation, not a monologue. Script:
- The manager's SBI statements (from Step 2)
- A genuine open question that invites the employee's perspective ("What was happening on your end during that stretch?")
- A listening pause cue — a note reminding the manager to stop and let the employee respond
- A bridge line to move from understanding to problem-solving
Step 5: Define Agreed Next Steps
Convert the conversation into commitments:
- One to three concrete, specific actions with owners and timeframes
- For coaching/corrective: what support the manager will provide (a shift pairing, a refresher on the POS, a check-in date)
- A clear restatement of the performance standard so expectations are unambiguous
Step 6: Close and Set Follow-Up
End on forward momentum:
- Affirm confidence in the employee (earned, not hollow)
- Name a specific follow-up date or checkpoint
- For corrective conversations, note whether and how this will be documented, stated matter-of-factly
Output Format
- Structure: A delivery-ready script with labeled sections and bracketed stage directions in italics (e.g., [pause and listen]) so the manager knows when to speak, ask, and listen
- Length: 450–700 words
- Format: Scripted dialogue for the manager's lines, plus discussion cues and a short next-steps summary block
- Sections: Conversation Setup (type + tone note) → Opening → SBI Feedback Points → Discussion Questions & Listening Cues → Agreed Next Steps → Close & Follow-Up
- Tone: Human and direct — warm without being soft, accountable without being harsh; sounds like a real store manager, not an HR memo
Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] Every feedback point follows Situation → Behavior → Impact with an observable, not interpretive, behavior
- [ ] The feedback ties explicitly to the named core competency or performance standard
- [ ] Corrective scripts isolate one primary issue rather than stacking multiple grievances
- [ ] At least one genuine open question invites the employee's perspective, with a listening cue
- [ ] Next steps include specific actions, owners, and a follow-up date — nothing vague
- [ ] No "always," "never," or personality labels appear anywhere in the script
Notes
- The single biggest failure in retail feedback is vagueness — "be more attentive" changes nothing; "greet every customer at the fitting room within 30 seconds" does
- Skip the compliment sandwich; it trains employees to brace for the "but" and discounts real praise
- For repeat issues, reference the prior conversation directly and factually — patterns are legitimate to name, but tie each mention to a specific past behavior, not a general impression
- Positive feedback delivered specifically and often is the cheapest retention tool a store manager has — script it as deliberately as the hard conversations
How to use this skill
This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.
Installing in Claude Code:
~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)<your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)
Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.
Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:
- Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
- Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits
For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills