With $4.1 trillion in annual sales and more than 1.4 million employees, there’s little question that the retail industry is huge. So are its challenges: Retailers—which include department, specialty, and discount stores as well as catalogs—have razor-thin margins. They might look to their suppliers and at their operations to reduce costs, but without the leverage of the “big box” retailers, most retailers must find other ways to differentiate themselves. Greater product selection and quality are part of the solution. But superior customer service is far and away the biggest differentiator. Sixty to eighty percent of dissatisfied customers report poor service as the reason for their displeasure. This means that retailers are under pressure to find employees who have the ability and motivation to provide exceptional customer service. Competition for outstanding employees is fierce, and turnover is astronomical. Thus retailers must be able to screen and hire people swiftly, “sell” potential employees on their store, and provide training so that new hires can get up to speed in a hurry. And leaders, from store managers on up, must master the skills required to retain and engage their associates.