How to End Poor Customer Service in Retail Sales
Sales Associates & Employers Can Take Steps Ensuring Quality Service
Nov 22, 2008
The holiday retail season often brings out the worst in customers as well as sales associates. Too frequently, disinterested sales clerks, hired as seasonal labor, make Christmas shopping a harried enterprise. The dearth of face-to-face good customer service is an increasing topic for the consumer and the retail employer, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Brief, proper training in retail etiquette will ensure happy, satisfied customers while building a professional sales team motivated to succeed as individuals while fostering company loyalty.
Tips For Successful Selling – The Sales Associate
1. Be on time for work and follow company dress code requirements.
2. Leave bad moods or attitudes in the parking lot!
3. Put each customer first and always smile.
4. Turn off your cell phone before punching in.
5. Be attentive to each customer and greet them as they enter your area.
6. Know your merchandise.
7. Be eager to answer questions and resolve disputes.
8. End conversations with co-workers when customers approach.
9. Don’t extend your “break” or take unauthorized breaks.
10. Always stay busy, whether folding garments or reorganizing displays.
Customers rapidly adopt stores where they feel valued. In many cases, the first line of customer interaction begins with the sales associate. The relationships formed are the “first impressions” that bring customers back or make them more receptive to sales recommendations and suggestions. Professionalism breeds a sense of authoritative knowledge appreciated by consumers who could just as easily make purchases in a competing store. Long term associates know their customers by name and forge a particular trust that benefits both parties. This is particularly true in commission sales.
Tips for the Employer
1. Hire people whose references highlight employment stability and dependability.
2. Create a training program designed for employee retention but focusing on professionalism on the sales floor.
3. Encourage team-building through periodic sales meetings.
4. Develop incentive programs such as bonuses or prizes for achieving sales goals or opening new store charge accounts for customers.
5. Treat every employee, whether full or part time, with dignity and respect so that they will know their services are highly valued.
6. Teach employees how to solve customer complaints by employing specialized seminars such as Transactional Analysis.
7. Train supervisory personnel through employee relations seminars to avoid unnecessary conflicts between management and associates.
8. Conduct brief exit interviews to determine why an associate felt the need to terminate employment.
Whether the establishment represents a major retailer with hundreds of employees or an independent shop with a handful of sales associates, customer service can always be improved. Businesses with a solid reputation for quality customer service thrive by retaining and attracting customers avidly seeking a rich shopping experience.
Although the customer is not always right, they should be treated as if they are. The dictum, “make the customer happy” ultimately translates into long term profits even if the store takes a loss on one dubious merchandise return. The front line sales associate must never assume the role of judge but should make every effort to resolve problems amicably with the help of management. Every shopping experience should be a good shopping experience, and this can easily be accomplished through excellent customer service.
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