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April's
Articles for Giftware News:
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Warm
Smiles set the tone - Customer Service 101
Retailers wrestle with customer service all the time.
There is always the dilemma of when you are not personally in
your shop, knowing that the customer is getting the kind of care
and service that they expect.
With retail as an entry-level job for many (and entry level is
the only level that many retailers can afford to pay) it is a
challenge to have staff that has the many talents that a customer
requires to feel "served." A friendly and welcoming
personality, a natural sales drive, product knowledge, organization,
the ability to clean, unpack and price while showing joy in their
work. Let's face it, the skills of a good retail employee are
complex and very crucial to the success of a customer's experience
in your store.
Did you know that one college study revealed that new students
form an impression of a college professor in the first 30 seconds
of their class? And that three months later most of those impressions
remain unchanged.
What that tells me is: In the retail world, if you are striving
to make a good impression on your customer, you need to get it
right at the beginning. And by beginning this means you need to
enter your store like your customer does... from the street.
Often we start working on our stores from within, happy and pleased
with the environment created, but forgetting about the message
the customer gets before entering the store.
Check your doors and windows please!
Too often a store that is lovely inside is hampered by a dirty
window. Clean windows are like friendly smiles, they show respect
to the customer. They also tell the customer you are expecting
them to come on in!
And then there's the window display, fresh, updated signage. I
know I have to make sure last month's message is not overlapped
on this week's direction. 'Sale' signs overlapped on 'New Arrivals'
signs say 'Conflict within'.
An open door is a must—unless there are hurricane force winds,
I say leave the door open. It is a lot easier for a customer to
have an inquiring peak around a door than make the effort to open
one.
If you can upkeep potted plants outside—they definitely set
a store apart. Dying ones however give a dismal message.
Think in terms of big, bigger and biggest first impressions. Impressions
that will stay in the customer's mind. Consider the college study
I mentioned earlier—is your customer service going to make
an immediate, positive impression? What is your customer's reception
and acknowledgement when they enter your shop?
- A smile, a hello,
and a nod not only welcome, but also can diffuse tension,
and show appreciation and respect. It goes a long way with
customers, and may cause them to forgive packing boxes, cash
register mix-ups and missing price tags! And it is also a
great segue into showing the customer what is new.
- If you can make
your customer feel good as they enter your store, you can
impress them with your beautiful goods, your extensive product
knowledge and your great displays (I like to offer some cookies
too!).
- Remember, great
customer service builds great customers. And really it is
all just about as simple as women and men being nice to each
other.
So
say hello, smile and nod. Have a cookie. And start to sell.
April Cornell,
Burlington, Vermont |
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