
Working
on the front line of retail is hard. You sell in-store, online, and on social media, making exceptional customer
service mandatory. Every associate must be kept up to speed on what is expected
of them while at work, and every associate needs to ensure that whatever is
expected happens. Let’s look at what you can do to improve your customer
service and increase store sales:
1. Start
with solid communication. You know the saying: Everyone needs to
be on the same page, in the same book, but they can’t do that unless you make
it happen. Consider setting up a weekly email blast for associates only that
brings them up to speed on what’s happening in the store. You can do the same
thing with a private Facebook Group or keep in daily contact with a myriad of
available free apps. We like WhatsApp; it’s free to use and you can send
messages, documents, photos, and videos, make voice calls, and even host video
chats on mobile devices and desktop computers. If you are able to send the same
message to all associates at the same time, choose whatever method works best for
you.
It’s
also a good idea to hold a 10 minute meeting with associates each morning before
you open the doors for business, repeating it again whenever there is a shift
change. You can leave people in the dark, but you can never over communicate.
2. Set
a daily sales goal. No matter how long they have been with
you, people need to know what is expected of them. If you have never set a daily
sales goal you will be pleasantly surprised at how much more attentive associates
become once they know you are keeping track of their productivity. Your POS
system may be able to help here or you can simply ask customers at the cashwrap
who helped them and note it in a Daily Sales Goal Journal. Don’t just say you
have a goal – write it down and put it in a place where every associate can see
it.
3. Require everyone to do
a mandatory 360 Degree Pass-By at
the start of each shift. This exercise requires associates to do a quick walk
through the store, noting what’s new, what has changed, and which areas need
immediate attention. A daily 360 Degree Pass-By shouldn’t take more than a few
minutes, but it will help associates – even your full-timers – become more
familiar with what’s happening on the sales floor.
4. Answer the phone within
four rings, the number typically programmed into answering machines and
voice mail systems. There will always be exceptions but picking up the phone in
four rings or less should be your norm.
If you
are busy helping another customer and the phone rings simply request permission
to answer the phone. Ask, “Would you mind if I answered the telephone?” If she
says OK, take the call and offer the caller the choice to be placed on hold or
opt for a call back within a specified time. If the customer says no, then let
the call go to voicemail and call the customer back as quickly as possible. But don’t rely on voice mail to answer every call.
In
person we have a chance to make a judgement call about the person we are
working with, but over the phone it’s a different story. We remember working with
a retailer who had a pleasant store associate who didn’t sound so pleasant over
the phone. After working with her for a while with no change Rich decided to
hang a mirror over the telephone. He suggested that the associate look in the
mirror and smile before answering the phone – it did the trick. Try it! It’s
hard to sound bad with a smile on your face.
5. How the phone is answered
builds a perception about the business. Know what drives customers crazy?
This:
“Hello
and thank you for calling XYZ Shop. We are open from 10:00 – 5:00 Monday –
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 10:00 – 9:00, Saturday from 10:00 – 6:00, and
11:00 – 4:00 on Sunday. Our special today is ______________ and
_______________. This is _______________. How may I help you?” Click. TMI.
Instead
choose a short, standard greeting that everyone must use when answering the
phone. Ours is, “It’s a great day at KIZER & BENDER Speaking! This is
____________, how may I help you?” It’s short, friendly and to the point.
6. Welcome shoppers as quickly as possible. It’s interesting
that in our onsite studies shoppers who were greeted within 60 – 90 seconds say
it took five minutes or more for someone to acknowledge them. It’s a perception
thing – we call it customer time vs. real time – so say hello ASAP.
A warm smile
and a hello are really all you need. Make eye contact and say, “Welcome to the
store!” or “What brings you in to see us today?” Most customers will thank you,
opening the door to a lengthier conversation. If the shopper needs help
immediately, she’ll ask for it. When she doesn’t need help, offer a cart or a
basket and invite her to browse at her leisure. You can check back later to see
how she’s doing. But don’t ever say, “May
I help you?” because the answer will almost always be, “No thanks, I’m just
looking.” That question only works when the customer is clearly in a hurry.
We
created the “7-Tile Rule” – acknowledging customers when you come within 7′ of them – after watching shoppers roam too many sales floors
unattended. Your goal should be to acknowledge every shopper every time your paths
cross on the sales floor. React with a smile, nod, or conversation – whatever
the situation requires. The 7-Tile Rule isn’t just a perception builder; if the
shopper is up to no good, all that attention will send her right for the door.
This is
also a good time to introduce yourself; people like to be addressed by name, so
offer yours first. In fact, everyone should introduce themselves to at least
five customers each day. When was the last time anyone at a big box store
introduced themselves to you? Never? We thought so.
7. Watch your body
language. What we are really
thinking shows up before we ever say a word. Did you know that 7 percent of
what we communicate to others comes from the words we choose, 38 percent is
through tone of voice, but 55 percent of what we communicate is done through
body language? It surfaces in how you stand, how you hold your head, and the
look on your face. Sometimes standing with your arms crossed is just
comfortable, but to the customer in front of you, it’s a barrier.
Keep
cellphones off the floor or limit usage when shoppers are present, even when you
are legitimately doing store business. Stay at least 6’ away from a customer’s personal
space, and when you are having a conversation with another associate always stop
and acknowledge customers who are nearby.
8. Ask
the customer questions to determine what they came in to buy. There
are two ways to ask questions: open-ended questions and closed-ended questions.
Open-ended questions allow you to quickly uncover useful information. Open-ended
questions begin with who, what, where, when, why or how. Think, “Who is this gift for?” or “Which colors are you leaning towards?”
Close-ended
questions can only be answered “yes” or “no”. They are helpful with talkative
customers and with those who give you long but non-useable answers. Closed-ended
questions always begin with a verb, like will, are, is, did or didn’t. Think: “Is
this gift for a child?” or “Does this person enjoy puzzles?” Just remember,
whoever asks the questions, controls the conversation. Once you discover what
the customer is looking for you can get to work.
9. Demonstrate
how the product can be used or how it works. Obviously, it’s easy to
demonstrate how a sewing machine or lawn mower works, but there are show and
tell opportunities with all sorts of items. Drape apparel or fabric,
demonstrate items the customer may not be familiar with, show what’s in a kit –
be creative because this is where you get to show off your product knowledge.
And by the way, if you are unfamiliar with all the products in the store, take
a moment each day to read labels, and instructions on products you have not
personally tried.
10. Remember to suggest additional products. Have you
ever been to a fast food restaurant where they didn’t ask if you wanted fries
with your sandwich? Nope. Because that never happens. Fast food retailers know
that the easiest way to increase the bottom line is to have associates suggest
additional items. It’s so ingrained that every associate does it, every time. Associates
working in your store should do it, too.
Customers
won’t buy additional items if they aren’t asked. Sometimes those add-on items
are a necessity, like batteries or components needed to complete a project. Why
wait for the customer to return home without everything she needs only to
return angry because she had to come back again? Don’t think of add-on selling
as pushy, think of it as a positive way of helping the customer and suggest
away.
Try our
“Gimme 5” exercise: Randomly hold up an item and ask your associates to name
five additional items that could be added-on to the sale. Practice until adding-on
becomes a natural part of the sales process.
11. Don’t forget to build a relationship.
Before the customer leaves the store think about one more thing you can do
to keep her close. Invite her to sign up for your email blasts, watch your
Facebook Live broadcasts, join your private Facebook Group, or just hang out with
you on social media. If you happen to capture the customer’s address, send her
a handwritten card thanking her for choosing your store. It’s the little things
that draw customers close to your store, and it’s the little things they share
with their friends about your store.
12. Celebrate
the victories. We need to celebrate daily victories, even the little ones.
Toast
the end of a long week by recognizing associates for a job well done. For
something above and beyond what is expected – big sale, letter, or mention in a
customer review, putting out all the new product in record time – you’re your
appreciation in front of their peers, maybe with a gift card from the store. Go
bigger with a gift card to a favorite restaurant, a pretty bouquet of flowers
or a tin of chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes all it takes is a sincere thank you. In the end it doesn’t really matter what
you do as long as you do something.
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