Retailers
these days wear a lot of hats. 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:
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. As long as 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. We created this
daily exercise to keep everyone up to speed on what’s happening on the sales
floor. It 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 the
customer 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 voice mail. But don’t rely on voice mail to answer
every call.
5. How the phone is answered
builds a perception about 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” after watching too many shoppers roam 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%
of what we communicate to others comes from the words we choose, 38% is through
tone of voice, but 55% 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
are you making this quilt for?” or “Which colors were you thinking of
incorporating into your design?”
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:
“Are you buying this as a gift?” or “Is this your first DIY project?” 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 a vacuum cleaner works, but
there are show and tell opportunities with all sorts of items. Drape fabric,
demonstrate items the customer may not be familiar with, show what’s included in
a kit – be creative because this is where you get to show off your product
knowledge. And 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 before.
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 doesn’t happen. 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. Your team 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 hang with you on social media. If you happen to capture
the customer’s address, send 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 all need a victory, even a little one. Toast
the end of a long week by recognizing associates for a job well done. For
something above and beyond what is expected, say a big sale, letter or mention
in a customer review, or putting out all the new product in record time, your
appreciation is important. Show it in front of their peers, maybe with a gift
card from the store, or go bigger with a gift card to a favorite restaurant, a
pretty bouquet of flowers or a tin of Mrs. Field’s chocolate cookies. In the
end it doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you do something.
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