The following skills are vital for those working in our environment.
Every Customer Should Be Greeted
The sales clerk should acknowledge every visitor as they walk into your store. ‘Welcome’, ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’; even ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Good Afternoon’. Be pleased to see this customer in your store and make them feel welcome. Stand up and remain standing until they have left the store or are obviously going to hang out a while and are just browsing.
Act Friendly
It’s simple to be friendly to people who are friendly in return; the difficult part is to be friendly to those customers who are not friendly, or even antagonistic. If you are friendly to everyone, all the time, you’ll see your sales figures improve.
Allow the customer to browse for a few minutes, then ask if there’s anything you can help them with. As customers, we all need assistance in finding things in stores – a different color, a different size, and so on. As an employee of the store it’s your duty to find out what this customer is actually looking for, and then help them find it. Some customers act stand-offish because they don’t like to ask for help, or they’re embarrassed, but when help is offered they’re usually very grateful.
Be careful, though, that you don’t ‘pester’ the customers. No customer likes this, and when it does happen most will walk out and leave the store. When a customer implies that they don’t need or want your help, leave them alone. If they’re still in your store (say) 10 or 15 minutes later you could check in to see if there’s anything you can help them with.
No Gossiping
It’s a big no-no to ever badmouth other employees or other visitors. Don’t put-down any products while trying to sell another one. When an employee badmouths someone or something it creates a very uncomfortable atmosphere, with the customer usually wishing they could just escape. Don’t put your customers in this awful position: it’s awkward for them, and it makes you look small-minded and mean.
Don’t Just Point To a Product
This is an interesting aspect of poor customer service, because it actually happens a lot. A customer walks into a store, can’t find what they’re looking for, so approaches the counter and asks the clerk if they have a certain product. Sure, she says, pointing, it’s over there on the back wall. This is terrible customer service.
Walk the customer to the product they’re looking for. It stops the customer from feeling awkward and wishing they’d never stepped into your store, plus it also gives you a chance to chat. Who knows, perhaps there’s something else they need as well, and you can help them with that.
Suggest an Alternative
If your store doesn’t carry a certain product requested by a customer, say so, and then suggest a viable alternative. It may be that you never carry that product, or perhaps it’s on back-order, or not available any more. In any case, it’s very acceptable to offer the customer another product.
Offering good customer service means that, when this customer leaves your store, they’ve either purchased another product that they’re happy with, or you’ve offered them an alternative, like –
- We’d be happy to provide contact information so you can special order’ that product.
- I’m sorry, we don’t carry that product, but we do have this one which could suit your needs perfectly; or
- We don’t carry that product, but try ‘So-and-So’ at our other location.
A Nice Way To Finish
Always thank the customer. A farewell greeting is a nice touch: ‘Have a great day’ or Thanks for coming in’ leave customers feeling appreciated. It’s also another very important part of excellent customer service.