Easy Ways to Enhance Your Customer Service
Retailers these days wear many 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 all expectations are met. Let’s look at what you can do to improve your customer service and increase store sales:
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 keeps them informed about 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 can send the same message to all associates simultaneously, choose the method that 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.
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.
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.
Answer the phone within four rings; the number is 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, ask for permission before answering it. 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 callback within a specified time. If the customer says no, then let the call go to voicemail. However, don’t rely on voicemail to answer every call.
How the phone is answered builds a perception about your 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 [Your Name]. 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 [Your Name], how may I help you?” It’s short, friendly and to the point.
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 opportunity to introduce yourself; people appreciate being 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.
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 is evident in how you stand, how you hold your head, and the expression 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.
Ask the customer questions to determine what they came in to buy. There are two primary types of 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 with a simple “yes” or “no”. They are helpful with talkative customers and those who provide lengthy but uninformative 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.
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, and 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.
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, such as 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 relevant options.
Try our “Gimme 5” exercise: Randomly hold up an item and ask your associates to name five additional items that could be added to the sale. Practice until adding on becomes a natural part of the sales process.
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.
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. Fields’ chocolate cookies. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you do something.