Having a retail store stocked up with good quality stuff along with an incredible ambience are a must when thinking about starting one of your own. But the most essential key to make your sales grow is by developing a healthy and remarkable customer service. Customer service in retail business is one of the utmost important factors.
Remember, the customer is the king and the main driving force to sustain and grow your business. One wrong move can push your customers to the competitor’s door. Work on offering exceptional retail customer service and look for ways to make a place in customer’s hearts and wallets. Your outlook and determination will encourage customers to act like your brand ambassadors, which will further drive new clients to your store.
TIPS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN RETAIL STORES
A smile goes a long way:
Ensure to maintain a calm, positive and happy environment in your retail shop with a smile on your as well as your staff’s face. The customers must be greeted with a smile, engage in friendly eye contact from the staff. Train the staff to develop an approachable attitude and to be comfortable in their skin in order to comfort the customer.
Offer for an in-store demo:
Most of the customers walk in without having any wishlist and often end up confused looking at the variety of available options. Offering them some guidance and an in-store demo can cheer them up and make a sale with positive customer service. Some helpful tips and guidance will benefit the customers and eventually lead to sales decisions. It will also help to build a sense of trust between the sales associate and the customer.
Ask for a feedback and learn from it:
Place a short and to the point feedback form at the bill desk asking about customer experience and pointing out areas of improvement. A little appreciation helps to boost the staff’s morale and nudge them in the right direction. You may also have to allure your customers with offers, loyalty points or maybe a free sample in return for their valuable feedback.
Train your team:
Train your staff with the right kind of knowledge and expertise in order to stand out from the crowd. Always focus on being service oriented and hold up monthly training sessions to keep your team up-to-date about the new products and services.
Personalize your customer experience:
Ensure and encourage your staff to build a personal connection with the customers. Your staff should be cordial and be ready to escort the customer through the entire collection and help them to choose from options after much discussions and trials. Familiarize them with your best-sellers as well as showcase the in-store personal favorites also. However, be vigilant about not hurrying to lead a sale and ensure that the customers don’t feel awkward or pressurized in any way.
Effortless checkouts:
Try to make check outs seamless in your store. Try to bring in new gadgets to equip your crew in order to avoid long awaited queues for billing and help the customers easily. Make sure you have multiple payment options to choose from so that you don’t lose a customer.
Make customer service everyone’s job:
You must make sure that all your employees have the attitude to help and offer services despite their positions. Be it the manager or a sales representative or even an intern, every employee should adhere to humanity and be willing to walk that extra mile.
Stay in touch with your customers:
Try to connect with your customers on a regular basis. Ensure that they know how much the brand values them. Share latest product catalogues, new offers or notify them about an upcoming sale. Offer an on-call assistance and check if your customers have any particular requirements. Offer exclusive discounts to celebrate their birthdays and anniversaries.
Use a reliable CRM system:
A CRM system may help you store customer data such as user behavior, customer loyalty, transaction records, and notes on sales contacts, which can be further used to optimize your sales and marketing processes and also enhance customer service across your organization. It helps to automate essential processes, streamline your sales process and analyses all of the sales data in one location, thereby improving revenue and efficiency. Install a reliable customer relationship management system to store all the necessary information related to products in a centralized place which is easily accessible for both the staff and the customers.