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One of the easiest things you can do to ensure your customers know they are appreciated is to train all of your employees to greet newcomers as soon as they come through the door. Your employees must make sure to do it as professionally as possible, but more importantly, at the precise time appropriate for your business and according to the expectations of your clientele.
Greeting rules to follow (modify for your own company and customer needs):
- Acknowledgement: Acknowledge the customer within 5 seconds of coming through the front store entrance (or you define the time and location).
- Greet but do not bother: Initially say “Hello, welcome to ABC Company. Please tell me if you need any assistance.” but also remember and practice how not to badger the customer (you determine the greeting and practice each employee multiple times on different types of customers).
- Always professional: Regardless of the customer reaction (i.e. blank stare, smile but no words, smile with some chatter, angry snap, cold reaction or stare, etc.), teach employees that the first initial reaction of a customer will not determine the next reaction or how that customer will behave when they find what they are looking for. All employees are to remain calm, very friendly and at all times courteous. Customers may be nervous or worried until they find what they are seeking. Their whole demeanor may change at that point because shopping for some people is stressful and may affect their initial attitude until resolved.
- Watch for signs to help: Watch to see if the customer seems to be seeking something or looking for help before adding, “Is there anything I can help you with today?” If the customer shakes his head or indicates ‘no’, say, “That’s fine; please get my attention if there is anything you need this morning.” Walk away and do not disturb the customer unless he begins to ask for something (i.e. directions, a specific department, a product on sale, customer service, etc.)
- Be honest but helpful: If you do not know the answer to the customer’s question, say so. Tell them politely, “I am not sure but I will find out for you. We have 38,000 products and I do not want to tell you incorrectly. Let me call a manager who can quickly get a stock status and an answer for you right now.”
- Learn customer body language: The customer may want to browse first, then come to ask questions. They may not have questions initially, so you as an employee must watch the customer for signs of trouble or angst.
- Where and when to greet: Determine where you want your customers greeted or approached by company personnel. In a Walmart, there is a greeter (checks for incoming packages or other objects brought into the store). In a mall there is no one at the entrance and generally no one to speak to until you enter a store. In the shoe department, you are normally approached by someone who will find a size for you once you have picked a shoe model (an expected approach due to the nature of the product). You must determine where you want to talk for the first time to your customer and who you want to say those first few words. The relationship between the customer and the business starts with these first few words.
- When is your sale complete? Make the decision what your store will do after the sale. In a supermarket, a bagboy is offered to help unload the groceries, especially for women with children or the elderly. In a large retail store, the customer may pick up the item at a dock where an employee will help load your car with your new television. In some department stores or specialty stores (i.e. jewelry, expensive clothing, etc.), store personnel may accompany the buyers to their cars or call security to walk with the customer into a dark parking lot if requested. What small but convenient task can you perform for the customer that will eliminate a worry they have about making a purchase at your store?
- Make the purchase decision easy: If your store does not install the products it sells, offer installation services or at least a listing of recommended 3rd party installers for the buyer. Make sure those installers know to be available for your customers, so the buyer is not intimidated by the installation, thus, decide not to make the purchase. Make it easy for the buyer; maybe you arrange the installation at the point of purchase so they leave the store with a written plan in hand.
- Answer new inquiries quickly: Answer your incoming calls within four or five seconds if at all possible. Assign a secondary person in your office to help handle busy times on the switchboard because most people now greatly appreciate personal service, a trait dying with everything pushed to the internet. Thus, if your primary business involves answering the telephone for inquiries, greeting callers is no less important than greeting them at your door. Greet all callers courteously and happily, listen patiently to all complaints allowing the customer to vent, ensure new potential customers get linked with a live voice in your inside sales department and do your best to get the customer what he or she wants (which may or may not involve charging them more for the appropriate level of services).
All buyers are different; be professional and courteous. All of these issues affect buyers psychologically and some if offended do not return. Those fearful of being robbed or having problems will find comfort in a store that immediately pays attention to them and offers to get them and their purchases safely to their car. Some may not want to be bothered at all until they have a question and then become demanding. Your business needs to define what that relationship is and create that atmosphere that encourages return customers.
Ask the buyer what he believes your store could improve. It also never hurts to ask when you determine it is appropriate how the shopping experience was and what could be improved in their estimation. You might want to include this postage prepaid questionnaire in their bag or with their purchase receipt and have it already stamped in order for them to easily complete it, it costs nothing and easily dropped in the mail. Most comments will be mediocre at best, but a few will be very revealing and may disclose real issues that stand out between your store and those of your competition.
