Customer service is perhaps the most critical and sometimes stressful part of working in a retail establishment. While some people in customer service jobs work remotely, retail store employees experience in-person interactions on a daily basis.
For new hires, frustrated and angry customers can induce stress and a fragile lack of self-confidence that results in fresh-out-of-the-gate employees not working to maximum potential.
This can be especially overwhelming to employees without experience in the customer service sector. Yet they need not be anxious when they hit the sales floor for the first time. Proper training of new staff is key to instilling confidence in their abilities and successful customer service experiences.
There are several strategies merchants have available when acclimating new hires to the world of retail consumer relations. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, great training incorporates many aspects of the job and includes more than one voice.
Prior to beginning orientation, be sure to walk new employees throughout the store. Gaining knowledge of the establishment’s layout will help enhance the learning curve during training.
It is a good practice to go beyond simply relating what is expected of new staff. For instance, conveying which items to upsell and your philosophy of treating customers is greatly buttressed when merchants explain the concept of upselling and give examples of successful interactions.
A personal, supportive and encouraging approach to onboarding is also important. Many retail stores’ training process includes staff learning about protocol and customer service techniques by watching videos.
But don’t forget about interpersonal discussions. You might want to ask employees if there are parts of training materials that they have questions about and would like to discuss in more detail. In an age of increasing use of technology in the workplace, the personal touch remains vital to success.
Your current employees can be significant in training newcomers. They are your eyes and ears who interact most frequently with shoppers. These staffers can provide real-life examples of customer service skills that align with positive interactions.
Mining their experience can serve a two-fold purpose. For one, they can give real-life examples of customer service, including how to react to negative customers. Simultaneously, they give new employees a sense of belonging and camaraderie from the start through interaction with fellow employees.
Store owners should consider teaming new employees with current staff the first few days on the job. The rookies can observe seasoned customer service professionals in action, providing them with even more takeaways before taking the reins on their own.
There are many additional factors that make for excellent customer service. Maintaining good posture and emanating positive body language shows pride in the store. Multi-tasking is another great example of a winning formula. For instance, stocking shelves while being aware of customers’ needs and keeping the store clean while on the sales floor are intangible assets that can contribute to increased revenue.
Investing time in new staff preparation through a robust training process gives these employees the ability to boost profits by providing gracious customer service that encourages patrons to become loyal customers and spread positive word of mouth.
