EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

 

With immense competition in Retail Industry, retailers are shuttling between multiple channels to gain market share and stay afloat. But with all this drama one thing has not changed and will never change; an organisation which cannot provide customer delight cannot be successful for long no matter what grade of product they serve to their cliental. In this stiff competition, a few retailers and business organisations have started evaluating a customer's importance through their purchasing power which is the first big mistake they are making. We should treat our customers with parity no matter he/she has come to buy a product or service for 100 Rs or 1,000,000 Rs.
Retailers are solution providers to Customers' needs and Customer is the King. This is the magical single liner solution to run your business organisation successfully. As the name KING suggests, customers may not be always right, but your solution should make them winners. Let us remember a simple formula: to get a new loyal customer it will cost you three times than retaining your existing customer.
 
Steps to ensure effective customer service on sales floor in retail industry :

1. Meet and Greet
2. Listen and Advice
3. Clarify
4. Sell the most suitable solution and take feedback
5. Explain the Product usage and care
6. Assist in Billing and enrol for loyalty program
7. Thank and Welcome

1. Meet and Greet

A smile and a greet from the CSR will give the customer confidence and comfort at the first place. Only one staff should greet a customer, multiple staffs clogging around a customer will cause discomfort.

A CSR or Customer Relationship Executive should be present at the entrance to greet a customer while his or her entry into the branch, this will ensure a positive note to our customers. This CSR responsibilities are as below :

A)     Greet the customer

B)    Guide the customer to the respective department as per the customer’s need when asked

C)    Clarify customer query

D)     Handover promotion leaflets to customer

The above responsibilities are also cascaded to the department staffs but with a small change.

A)    Greet a customer with a smile when customer makes eye contact with the staff

B)    Keep an eye and only if customer asks for help, approach the customer

 

2. Listen and Advice

This is one of the most important step which is usually overlooked by experienced staffs who believe to have understood their customers through their experience. But this perception is wrong. The staff should first understand the customer's requirement through polite questions :
- How may I assist you sir/madam
- What kind of a product you are looking for
- You have a budget in mind
Listen cautiously to the customer's need and then advice the suitable products from your product range.

 

3. Clarify

This is a small step but an important one because it will ensure there is no communication gap between you and the customer. Clarify with the customer what you have advised meets their requirement and get their confirmation on the same

 

4. Sell the most suitable solution and take Feedback

Now that you have understood what the customer wants, provide them a solution within their budget. Note the word used "SOLUTION", we provide customers with solution and not products. We might not have all the products that a customer needs but always take extra efforts to show the customer the closest possible product in case of unavailability of the exact product. And in case the customer is willing to come back, ensure you note down the customer's details or customer’s loyalty card number and requirement on your ‘log book’. Communicate the requirement to your department manager and invite the customer when the product is available at the branch

5. Explain the Product usage and care

Never forget to explain the customer the product usage and extra care to be taken if any. This is beneficial both for our organisation and the customer; it will avoid unnecessary exchanges and also will avoid customers from misunderstanding that our products are of low quality.

6. Assist in Billing and enroll for loyalty program

Never leave the customer once the customer finalises their product. Ensure to assist the customer with the billing, particularly if the billing process in lengthy eg: Booking a Furniture or a product involving warranty certifications.

The time gap between the completion of purchase and the billing is a very vital time to convert a new customer into a loyal customer by enrolling them for your loyalty program. Explain the customer the benefits of your loyalty program while guiding your customer to the cash till for billing. But if the customer resists after explaining, please do not force the customer.

  

7. Thank and Welcome  

Always thank the customer with a smile no matter they have bought your products or not. This will ensure them that you are always willing to serve them and also ensure their come back for shopping. Also educate your billing staff to thank the customer and ensure that there are no products left behind at the cash till.