HUH? : An Occasional Serious on Unbelievable Customer Service.
I tell my staff regularly that it is not difficult to excel at retail customer service, because most of what's out there is so mediocre, if not downright horrible
As a retailer, I shop to experience how my customers might feel in various situations.
This afternoon. Gray, cold and rainy. Pearl District. Corporate retail store selling very specialized casual and workout clothing made of Merino wool. The store has been there for a couple of years and I'd never been in.
I was greeted promptly by both the salespeople. I was the only customer in the store which, I think most of you would agree, can be uncomfortable. I asked to hear the company story and it was thoroughly explained.
I was encouraged to try things on and as soon as I reached for a sweater, the salesperson left the area saying that he was going to let me browse.
HUH? Retail Apparel 101: Get the clothes on the customer and do whatever it takes to make it easy!
Several minutes later, I headed for the fitting room with some tee shirts, again selecting my own sizes off the rack. In mid-trying-on, the salesperson said through the fitting room curtain that he was going on break and that the other salespeople could help me.
HUH? Retail 102: Be available to answer questions and help with sizes; a salesperson's job is to facilitate the sale of product!
I didn't make a purchase because the product fit too snugly against my holiday belly padding, so I left the fitting room and hung up the three items in their respective places. I left the store without either of the two remaining salespeople acknowledging my presence or my departure.
HUH? Retail 103: Treat every customer as a guest that you want to come back for a visit; getting customers in the door is too difficult to not pave the way for a future interaction.
What do you think? Am I being too harsh? Similar experiences to share?
2 comments:
I agree with everything you experienced! I love it when sales people help me find my size, place my items in a dressing room while I browse, and even recommend items that are similar to what I've been looking at. I have bought so many more things and spent more $$$ in stores like that, but I also come away with great items that I'm happy to wear over and over.
Very direct and informative. This is what I liked best "I tell my staff regularly that it is not difficult to excel at retail customer service, because most of what's out there is so mediocre, if not downright horrible," because it's true. Thank you!
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