Retail Customer Service: Some Get It...Some Don’t Even Bother!

Retail Customer Service: Some Get It…Some Don’t Even Bother! 

Or, BB&B vs Mark’s: Our Sunday Shopping Adventure!

 

Last Sunday, my wife and I went shopping. Our first stop was a visit at the new Bed Bath and Beyond (BB&B) store near our home. It is a new location, and came with a recommendation to visit it. There was plenty of parking available, and the storefront was clean and inviting. As we entered, we were flooded by the number of products available. Variety was not in short supply! We eventually found what we were looking for and proceeded to the cash registers to check out. 

Once there, we noticed that none of the registers were manned by a cashier, save for the one cashier inputting inventory. We waited a few minutes, but no one was coming. The lone busy cashier then explained that the “back-up cashier” was assisting a customer at the back of the store, but should be along in a couple of minutes. She then continued with her important work without even paging for another cashier. We waited, again, but our patience ran out. We left the store without our purchase.

Once back in the car, we just sat there dumbfounded. What the heck just happened? New store, lots of merchandise, no customer service! We were standing their literally begging for someone to take our money, yet, there were no takers! Astounding! I have spent the better part of my working life serving the public and have never encountered this before.

We continued on to the next store on our list, Mark’s (formerly Mark’s Work Wearhouse). I had received a nice shirt as a gift, but wanted a different color. Since I did not have a receipt, I felt it best to talk to an associate at the sales desk to explain my situation. However, there was quite a line-up at the desk to contend with first. As I waited, my wife decided to do some shopping. 

Once I reached the sales desk I was greeted by a friendly associate who seemed genuinely pleased to help me. The exchange was practically seamless. I picked a different color, with no hassle, even without a receipt. As it turned out, the line was so long due to a promotion Mark’s was having. A free pair of men’s underwear, just for the asking! How cool is that? Yes, I picked up a pair, as well.

At Mark’s we were greeted by friendly helpful staff that accommodated my needs without any problems. It was a very pleasant shopping experience! They will continue to get my business!

So, why is it that one retailer understands the need to service the customer, while the other completely misses the mark?

Training and hiring come immediately to mind.

All too often, employees receive minimal training regarding customer service. Too costly to train, no training budget, no time to train, they didn’t hire the right person, and so on. Unacceptable excuses! Investing the time and money in proper training is an investment in your future as a business owner. Create a plan to develop a training program for your staff TODAY. Then, implement it immediately!

Hiring the right person in the first place is a huge step in the right direction. Again, plan what type of associates you want for your business. Train your hiring personnel to seek out the personality type best suited for your business. Here’s an example of how it’s done:

The Keg Restaurant was opening a new location and placed an ad in the local paper about an upcoming job fair.  The lineup for interviews was massive! However, each successful candidate would move from one station to another for more interviews. Unsuccessful candidates were thanked for their time. How did the Keg weed out the unsuccessful candidates so quickly? It was simple. A manager would stand in the doorway leading to the interviews. If the candidate initiated a conversation with the manager they were allowed to proceed. If the candidate just stood there with their CV in hand and made no attempt to engage anyone, the CV was accepted and they were promised a phone call. And yes, they did get a call explaining why they were not hired. They wanted the right people to work at their business.

Please take the time to hire the right type of person for your business. Then, ensure you train them properly and completely. Employees are your company ambassadors. If they have served your customers well, repeat business follows. However, when they are poor company representatives, customers like me will rarely offer a second chance.