Retail Barriers: How They are Used to Disrupt Customer Service and Sales

Retail Barriers: How They are Used to Disrupt Customer Service and Sales

What is a retail barrier? It is a physical entity, within the store, that separates the salespeople from the customer. Some examples include: rolling racks filled with clothes, standalone displays for jewelry or shoe polish, mannequins, and my favorite, the cash desk.

Many salespeople believe that the current job at hand, say, tagging clothes on a rack, is more important than greeting a customer and proceeding with the sales path. It can be justified because some salespeople claim that they cannot “see” the customer, so they are not approached. In truth, these salespeople are hiding from the customer.

In one instance, I witnessed a salesperson standing behind the cash desk shouting out the current store promotion to the sole customer in the store…who was 25 feet away. Apparently, the work on her computer was too important to leave. The customer walked out empty-handed. And, I am sure the salesperson believed she approached the customer and offered service.

Obviously, store displays, and other barriers, play an important role and should not be eliminated. So, it is up to the salespeople to work around these barriers. How is that accomplished?

Hiring and Training

Are you hiring someone anxious to prove themselves, or a warm body on the sales floor? Does the new hire match your company’s vision and culture? Do they display a willingness to learn and take initiative? In short, employers have at least 90 days to see if the new hire is a good fit, or not.

However, one cannot terminate an employee in good faith if there is a lack of skilled training and knowledge sharing. In most retail situations the store manager is tasked with employee training. Are they qualified? Do they have the desire and drive to train others? Is performance measured and reviewed regularly? Is the training program updated or reviewed annually?

Disengagement

Disengaged employees will not work to their potential, period. Here lies the reason for listening to employees and making them feel included in store operations. Ask for an opinion. Challenge them to provide viable solutions to a problem. Discuss corporate decisions that may affect them. Engaged employees will go the extra mile, and that’s a fact.

Please consider the above points I have made. Otherwise, you’re paying for someone to hide behind a rack.

If you would like to continue this discussion please email me at: donaldoconnorspeaks@gmail.com