How to Give Good Customer Service in a Retail Store

By: Ellen Goodwright

We all know customers want to be treated right when they visit a retail store. Unfortunately this is not always the case.

In this article I am going to look at some the reasons retailers fail and how they can improve and delight customers.

Let’s look at some of the issues:

Bad Customer Attitude

Well, you’ve guessed it, there’s not much a retail company can do about this problem. One can only do one's best in being polite attentive and kind to the customer in the hope that their attitude will change.

After all, customers are human!

Bad Shop Assistant Attitude

There are couple of things that the store owner can do here. Firstly, employees must know and understand the importance of customer service and a positive attitude when dealing with clients. Secondly, training can be given in the art of communication, body language and even anger management.

Motivation is important and store managers are responsible for keeping team members happy. Remember, happy employees = happy customers.

Not Enough Employees

It is not always possible for retail companies to employee as many people as they would like to. What they can do is a train person to multitask by swapping jobs once in awhile so that they are able to cover for each other in times of absence. A “can-do” attitude is required and job flexibility must be made an important requirement at the recruitment stage.

Invisible Customers

We all know how unpleasant this can be. Nobody, least of all a customer likes to be ignored. When someone is willing to part with their hard earned cash in the shop they expect and deserve to be treated with respect. After all, the customer pays our salary. Acknowledging and welcoming everyone who enters the shop is a top priority and should be highlighted in the shop assistants job description.

Lack of Knowledge

This is actually one of the easiest problems to address. Training is the answer and this can be carried out prior to the team members employment or on-the-job. Most people are keen to learn and retail employees are no different. An enthusiastic, knowledgeable worker dealing with customers can help you sales soar.

By thinking of ways to give better service in your store before problems occur, you will be better placed to serve your customers and ensure your retail business thrives.