WAIT – WAIT – WAIT … ALL BUSINESSES!!!

Here are 5 steps to help every retailer ‘up’ their game on customer service and help their harried, hassled customers as well as their worn-down, tired help during tough and all the times. Actually, ALL BUSINESSES.

1. Start some sort of training NOW. Next week could be too late. If you have some customer service training in place, step it up. If you don’t. Start something to help your staff go above and beyond. It’s just too easy in today’s marketplace to go somewhere else rather than stick around with surly help. Even the old, “Thank you for shopping with us” or “We appreciate / value your business” and “Have a wonderful day goes a long way.” And costs nothing.

2. Meet with your staff at the end of the day. What went wrong? What went right? Capture and emphasize the ‘right way.’

3. Have your staff put on a mental suit of armor. Let the verbal projectiles bounce off them. Most of the customers will not be upset with ‘them.’ However, they can usually be the target, sadly. Talk about that. Let the staff know you know there are not so fun customers out there. The bulk of them are simply trying to buy something. Job knowledge is key.

4. Your employees need to have the CARE GENE. That’s critical. “Customers don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Sitting and reading a book, doing your nails, or talking with a coworker when a customer walks into the store is not good news. Jump up – walk over, with social distance in mind.

5. The most important of all: SMILE – say hello. Have a MASK ON? Your tone and eyes need to smile. Do not let your staff enter the floor or store without a smile. Telephone Doctor motto: “A phony smile is better than a real frown.” It’s not all about COVID 19… it’s about the ‘customer’ as well. And no matter what, a smile will help win folks over.

Nancy Friedman

Nancy Friedman, customer service keynote speaker, is founder and chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and a featured speaker at franchise, association, and corporate meetings around the world. A popular TV guest, she appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, as well as hundreds of other radio, television and print outlets around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. The author of 9 books on her chosen topics, Nancy helps corporate America improve their communications with their customers & co-workers. www.nancyfriedman.com