Recently I read an article
about the 5 fastest ways to turn offyour customer
and they were all related to the experience (or lack there of) provided by the
employees. This is an interesting
concept since having physical sales people is one way to differentiate a brick and mortar retailer from its online counterparts
(see Tuesday's post). Just for fun, how many of the 5 ways apply to
your store?
- Employee
Chatter
We’ve all been privy to the
date that so and so had last weekend or current drama in someone’s life but
when serving a customer, this is clearly not what they want. They have their own drama and are coming to
you to forget about it. Let them and
make sure your staff is on board.
- Phone
etiquette
Although answering the phone
is not a huge priority for a small retailer.
Make sure a few things happen. 1.
Train your staff about answering the phone.
Tell them everything from exactly what to say: Thank you for calling (insert store name
here). This is (insert name here) how
may I help you? 2. Make sure the message
on the machine addresses a. why you can’t answer the phone and b. basic details
they might be calling about such as hours, location, and basic directions.
- Mobile
ADD
100% of the time – no phones
allowed on the sales floor – period! No
exceptions!
- Inconsistencies
There is nothing worse then
inconsistent service. Make sure that
your employees know the right ways to handle both everyday situations as well
as the sticky ones. Roll play during
weekly staff meetings is a great way to address any issues that have come up as
well as a practical way to inform the staff about how they should handle
certain things.
- Greeter
Somebody must say hello when
a customer walks in the door. If Walmart
can do it, anybody can.
How did your store
fare? Do you know for sure? Try calling the store and see what happens –
just for fun!
Its one thing to know what
rules to make but the more difficult side is how to train your employee to go
from just that to a brand ambassador.
Achieve Results. Empowerment, training, and
goals go a far way. If an employee owns
a project or at the very least feels as though their work and ideas lead to the
ultimate success of a project, they are more likely to jump in and foster the
results that you as a business owner wants.
While there is a lot written about goal setting and how to actually
achieve results, I like the SMARTE goal setting method:
S= Specific. Goals
need to be clearly stated 1-2 sentences
M=
Measureable. A goal is measureable if a
specific outcome is to be achieved. The
more quantified a goal, the more measurable the outcome will be.
A=
Acceptable. Goals must meet the criteria
of what your store or brand values. If
the goal is not inline with these things, it’s not worth having.
R= Realistic. A
goal must be attainable even if it’s a stretch.
E=
Extending. It should be realistic but
difficult to achieve. A goal should be
stretching a person’s capabilities.
*=Within an appropriate timeframe. There always needs to be a deadline.
Maximize Performance. Make sure the
reward is worthy of the effort you desire your employees to put forth.
Recognition. Make sure that the effort an employee is
displaying is being rewarded and noted along the way. This goes a long way and is extremely
powerful.
Enliven Energy. If a customer wishes to spend
time in your store, that is a good thing.
If your employee wants to spend time there, it is a great thing.
Leverage Strengths. Sometimes what you the boss
wants someone to be good at and what they are actually good at don’t mix.
Make meaning. People are employees and as
people we all want to be part of something special. Be open and honest with your team about sales
goals and certain accomplishments that you are striving for and include them on
the brainstorm. If they feel part of a
whole, they will put forth their best effort.
Enhance well-being. Make sure that all aspects of a
toxic work place are dealt with.
Sometimes this may be an employee, a customer, or a vendor but whatever
it is, don’t be afraid to take action and let your employee’s know that you
have their back.
It’s important to take some
time and have some goals. That’s the
only way to improve on last year’s sales and to figure out exactly how that
will happen.
Good luck!