14 Ways to Go from Ordinary to Extraordinary

November 30, 2015

 Your store isn’t just about what you sell – it’s about how you make your customers feel. People want to spend time in places they enjoy, and customers of specialty retailers have higher expectations around what that experience should be. The way you deliver that experience is through exceptional customer service.

Here are 14 tips you can take advantage of to make every interaction with your store an extraordinary one.

1. Be the welcome wagon. Make it genuine and sincere. Don’t ask them how they are, they know you don’t really care. And don’t wait until they’re walking out the door to greet them by wishing them a great day.
2. Treat your coworkers and customers with respect. Great customer service comes from great teamwork from people who respect each other. This means how you talk about everyone and Don’t gossip about co-workers, your boss, others in your company, your weekend adventures, your significant other, the list goes on forever. It’s never professional, and customers don’t want to hear it.
3. Nix “no” responses. Never respond to a customer by saying no. If you don’t know, don’t leave it at “I don’t know”, follow it up with “but I’ll find out.” Are they looking for something you don’t carry? Feel free to suggest where else they might be able to find it.
4. Make them feel important. Think about how you say what you say. Avoid saying “no problem,” “it’s not a big deal” and other phases along those lines. Your customers are important and they are a big deal. “You’re welcome” is always the best answer.
5. Be a gracious host. Between taking care of customers who are ready to pay, step out from behind the counter and make yourself available. If a customer looks like they are unsure, help them out by suggesting choices such as, “Do you prefer a scarf or a book?” “Would you like a stuffed animal or a toy?”
6. Give elbow room. Never ask someone if they need more time. Shopping is an enjoyable activity, until you put pressure on people.
7. Take a load off. If someone has several items in their hand, offer to take it to the register area until they’ve finished shopping. Make it easy for them to browse more merchandise.
8. Be a smartie pants. Know everything you can about the merchandise in your store. What you sell extends the experience and the educational opportunities of your institution. Know that connection up-side-down and backwards and be willing to share it – without over sharing – with your customers.
9. Keep it clean. That means everything in your store. Open your eyes to the tiniest details. Are things disorderly and untidy on shelves? Take time to keep the store show-room quality.
10. Be all ears. If a customer is unhappy, listen to what they have to say. Take them seriously and address it. Sometime what matters most to people is just being heard.
11. Call it quits. If someone is talking overly loud on their cell phone or using inappropriate language, politely suggest they go outside. No one wants to overhear that.
12. Everyone’s a customer.It’s not only people in the store, it’s people visiting anywhere in the institution, it’s other employees and it’s your greater community. Wherever you go, speak and act in a way that leaves a positive expression of your store.
13. Keep it coming. Great customer service happens even after the sale. Make sure that everyone has a great experience even as they are walking out the door.
14. Smile! Your best customer service is being friendly.

Carla Johnson is recognized as one of the top 20 influencers in content marketing and one of the top 25 in B2B marketing, Carla’s latest book, Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing, teaches marketers how to develop, manage and lead the creation of valuable experiences in their organizations.  Learn more about Carla at typeacommunications.com