The basics

When a customer enters a store there is one thing that is of the upmost importance, they need to be greeted by someone! It doesn’t need to be anything special, just a genuine hello to show you noticed I’m in the store. It makes me feel welcome and sets up the experience in a positive way and also drastically reduces the amount of theft.

Now that there is a customer what’s next? Offer your assistance, but if they refuse give them their space and let them know you are there if they need you. This is not your cue to go to the back and hide or sit on our phone. This is the time to continue with any front of house duties you have and to be present. It is important to keep your demeanour friendly and upbeat with other customers coming in. Joke around with coworkers and enjoy yourself but also stay away from personal conversations.

When you keep a light upbeat atmosphere, you make people feel at ease, this makes them more apt to ask questions and open to suggestions. Since you are out on the floor this is a good time to read subtle cues. Is a customer looking at the pastry case or is a customer carrying around clothes and looking around? This is your time to re approach and ask if you can suggest something or if they are looking for an item or a change room. Reading body language is one of the best ways to help your customers without constantly being in their face and asking them questions which can seem pushy and overbearing.
Once a customer has finished their shopping, it is time to shift gears and go from a relaxed to a quick pace. This is the time to ring things through and process the transaction as quickly as possible. Why? Because you never know if the customer is just being polite or if they want to chat. Completing the transaction allows you both to end the interaction and no one feels like they are being held hostage once the transaction is complete. Most of customer service dissatisfaction happens during two key times: the greeting and the cash handling process. Keep focused on these moments and you should guarantee a pleasant shopping experience for your customer and for your team! Nothing is worse for staff than an unhappy customer and always remember negativity breeds negativity.
Let’s talk about when it’s busy and everyone seems to forget everything they have learned about customer service. Keeping your head up and noticing what’s happening around you is probably the best thing you can do during a busy rush. Doing this will allow you to anticipate what’s coming up. Do you have a regular that you should give a quick wave to? If you are in a food service establishment could you be preparing your regulars order to cut down on time and do some quick multitasking? This not only saves you time it also makes that regular feel special!

What else can you do if it’s really busy? Breathe. Take a moment. Reorganize. Slow down. If things seem to be falling apart and you can’t seem to catch up. Take this moment to stop, take a breath. Look around. Do you need to restock? Can you ask one of your colleagues to help you restock any low items. Take a moment to clean your area and take a sip of water. Breathe. AGAIN! Take a sip of water, SMILE, then attack your next task. One customer at a time. Taking this simple 60 seconds is nothing in the long run but it will clear your head and give you a fresh start. This means so much in how effective you are and will reset your mood when taking care of customers.
These are the basics to good customer service. If you struggle with any of these things’ customer service may not be for you. Customer service is all about a certain personality, a personality that is naturally empathetic and excited by being around people and helping them. It is about being genuine and feeling a sense of reward by providing a fantastic customer service experience.

Top 5 Recap For Customer Service Basics!
1. Say Hello! TO EVERYONE
2. Keep Conversations light and don’t overshare
3. Read subtle cues
4. Be genuine
5. Make the cash transaction go quickly
*Bonus! BREATHE and ENJOY yourself!