E-Receipts for Retailers

How does cutting the clutter in your retail life sound? What about gaining repeated customer attention? Though these are only two reasons e-receipts are a growing trend, they are among the favorites of retailers currently using e-receipts in their customer operations.

For some, the idea of e-receipts can be intimidating. It’s just one more thing to depend on technology for. Many small retailers and independent retailers already feel behind in the technology trends for retailers. Here’s the catch, though…. E-receipts don’t have to be difficult. In fact, they are meant to make your life easier.

Depending on your POS provider or your own personal operations set up, e-receipts offer the chance for you to to the following:

1. Quickly provide customers with proof of transaction without having to print anything – saving paper (and your overhead expenses) while also being green. An added bonus? No more paper receipt packed wallets for your customers!

2. Collecting an email address to mail an e-receipt allows you to gain their email for other marketing purposes. This reason alone is enough of a reason to want to get on board with the e-receipt band wagon. Make sure at the bottom of your receipt you offer an “out” button for people who may want to unsubscribe  to your email marketing. It’s likely most will not opt out, so you will gain a lot of eyes here.

3. Return procedures can be better managed with e-receipts since you will have a history of receipts sent, as well as customers can’t “lose” them as easily. As we all know, what’s on the internet stays around forever. There are perks to that, after all!

Now the reality is not all customers will be in favor of an e-receipt. And that’s okay. The option for a printed version or an emailed version should be your first goal. Where the future will take us only the future can tell in regards to retail receipts. But to get familiar with this new trend can’t hurt. In fact, it will likely help you in many ways.

 

 

Connecting With Your Customers

Connecting with your customers takes more than implementing a one time strategy put in place years ago. It constantly needs review, updating and lots of TLC. The retail marketplace is saturated with options for consumers, so finding ways to connect to your customer is essential in supporting your unique business.

Social media, networking groups, special events, business to business marketing and traditional sales all open the door to connecting with your customer. But once that door is open, what do you do to actually connect? The tips below can help you in engaging customers, captivating their attention and increasing your sales.

[tweetmeme]1. Improve on your current customer service methods. Think beyond the simple “Hello, how may we help you?” and instead become someone who listens, cares and responds to each individual customer and their specific needs. Are their hands filled with heavy shopping bags from other stores? Offer a place for them to  set their bags down so they can shop your store more comfortably. Is it a hot day outside? Provide small bottles of water to customers -  complimentary, of course. Did you just learn they are shopping for an unexpected loss, such as a funeral? Provide them a discount to help ease the burdens of their pain. 10, 15, or 20% isn’t a ton, but actions speak louder than words. It’s the gesture that counts here! Whatever your current customer service standards are, take them up a few notches. And make sure ALL your employees are trained to accommodate these new expectations.

2. Revamp your shopping environment. Consider if your store screams “easy to move in” or “too tight to walk around”. Are your fixtures intimidating or do customers comfortably reach and touch items in your store? Your goal should be to offer a place consumers want to experience, feel comfortable being in and ultimately feel connected to. Combined with other customer service strategies, sales are near certain to increase.

3. Say “thanks” the good, old fashioned way. Every one loves a handwritten thank you, so offer one. If your store collects contact details from customers, this is a great way to follow up after a sale is made and connect again with your customer. A simple thank you note, even in the form of postcard, offers a nice touch of personal connection between you and your customer. While an incentive to come back again is always nice – such as 20% off your next purchase coupon – the act of saying thanks alone is what really counts here. Be sincere, though. After all, you are thankful, aren’t you?

At the end of the day, your actions speak just as loud as the products in your store. Together, they greatly enhance customer experiences and customer retention. It’s time to connect them both so that together they can connect with customers.

Retail Resolutions

Okay, so the reality is that resolutions often get broken. But they are also a great jumpstart to necessary changes and reaching goals. When it comes to retail, your resolution list can be short and sweet or long and tiring. The question is – which resolutions are right for you? Below are some simple resolutions that anyone can add to their wish list for 2011.

1. Training Your Team. It’s easy to hire someone, train them and then let them have at it. But it takes effort to help them evolve as employees, encourage them to grow and motivate them to be better at their respective roles and support them at reaching higher goals. Make it your goal to achieve this in 2011 in an effort to better support your overall business.

2. Promoting Your Store. Don’t let your store blend in with others. It should be your goal to stand out. Even if you aren’t new, haven’t recently renovated or don’t have a new product to promote (though this is an easy way to gain new press), make sure you are reaching out to the media. It should be part of your business plan to acquire press consistently. Local editorial outlets, news stations and radio are consistently looking for new stories. Your story could be their next pick… they just need to know about it.

3. Introducing New Product.Customers get bored with the same thing. While it’s true that some things have been tested, approved and are consistent sell thrus, other products need a kick out the door in an effort to make room for new things.  What new things can enhance your overall assortment? Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit based on customer trends, demographics or customer requests.

4. Focusing On Your Customers. Take the time to really listen to what your customers like, don’t like and need. Talk to them. Listen to them. Have your employees do the same. While you are at it, put customer service on the top of your resolution list and kick yours up a notch. Really make sure your customer service stands out from the competition. This won’t get ignored – trust me here.

5. Lean On Others. It’s so easy to stress over the right product, the right merchandising or the right seasonal buy. But leaning on others to help you with the endless list of retail decisions is sometimes a must. It’s okay to hire support when needed or simply ask questions from your trusted team. You don’t have to do it all.

Finally, be realistic about your goals. Resolutions get broken when they seem too far fetched – but they get met when they are put in place with realistic expectations. Push yourself to make some impactful impressions in 2011, but don’t kill yourself along the way.

Smiling Through Returns and Exchanges

The season is (almost) over. The rush of crowds buying, buying, buying has now turned into returns, buying and exchanges. Despite the unpleasantness in your cash register after a day of returns or uneven exchanges, your customers still expect to see a smiling face! So even when it can be tough, you have to find ways to deal with it.

[tweetmeme]While returns hurt – literally – and exchanges don’t always add up and often cause chaos in store inventory, displays and customer communication, this time of year is a great time for your store to shine. Hopefully you started the season with a clear, easy to understand return and exchange policy in check. This will ease any confusion customers may have on what can and cannot be exchanged. If you didn’t, this is a great chance to make some changes in the year ahead. Whether you have a great policy in place or not, the fact remains that you need to smile as you deal with the business of the holiday aftermath.

Make sure any employee working the cash register is clear on how to handle returns. This includes processing the return payment via credit card, check and cash. Based on your policies, your refund procedure should be understood and issued accordingly, with no exceptions. Employees need to be reminded to smile and thank all customers, even when they are leaving the store empty handed but with a thicker wallet.To help encourage exchanges, however, employees should be instructed to offer customers the opportunity to browse the store and look for something in exchange for what they are returning. If a quick “no” is given by the customer, employees should continue with the return transaction without hesitation and yes – continue to smile.

While customers may leave the store without a shopping bag, they don’t need to leave empty handed. Provide them with an incentive coupon for an upcoming sale or special event that will help lure them back to your store. And even without a shopping bag, they can still leave having had a great customer service experience. That’s something worth remembering and something that will likely bring them back to you store!

Trade Show Expectations From Your Employees

Five days in Vegas. Bliss, right? Spas, pools, shopping and let’s not forget… casinos. Oh yeah, there are trade shows, too. For some employees, when they hear “trade show” they immediately think “fun”…  but for all the wrong reasons. Because many of the best shows are often hosted in fabulous cities that scream fun, keeping employees focused on the real reason you are in town can be a challenge. And since we know trade shows are not cheap, it’s worth taking the time to whip (and keep) your employees in shape during your trade show trip.

A few helpful tips can aide you in this sometimes challenging task.

[tweetmeme]1. Set expectations.And make sure your expectations are met with routine check-ups on them. If your goal is to have everyone on site and in the booth prior to the trade show doors opening for buyers, then tell your team exactly what time you expect them there vs. “in the morning”. Be as specific as possible with all your expectations so that there are no mis-understanding.

2. Review professionalism standards. Some companies are okay with lunch at the booth and messy leftovers sitting out while customers are inquiring about products… others are not. What are your standards? Be very clear with your team about eating in the booth, taking breaks, dress code policies and more. Review these details prior to your trip, as well, so your employees can plan in advance. Sometimes having a snack in their purse can make all the difference between a hungry and grouchy associate vs. one is not starving and happily engaging with customers.

3. Play Pretend.Aka, role play. Often people just wing it when it comes to handling customer communication and booth traffic. Review scenarios with your team in advance to help avoid uncomfortable results later. Know who is responsible for specific customers, how to act with these customers and what to do in situations that may include a busy booth, customers waiting, a slow booth, a rude customer and more. Working together to plan for this also offers some fun employee relationship building.

At the end of the day… and more importantly, at the end of the show… you want to reflect back on successful time management, effective show prepartion and execution and promising sales made. Having expectations and clear priorities in place with your employees can help you achieve this.

Sharing Product Details With Customers

So often stores are saturated with products that customers never even know exist. Wall shelves are stacked deep and display bars are heavy with inventory that even employees aren’t educated about. As managers and store owners, it is essential to communicate product details with your sales team so that they don’t become lost in your store displays. Instead, your sales associates should actively communicate these details with customers in an effort to help customer’s make informative shopping decisions. Without sharing the details of your product information, it’s likely are losing sales.

[tweetmeme]To kick start this game plan with your sales team, a Product Orientation should be planned. This Orientation can be as formal or informal as you see necessary for your store, but the main goal either way should be to get your team educated on all your products. Whether you are selling footwear, soap, telephones or toys, there are always details to learn about that will help enhance your products in sell-thru. A few key things to consider include:

1. Have a reference spot dedicated to product knowledge for your associates to refer to. This could be a bulletin board in your stockroom or a binder filled with product information – or both. Identify key highlights on products that should be among the top details for them to share with customers. For example, if a new product has recently replaced an old product, identifying what makes the new one better would be critical in communicating to customers.

2. Create a list of “How To Share” details for your associates to reference. This list should give easy conversation openings into how they can share product details with customers. Aside from direct questions being asked by the customers, associates should initiate these conversations to help encourage sales. An example is, “We recently received this (name product here) and have found it’s (name specific feature here) to be very effective in (name purpose here).”

3. Give your associates challenges to meet in regards to educating themselves and educating customers. If you don’t set the bar high for them to reach, they won’t know how far they should go in terms of learning and sharing. Some associates will naturally want to learn new product details and in return, they will likely share these details with customers. But many associates need an extra push – and that push needs to come from you.

The goal of educating your team is not just to make your job harder and their days busier, but to gain additional sales as a result. Informative associates equal informed customers. Clients will become more educated on your overall product assortment and in return, more sales will be made. There is nothing more satisfying than a customer returning to a store after being given a great product sales pitch and saying, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that product you showed me.” Your reward? Sales. More money. Happy customers. Satisfied employees. The list can go on and on! So what are you waiting for? Start educating and start selling!

Great Characteristics For Retail Employees

The ability to talk to anyone? Check. Friendly and approachable? Check. Calm during stressful situations? Check.  The list of great customer characteristics continues when looking for retail employees for your store, but among the checks you want to cross off on your employee check list should include the following:

1. Customer Service Skills

In retail, no matter what sector of retail, it is essential that employees excel in customer service. Among the important customer service qualities that retail employees should have  include the ability to calmly interact with customers under all kinds of situations, including stress. Whether you are dealing with a frustrated customer or a disruptive customer, employees who can effectively react to various situations in the retail enviornment are very valuable for stores to have. In addition to dealing with more stressful situations, it’s also great to have associates who excel with client relationships. Their customer service skills can enhance your business in many ways, including financially and socially.

2. Time Management Skills

Anyone who works in retail knows there is a lot to be done. The list is endless regarding what there is to do. When looking for employees, it is beneficial to find people who thrive being busy and can balance many different responsibilities. In addition, being interrupted is common in retail. You can start a project thinking there will be no foot traffic in the store for awhile and then all the sudden you can get slammed. Understanding this comes with the territory is important for employees to respect.

3. Flexible Working Hours

Store hours should accomodate all consumers, not just  those available during the day from 9 to 5. Because of this, having retail associates who are able to work after 5pm and during the weekends is essential. It’s also a good idea to bring up holiday working hours during your employee interviews so you can anticipate what your staff’s availability will be during holiday seasons.

4. Ability To Take Some Heat

Believe it or not, it takes tough skin to work in retail. Hearing “no thanks” or sometimes even just a big, loud “no” from customers can often hurt one’s feelings. There will be times when associates will have to deal with upset customers and respect store policies despite wanting to. It may mean headaches and tears for some, while others let these situations bounce off of them and move forward. Make sure to discuss these types of situations with your associates so you can help plan ahead  for these potentially upsetting situations later.

5.  Willingness To Take Ownership

Great retail associates should be able to “own” the situation they are in. Good or bad, they should be able to proudly represent your business and deliver outstanding service. If questioned later about something, they should have confidence in their actions and likewise, it’s important you have confidence in them. That said, this takes time to earn. But looking for associates who  you believe will “own” their responsibilities is important for your business to thrive since you can’t always be the face of your business.

What other characteristics do you believe retail employees should have? Let us know. Please comment below.

Creating Value Above The Price

Customers today have a lot to choose from. The market is vast in retailers, product assortment and decisions to be made. One way to help enhance what you are offering is by adding value to your service or product that goes above and beyond the price attached to it.

There are many ways to do this, but the most effective is to directly tell your consumers that they are getting more than what they are paying for. An example of this may be if you offer a service, such as a hair cut, and give a “complimentary” addition to that service, such as  a free blow dry or leave in conditioner treatment. When selling a product, you can offer “complimentary” gift wrapping on all items, or possibly a free gift with purchase of specific items. The key is to make sure your audience is aware that these extra incentives are not extra in cost, but simply part of their purchase. To help promote this and make it even more effective, you should attach a cost to this extra something so that your customers truly feel like they are getting something for free. By saying that something is “valued at $20″ and yet they are getting it for complimentary with their purchase, they feel as if they really got a deal. While it may be about the price to you, it’s about the overall value to your customer. A client’s perspective needs to be that she got something for $50 when really it could have been $75. Remember that the overall value perceived is the overall value obtained by your client. No price tag can tell you otherwise.

When promoting value, be sure to make your complimentary incentives, gifts with purchase and more easily recognized by your customers. You can do this both verbally and in print. Make sure your sales team communicates these values to your customers, but also promote them in advertising and signage. Finally, keep your value priced items or services in place as long as you can. The marketplace is tough, so adding value to any purchase goes a long way these days!

Thanking Your Customers For Shopping Local

Tis’ the season for giving… and giving thanks certainly qualifies as something to give. Now, more than ever, local retailers and independent store owners need to not just want business, but they need to remember to thank those that are giving them business. The economy is still tough, the competition in retail is definitely still tough and yet not enough retailers are letting their customers know just how much they care. So this holiday season, reach out to your consumers after they have reached out to you. Say thank you for their support, their purchases and their efforts in keeping your local business community alive. A few ways to do this include:

1. Have a customer appreciation party in the new year. Not only will this bring customers back to your store, but it will also remind them after the holidays that you haven’t forgotten about them just because the season of shopping is over. Truly be grateful for their business and let them know this. Make the evening about them!

2. Send out thank you cards.After any purchase, if you have the customer’s contact information, send a hand written thank you. This simple, old fashioned gesture is neglected way too often these days and yet still greatly appreciated. Make sure to tell your customers exactly what you are thanking them for.

3. Give an incentive off their next purchase with the purchase of something now. This not only shows them you value their business, but it will also encourage them to come back to your store again.

Remember to explain why you are thanking them. Explain to them quickly yet concisely the value in their shopping local and supporting your business. These gentle reminders don’t have to be grand, but they can still go a long way.

Altering Your Return Policy For The Holiday Season

Many small retailers have very controlled, very time sensitive return policies. While this is absolutely the best way to support their business from a day to day basis, the holidays bring some exceptions that are worth considering.

The first thing to consider is the timeline of your return policy. If you have a two week return policy from the date of purchase, this may not allow a gift giver to get the gift for the holiday season under the terms that the gift receiver can return or exchange it after the holidays.  The most effective way for small retailers to handle this is to decide from what start date to what end date they will accept returns or exchanges during this time of year. Many business owners consider Thanksgiving as a good start date with shortly after New Year’s as a fair end date. Extending this timeline to just before Thanksgiving, such as mid November, to mid January can be even more effective and supportive of your consumers. Whatever timeline you decide is best for your business, make sure to promote this so that your customers are aware of this special holiday return policy for gifts only. Include these details in your store front window, through an email blast and near your check out area leading up to and during the holidays.

The second thing to consider are the terms of your return policy. Will you accept returns or only exchanges? Are there any products that are not acceptable for returns, such as undergarments or jewelry? Whatever specifics you want to be clear to your customers, let them know. This includes items that may not be gifts but purchases for themselves. Leave no room for exceptions here in an effort to avoid an upset customer later. Include these details on their printed receipt, as well as make a sign that is visible during their check out at the store. In addition, it’s always a good idea to have store associates tell customers about your return policy before or during the check out procedure.

The third thing to consider is making sure your customers are supportive of your extended holiday return policy. By being supportive, they simply need to be aware so that they can’t claim later they weren’t aware of the return or exchange details. One way to do this is to have any customer who purchases a gift initial the gift receipt so that upon return, you are aware that the gift giver was informed of the policy. This helps avoid extended returns on products they may have purchased for themselves, as well, since you will not have to ask them to initial the receipt. Do make sure that if you offer returns or exchanges, you only do so with the receipt of the product. Make ALL points that you want included in your policy visible to your consumers not only on the receipt, but in a clear posting at your cash wrap station, as well.

Finally, be realistic with the complications this may bring. While you should do everything in your effort to prepare  yourself, your store employees and your customers for this extended policy with new terms included, you need to also be ready for some hiccups along the way. Tis’ the season for customers who want to push the limits! But supporting your store with an extended holiday return policy is likely to open up more opportunity for sales than not extending your policy at all.

Have other ideas on what works for your store? Let us know!

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