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Helpful Retail Customer Service Tips

Contributed by Jay Macabulos. 

Customer service is important in so many different fields. It doesn’t matter if you work in home interior design or if you work in digital marketing. If you work in retail, you more than likely understand the incredible value of customer service day in and day out.

Retail businesses that wish to thrive need to have strong customer service programs in place. They need to practice excellent customer service on a daily basis as well. That’s sometimes easier said than done. If you’re a hard-working retail professional who wants to become a customer service wizard, there are many tips out there that can help you achieve your goal. Excellent customer service policies don’t have to seem impossible or out of reach for anyone in the retail realm. Strong customer service is simply something that calls for a good degree of dedication, perseverance and passion.

Communicate With Your Customers

Excellent customer service in the retail world is all about strong communication, plain and simple.

“If you want to treat your customers right, you have to be able to communicate with them in a direct, clear and straightforward manner. You have to be able to get your thoughts across to them skillfully and effectively.” Brentwood Home – Home Interior Retail

Conciseness is key to excellent communication. The same goes for meaningful eye contact. If you want to leave your customers with a good impression of your retail business, you have to be a communication powerhouse of sorts. You have to be able to answer customer questions and concerns in good detail, too. The better your communication skills are, the more effective you’ll be as a customer service representative.

Listen to Your Customers

Strong customer service practices don’t only require impressive speech abilities. They also require listening abilities that are just as impressive. If you want to be a good customer service representative and communicator in general, you have to understand that listening is a major component of communication. If a customer comes up to you and wants to talk for any reason, you have to make it clear that you’re 100 percent invested in what he or she has to say. You can’t let your mind wander off into space. If you act confused or like you’re not keeping track of what the customer is saying to you, you risk coming across like a flake. You risk coming across like someone who is incompetent and who has no idea what’s going on, too. That’s never a good thing for any retail business. Your goal should be to give your customer control of your interaction. It should also be, however, to make sure your customer is aware of the fact that you’re completely engaged in his or her words.

Remember That “The Customer is Always Right”

“The customer is always right” is a saying that most people know. You don’t have to work in retail to be aware of it, either. Although that saying may seem old and outdated to many, that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. If you want to soar as a customer service professional, you have to acknowledge the fact that everything revolves around your customers. Their happiness matters. Your aim should be to do whatever you can to give them exactly what they want and expect. Your own thoughts and opinions should take a backseat. You have to make looking after your customers and treating them well your top priority. If you fail to do this, you’ll never truly shine in the customer service realm.

Stay 100 Percent Professional at All Times

Retail workers should always strive to look polished, neat and professional. Customers have high expectations. They don’t want to purchase items in environments that look or feel dirty. They don’t want to buy items from people who fit those adjectives in any way, either. If you want to excel in the customer service department, you have to dress in a tidy and professional way every single day of the week. You should never let your customers see you drinking or eating anything at all, either. If you have drinks or meals around, make sure to keep them in the employee lounge. Impressions always mean so much in the retail universe.

Written and contributed by Jay Macabulos, a keen writer about the retail trade and interior shop design.


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