7 Customer Service Techniques To Improve Your Retail Sales

What is the most important thing that retailers can do to attract and retain more customers?

The answer is obvious: giving them the best customer service. Customers are the lifeblood of the retail industry. A thriving retail business will always have a great relationship with its customers.

Customer service isn’t a new concept, as retail has always been about people. But some businesses do not realize it until their sales are affected because of unsatisfied customers. According to a survey by Accenture, the estimated cost of customers switching retailers due to poor customer service is $1.6 trillion.

Hence, retail sales depend a lot on shoppers. One in three customers will pay more to receive a higher level of service, according to Genesys.

So, let’s explore some customer service techniques that will help you improve sales in your retail business:

1. Having Strong In-Store Visuals

Having an eye-appealing store is the foremost step to attract more and more customers. Strong visuals are vital to motivating customers towards making a purchase. The visual appearance of the store includes overall in-store design, items display, store layout sections.

It is important to ensure that products displayed in different sections of the store are on-point and present on aisles in which they belong. These changes can improve the shopping experience as a customer can straight away get to the desired location and find the perfect thing.

A retail store should have a multi-dimensional display where items are organized according to color, size, etc. The lighting in the store also plays a considerable role in the customer experience as it creates a sense of positivity and highlights the merchandising in a way that drives people to them.

2. Eliminating the Long Queues

The unoccupied or unexplained wait feels much longer than the occupied time. According to a survey by Omnico Group, “Americans will abandon a checkout line and leave a store without purchasing after eight minutes of waiting in a checkout line.”

Time is the most crucial thing in today’s world. The retailers should make sure that the customers are not standing in long queues waiting for their chance to make the purchase. Long queues are generally experienced during peak season time. Hence, the store should have enough employees to handle the rush.

One of the best solutions for this problem is using a modern Point-of-Sale system like QuickBooks POS that can quickly boost up the retail journey during peak time. Mobile POS solutions can help you ring up sales from anywhere in the store, which simplifies the checkout process.

3. Having A Digital Presence

According to the National Retail Federation Reports, two-thirds of in-store visits are encouraged by something the shopper saw online. Having a presence on multiple digital platforms enables the business to reach more people. So, it is crucial to show up in the searches relevant to the business so that the visitor has some information about it before visiting the store.

People are always on the Internet and social media, whether they are trying to find something or enjoying leisure time. Hence, it is a chance to convert them into customers if they find something interesting about your business online.

“Click-and-collect” is an excellent opportunity to drive in-store traffic. For this, an eCommerce website is required, where people can choose from the list of items and choose the option of “pick up in-store” and “order online.”

When people visit the stores, they are exposed to a lot of things that may not be present online. So, it’s a possibility that they buy more things than they wanted, and you make more sales.

4. Develop A Customer Retention Strategy

Businesses that follow the customer-centric strategy are more likely to be successful in retaining existing customers and attaining more.

Attracting new customers is great, but existing customers also contribute to the business in ways like word-of-mouth and good reviews on digital platforms. It always pays back when shoppers are loyal.

Recommended Reading: Key Points from Deloitte’s Retail Industry Outlook 2019

Personal connection and continuous communication with customers make them feel valued. From wishing them on special occasions to rewarding them with gift cards and exclusive discounts, store associates can connect with them while they are shopping from the store.

5. Hiring the Right Associates

As per the RightNow Technologies study, 73% of the customers attribute their love of a brand to a friendly customer service representative. For any brand or retail business, sales representatives are the face for them who interact directly with the customers.

Retailers should hire only those associates who are passionate about sales and have an in-depth knowledge of products. A good sales rep will always come with a perfect greeting, which is very important for the first impression of the business.

Assisting the customers is always a great way to build a strong connection with them as it adds another layer of trust in them. Also, it is always good to educate customers about products and business but politely to satisfy them. Every customer remembers the first encounter if it was good enough to give a chance for another one.

6. Use Product Returns

According to the invesp, 92% of the consumers will buy something again if returns are easy. Product returns may not feel good, but if seen in the right way, it can be used as an opportunity to make a sale again.

Giving customers a chance to return the product can create a sense of loyalty and trust in customers for the brand. Sometimes, the purchased products come out to be different from what customers expect. A good brand will always understand the customer’s problem and would not leave them in between for the sake of selling the item.

Some people try to take advantage of these services, but the loyal customers will continue to feel upright as they are valued each time they walk in the door.

7. Ask for Feedback and Make Necessary Changes

According to a Microsoft study, 90% of respondents believe organizations ought to allow them to provide customer feedback. Customers can have good, bad, or any type of experience, but brands should make sure to learn them for good.

Feedback can have a great impact on the way business is carrying its operations if taken seriously. Whether it’s an email survey, call feedback, or on social media platforms, it can make things clear and helps in gaining the knowledge about required changes in the business.

It is really important that a customer is satisfied when he makes a purchase. It not only helps in improving customer service but also allows retailers to track progress and set new benchmarks for the company.

To Wrap It Up

These customer service techniques are essential to be put into action to improve the relationship with shoppers. Great brands focus on customers’ pain points and open to every suggestion by them. This makes their entire shopping experience easy, which results in your promotion.

Please share your views on this or any other customer service techniques you know in the comment section.