Tag: retail

1. Speak customer, not industry jargon. Make things easy: don’t make your customer have to understand your business. Industry jargon and double talk don’t get or keep customers. While some disclaimers may be legal requirements, ensure your staff does not go too far. There’s a nice, achievable balance between industry jargon and talking down to a customer.
    

Good service can break down more easily during the busy holiday season, making it even more important to know how to say “I'm sorry” to customers. Inc. Magazine’s article, “How do you say I’m sorry?” highlights the importance of handling customer issues smoothly in the worst possible scenario.  Diners at the upscale restaurant, Jean Georges in New York, encountered a roach on their table. The restaurant manager quickly relocated them to another table and their meal was on the house.   What does your company do when faced with tough customer situations?  Do you train staff on how to appease customers when they are dissatisfied?

The holiday season brings out more examples of how competitive the retail landscape is in a sluggish economy.   For example, stores start well before the traditional start of the holiday season to advertise offers.  They hope that by starting earlier, they will entice customers to purchase from them, as opposed to the competition.  Another reason stores increase early efforts is the fear that customers will be more reluctant to spend as weeks go by.

Customers express their dissatisfaction with companies in many ways: in person, via customer satisfaction surveys, or through email.  But how do companies address customers who voice their negative opinions online without communicating complaints directly to the business?   If you’re AT&T, you seek out unhappy customers who vent elsewhere.  New software allows AT&T to monitor what customers say via Twitter.  With the software, AT&T managers gain additional data on customer complaints and put solutions into action faster.

Developing creative ways to capture more sales and increase customer satisfaction is essential for retail companies during tough economic times, and especially during the holidays.   Borders Books recently announced an initiative to win more customers with its “Customer Commitment.”  In an effort to capture the sale, even if the store does not have the item in stock, Borders makes an offer to customers to find the item online and ship to them with free shipping.    A low-price promise is also part of the Customer Commitment, because Borders promises to match a competitor’s advertised, in-store price.