ACES ETM - Limited Brands Associate Resources Guide

7 Types of Customers in Retail and the Simple Tactics to Deal with Them

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Retailers deal with different types of customers on a daily basis. From the in and out shoppers, chatty shoppers, to the wanderers, among others, your employees will have to be on their guard on what kind of characters are walking into the store.

By recognizing the type of shopper they are dealing with, they will be in a better position to respond quickly and appropriately to ensure they appease the customers. To help you do this we have compiled a list of the 7 types of customers in your midst and how to deal with them.

1. The in- and out Customer

There are customers who already know what they want in a store and all they do is walk in, pick the items, and leave. Since they have already made up their mind on what to purchase the best way to deal with these characters is get out of their way.  If they have any questions, answer them straight away without trying to change their mind to buy any other products.

As they are already in a hurry, you can make the shopping process simple by assisting them to a less busy counter where checkout will be quick. If all the checkout counters have a long line, use your POS system to check them out. Note that, another way to cater to the customer on a mission is to offer online purchases but in-store pickups.

2. Well-Informed Shopper/Research Shopper

Another common type of customer you will come across is the well-informed shoppers who have researched the products they are interested in before even walking into the store. Meaning they have read product descriptions, check reviews, and compared prices beforehand. Therefore, the best way to connect with these customers is to get in front of them while in the research period.

Start by making sure they get detailed information about your store, products, and services through different channels. This might be your social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as well as other sites like Tripadvisor or Yelp. Don’t forget your website needs to be updated regularly too. Also, if you get any positive reviews, do thank the customers and if it is any negative reviews, apologize to the customer who wrote it down then address the matter immediately.

Beck to the in-store situation, when you come face to face with this type of customer, first acknowledge their expertise and then listen to what they have to say. Afterward, ask them if you can help them by answering any question they might have and assist them from there.

3. The Chatty Shopper

Unlike the in and out customers, they are people who love chatting up employees while shopping. This type of shoppers is great to be around for a while but might start irritating you especially if the store is busy. However, you should learn to be an active listener and never show these characters they are boring to avoid losing them as customers. Even when you find you don’t have time to listen to their stories or need to attend to other customers, find a polite way to excuse yourself as you leave them to their shopping.

4. The Wanderer

There is no store that doesn’t have this type of customer. Mostly found wondering around the store without any intention of buying anything, you should try to make them feel at home by acknowledging their presence with a simple greeting. Afterward, you can ask politely if there is anything in particular they are looking for and if they say they are just browsing, just back off.

Don’t push them towards making any purchase but just let them know you are available if they have any questions. Keep in mind, if they do ask any questions respond with accurate answers. However, there can be some changes in your store you can implement to make the wanderers be active customers.

First of all, you might change the physical layout of the store by placing the best and most profitable products on the entrance. Secondly, you can put the easy to grab items at arm’s reach to encourage them to purchase when browsing. Promotional products are also another great idea for impulse buyers where some of them might be.

5. Regular Customer

There is nothing more retailers love than regular customers. Known to make your store successful, this type of customer should be made to feel special every time they come to the store. The simple gesture should be mentioning their name while greeting them, smiling more pleasantly when around them, and even making a point of informing them first of any new product you may have.

Aside from that, you can offer them a generous loyalty program or invite them to store events strictly meant for loyal customers. Giving them free gifts as well as discounts is also a great way of appreciating them. Note that this not only makes them feel special but they get to bring new customers through word of mouth and social media.

6. Angry Demanding Customer

Every retailer’s goal is to make their customers happy but that is not always the case. Valid complaints are understandable but they are customers who are looking for reasons to be upset no matter how minor the problem is. However, no matter how you might dread dealing with these customers, you will need to listen to them calmly and come up with a solution. Always remember, the solution might not be what the customer expected but if you know it’s the right one, stand your ground to avoid being forced to make any deal.

7. Bargain Hunter

Love them or hate them, bargain hunters are here to stay and they always have one thing in their mind, the price of the product. They are always looking for the lowest price in products and are willing to shop until they find it. Nevertheless, just like other types of customers, there are ways you can deal with them.

The first step is by persuading them the products you are selling are of high quality and will save them money in the long run. Another way to change their mind about buying your products no matter the price is offering a better guarantee of the product. If that doesn’t work, then point out any sale promotions and deals you might have at the store. Additionally, offering flat discounts if they spend a specific amount of money can also get them interested in purchasing your products.

So, what type of customers does your store attract most and are you ready to implement the above tactics on how to deal with them?

6 Effective Tips to Maximize Retail Staff Productivity

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Did you know that staff productivity is one of the main investments every retail business should focus on? Unfortunately, most business owners or managers are busy working on other areas of the business thus overlooking staff productivity.

It’s no secret that your staff can be your biggest drivers of retail productivity when it comes to interacting with your customers. It doesn’t matter if they are communicating with them face to face or through other channels, equipping them with the right skills will improve their efficiency. So, here are the 8 effective tips to help you maximize retail staff productivity.

1. Hire the Right Staff

Although it is an overlooked trait, it is important to hire the right staff if you want to maximize staff productivity. Its true most retail businesses do not require much qualification when it comes to hiring their staff. However, they should still look at their resume closely. When it comes to in-store staff, it is vital you pay extra attention to your front-line staff. Remember, these staff represents your brand and they can either make or break it by how they respond to the customers.

Therefore, to ensure you get the right staff there are several ways to go about it:

  •   Recruit on Different Platforms: These include online job post, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram among other. Keep in mind, the more places you advertise for job interviews, the more likely you will find great staff.
  • Converse More instead of Dwelling on an Interview: You want to hire individuals who will genuinely enjoy their job? Then the best way is to have conversations with them. One of the ways to do this is by requesting a walk around the shop and observing their physical reaction as you ask questions on the products you are selling.
  • Go for a Recruitment Software: The software is great at helping you recruit the right staff.
  • Hire an Agency: If you don’t have time for recruitment or need to employ a lot of staff at once, then you can leave the hiring process to a recruitment agency.

2. Offer Training Sessions

The retail industry is fast-moving and your staff needs not only to be up to date on the day-to-day products they are selling but also meet the customers’ demands quickly and efficiently. Thoroughly training will take care of that but not only the basic things but they should learn about the benefits of the products. Furthermore, it is important to have to know your regular clients preference in order to tap wider to the industry. Keep this in mind; the training should not only be a one-off thing but also invest in ongoing training to keep the staff motivated for new opportunities such as salary increase or promotions.

3. Equip Your Staff with the Right Tools

Did you know that staff can be more productive when using the right tools? In other words, if the systems used by you and your staff are out of date or some tasks are done manually then the staff productivity will be limited. However, you can change all these by introducing the latest software, therefore, enabling faster and more efficient operations.

Don’t forget to also upgrade a more efficient inventory system which will be helpful to staff as it will alert them when the stock is low. This will give them a chance to reorder the products before they run out. What about the Excel spreadsheets for staff scheduling and time tracking? Well no more using pen and paper, invest in a management app to make it quicker for the staff and managers to schedule their time as well as to clock in and out.

4. Ensure Efficient Communication

Did you know that poor communication is one of the biggest ways that affect staff productivity? Retail stores are like other businesses; there is the management department as well as the store department.  Therefore, if one the managers makes a decision that needs to be implemented at the store department, inefficient communication systems can make the implementation to be delayed.

So, to ensure efficient communication, the headquarter managers and store manager should be on the same page on which channels to use. For example, you can use an app like Zipline that allows the managers and staff to communicate easily thus speeding up tasks.

5. Cultivate a Culture that Motivates Staff

It’s unfortunate that retail stores don’t engage with their employees as often as other industries. For example, in the USA, most retail staffs don’t hesitate leaving their job for another compared to industries. Always remember, you might be losing one of the best staff in the field due to undervaluing them. That’s why you should put in place a good strategy that recognizes its staff performance.

One of the ways is to engage in team-building which will enable the staff to interact as well as have fun. There are many activities to indulge in such as sales competitions which can reward the winners with gift vouchers or even bonus pay. In the end, you will be assured the staff will have a lot of energy thus increasing productivity.

6. Provide Regular Recognition and Feedback

Everyone needs some recognition once in a while and your staff is no exception. Therefore, to keep the morale of your staff high, it is important to regularly let the staff know they are appreciated and to keep up the good work. A simple one on one phone call will do or just a few minutes face to face conversation. Moreover, you can also wait for a staff meeting to praise them with positive feedback.

Conclusion

Every retail business goal is to increase their productivity and investing in your staff will bridge that gap. So, remember to hire the right staff, ensure you train them thoroughly, equip them with the right tools, and cultivate a culture that motivates staff. These 5 tips will help you maximize staff production thus increasing your product sales too.

5 Great Ways to Improve Your Customers In-Store Experience

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Did you know that according to research conducted by PWC more than 80% of shoppers are willing to spend more for great customer experience?  Yes, that’s how highly customer shopping experience is valued. Aside from how the employees engage with the customers, checkout lines are also an important factor in how the shoppers perceive the store services. The mood of the store from the interior design to the music played can also impact how much a customer will be willing to spend.

 

With this and much more, it is important that stores continue finding ways to improve the customer shopping experience. That’s why in this post we will share the above points in details as well as add new ones to enable you to make your customers shopping experience memorable in a positive way.

1. Train Your Staff to Care

Unlike online stores, brick and mortar store requires staff to physically engage with customers.  First of all, train them to be active listeners as well as good communicators. Aside from that, let them be better informed of the products they are selling to be able to answer the customers’ questions. That said it’s more likely the shopper has researched the products online and it will be embarrassing when your staff doesn’t know anything about the products.

Note that, since it is hard to memorize every single detail of the products, you should equip the staff with the latest technology. This will enable them to easily access any information concerning the products, customer purchase history, find the location of the product as well as real-time stock level. In the end, remember that happy staff leads to satisfied customers, therefore, ensure the staff is working in a friendly environment and feel appreciated.

2. Minimize the Checkout Time

Everyone’s in a hurry these days and it does not help when your customers wait in line for long.  No matter how busy the store might be shoppers get frustrated when they stand for more than five minutes due to slow and outdated payment methods or just slow and tired cashiers. To avoid your customers leaving your store to a more hassle-free competition store you need to find ways to minimize the checkout time.

One of the solutions are investing a modern point of sale system which is both fast and simple to use which will enable the checkout to be more quickly and efficiently. If the store is busy especially in the holiday season or due to any promotional sales, you should equip the sales associates with iPad systems to cater to shoppers away from the traditional checkout point. Lastly, mobile payment is another way to minimize the line.

3. Make the Store Friendly for Co-Shoppers/Kids

It is so easy for retail stores to be concerned about the shoppers that they forget the other two types of people accompanying them. One of them is co-shoppers while others are the kids. When we talk about the co-shoppers we basically mean the husbands, wives, boyfriend, and girlfriends of the actual customers as well as other relatives or friends. Since the co-shoppers and kids can be a bit irritating to the actual customers especially if they are impatient, you need to consider how to change this situation.

Start by providing a relaxed and comfortable area for them to enable the actual customers to shop without any worry. For the adults, there are many ways to keep them occupied such as having a television on the area, provide various magazines as well as free WIFI.  What you don’t know is that since most people own smartphones, the co-shoppers get to keep themselves busy surfing the internet that they forget how long the shoppers have been away. On the other hand, they can start checking out the in-store products and their prices thus deciding to get something for themselves too.

As for the kids, entertain them by providing them with a few boxes of crayons and some papers to color. Also, a train set or a couple of cars as well as dolls will also keep them occupied. TV is another way to keep older children from getting bored. Just remember, to make sure the parents feel at ease, have some friendly staff around the area to keep an eye on the kids until the parents are done shopping.

4. Host Events

There is nothing great than bringing customers together with the intention of socializing and having fun and hosting events in your store is one of them. Note this, in a recent survey, it was recorded that nearly 60% of consumers are interested in in-store events, especially where free sampling is provided. Even if you own a store that doesn’t sell edibles you still can partner with a related business willing to let the customers sample their foods.

Additionally, you can host a kid’s event especially if you own a kid store that sells toys, clothing’s or shoes. On that day you can host a face painting event or a reading session for the kids. Use these events to collect email addresses of the parents and guardians or share your social media pages with them and request them to follow you.

5. Engage with Customers

Most retailers think social media platforms are the only way to engage with customers. But truth be told, you need to extend your engagement with customers beyond that. You need to engage them with surveys as well as encourage ratings and reviews. If you receive some negative reviews don’t get offended but reach out to the customers and address the issue to avoid making the same mistake again.

When it comes to the atmosphere of the store, you can also engage with the customers by making your interior designs more welcoming, playing cool music as well as shifting the products to encourage discovery, just make sure when you do this, you have an attendant or a sign showing where you relocated the other product. Remember this; building a sense of excitement will surely change your customer experience for the better.

Conclusion

We hope you now understand how a customer in-store experience is important and will use the above points to improve your store for the better. Invest in your customers and by the end of the day you will have happy loyal customers who won’t hesitate to spread the word of your great store to their relatives and friends.