How to Provide Excellent Service in Small Retail Business

As a small retail business owner among your first tasks is to figure out a way to attract customers to your small retail business.  It is fairly easy to get customers to come to your store the first time.  A more important task is to find ways to keep them coming back.  If you have exceptional service and maintain that service level day-in and day-out, your customers will come back to shop with you again and again and again.  Friendly service is the most effective promotion your small retail business will ever have.

For some of your customers you will need to be a reliable and knowledgeable source of information and for others you will need to be a sounding board.  Whatever your role is to each particular customer, you will want to be caring, concerned, reliable and trustworthy.

As a small retail business owner you must make your customer feel important.  There is no better way to make your customer feel important than to greet them warmly, and by name if you know it.  We have pointed out the importance of training your sales associates in previous articles.  In this instance we are suggesting that you train your selling staff in the art of conversation and attentiveness. Teach them to listen!

Your want your sales associates to be able to answer questions about how to use or maintain a product, what the warranty says, where it comes from and different things the customer can do with it.  You will want to ensure that all of your sales associates are empowered with the authority to do what is necessary to make the customer happy.  A major criteria in the process of building your sales team is that all of your associates have a positive attitude.  This alone will increase your sales dramatically.  For all new small retail business owners, this should be a top priority, especially during your first months after you open the doors to you small retail business.

All small retail business owners should teach their sales associates to be attentive.  It all starts with the “Boss” leading by example.  Smile and look at the customers when they enter your store.  Ask them if you can help them find something in particular.  This will tell you what their mission is by being in your store today.  If they are just browsing, tell them you are there to help them if they have questions and continue with whatever it is you are doing.  I hate it when sales people follow me around a store.  Most people I have talked with feel the same way.  Let them browse alone.  If they need something they will ask you.

Small retail business owners should ensure their stores are comfortable places to shop. Comfort is a service you can easily offer.  If your store is a clothing store make sure the dressing rooms has adjustable flattering lighting and ample room to turn around in and park a stroller, for example.  Studies show that most customers shop in pairs.  Have a comfortable place for them to sit.  Your customers will appreciate the courtesies you provide for their children.

For new small retail business owners all of the suggestions above should be taken to hear and acted upon.  As the saying goes, you only have once to make good first impressions.  Repeat customers are the best to have, because it doesn’t cost much in marketing efforts to get them. To all the new small retail business owners out there, you should pay attention.  Don’t let all of the other details in opening you business detract you from your main mission!

Small retail business owners note:  Studies show that the longer customers are in your store, the more they buy – provided that they have a basket or a cart and a helpful salesperson ready to ring up their purchases.