This is so true with quick service retailing.

We have all experienced the customer service representative that ignores us in favor of their computer or POS screen. Trying to make eye contact or just get a response from someone absorbed in data entry can be annoying.

But here’s the thing most retailers don’t realise.

Even if a customer doesn’t remember being ignored, they may (subconsciously) associate your business with an (unknown, but felt) sense of frustration, distance or lack of ‘connection’. Those feelings will build up unbeknownst to the client and they may eventually take their patronage elsewhere.

Customer Service With A Smile

The sad part of all of this is it all happens without conscious knowledge or intent. The client simply has no compelling reason to want or desire to return so he or she simply doesn’t.

That’s a killer for a retailer.

So what can you do to optimise the necessary POS data entry while offering outstanding customer service?

POS Customer service Tip #1:

Explain what you’re doing to the customer while you so it. That means as you’re typing, you say “I’m pulling up your account file to make sure our records are up-to-date” By doing that, the customer is INVOLVED in the process. Engaging the customer in the task CONNECTS you to him/her. As the information comes up, you can mention something like “Just to make sure, you’re still at 123 Main Street right?” You can then add a personal anecdote “I used to live near there, the dog park was great when I had my golden retriever…” Adding a personal anecdote builds rapport within the process that otherwise alienates the customer. Of course, if you’re really systemised, you’ll start to input your customer’s tastes and predispositions such as “ dog or cat owner, single, has children, tennis player, classic car enthusiast, etc. That will help you become more specific in your marketing campaigns.

POS Customer service Tip #2:

This customer service tip is obvious, but needs to be repeated – look up from the screen and make frequent eye contact with your customer. It may slow down your typing, but this is a key component to establishing rapport and a personal connection.

POS Customer service Tip #3:

A savvy customer service person will use the time the computer takes to load or perform a transaction to chat with the customer. This needs to be systemised within your sales process. The more natural it is, the better the outcome, but it does need to be part of the process as much as getting a credit card slip signature.

So there you have it, 3 simple customer service tips that can help you make a difference to your retail sales – especially the valuable repeat sales that are a must for any retailer to build a profitable business foundation for the future.

Customer Service Case Study #1: One Delay Turns Into 5,000 Reasons To Come Back

This case study is about American Airlines.^[i] The author of the original article was on his way from a business conference in Denver to his home in Chicago. Shortly before arriving at the airport he received a text message from American Airlines stating that his flight was to be delayed by thirty minutes. While waiting in the airport he received several more text messages, each subsequently stating that his flight was to be delayed for even longer. It turns out there was a mechanical problem with the plane and he ended up leaving five hours after his original departure time.

The author, like many disgruntled customers, did not complain to American Airlines. However, American Airlines recognized their mistake, sent the author an unsolicited apology letter, and offered him 5,000 free frequent flier miles for his trouble. American Airlines preemptive good service gave the company another loyal customer.

Customer Service Case Study #2: A Bad Process Is Reversed

This story concerns Best Buy, a consumer electronics store.^[ii] The author of this article and his wife were browsing the laptop section when they spotted a laptop on sale for $699. A service representative asked if they needed help, and they declined because they were unsure about the purchase. They left the store, discussed the purchase, and returned a few hours later with the intent to purchase the laptop.

The author sought out the customer service representative who had previous asked him if he needed help. The representative was rude to him when he asked with help purchasing the laptop. Then the representative asked him to fill out a form before discussing the service. After the author filled out the form he was informed that the store was out of the sale item. He was told he could not order another because the sale ended the next day. The author asked the representative to put one on hold for him in neighboring city, to make sure that it was still there after a drive. He was told that was not possible.

The author and his wife got ready to leave, angry that they were unable to buy the laptop. On their way out they were approached by one of bust buys “Customer Experience Managers”. The manager went out his way to make sure that the author was able to purchase the laptop. He helped the author use the company website to order the laptop from a Best Buy in a city nearby, ensure that the author and his wife would have a sale priced laptop waiting for them. It took some ‘out of the box’ thinking and true dedication to the customer to save the author’s patronage.

Customer Service Case Study #3: Great Service Has No Linguistic Boundaries

This last story concerns an unnamed hotel in South Korea. ^[iii] This is an important story because, were it not for excellent customer service, the author of this article would have been in dire straights. The author had to attend a business meeting in Southern Korea, he didn’t know the area or the language. He took a two hour taxi ride away from his airport, bound for a hotel in a remote region of the country.

When he arrived at his hotel he was informed that they had been overbooked and there was not a room for him. The author’s hotel room had been prearranged, an overbooked room left him virtually deserted in a foreign country.

Th hotel manger appeared, and told the author he was sorry about the mistake. The manager went ahead and booked the author a room in another nearby hotel, then gave his taxi driver instructions to the ensure that he made to his room safely. Th hotel manager took the time to understand the situation, and did everything he could to rectify it.

The moral of these customer service stories is simple: Where there is a crisis, there is an opportunity – you just have to make sure the people you hire know HOW to turn a bad experience into a good or great one. We’ll talk about how to do this in future blog posts.

^[ii] http://www.bieberlabs.com/archives/2007/10/28/customer-experience-managers-at-best-buy-a-bad-experience-turns-good/

^[iii] http://www.allbusiness.com/finance/cash-management/3874656-1.html