This is a story from my personal experience that showed me that caring for customers really can boost your sales and profits.
I had only been in the store for about 10 minutes before a friendly shop assistant caught my eye. “Can I help you?” he said, smiling as he walked towards me. “Yes, can you tell me where the changing rooms are please?” I replied.
The next thing I knew the shop assistant was guiding me to the changing rooms and offering to change the size of my choice of clothes if necessary. The sweater I had chosen was a bit too small for me so I called out to the shop assistant and he immediately came to my aid. He then proceeded to find the correct size for me and returned to the changing rooms within minutes.
I finished trying on my new clothes and decided to buy everything I had chosen. I got chatting to the shop assistant and he informed me that if I opened a store account that day I would receive a 20% discount on my purchases.
I told him that I didn’t really want to store card as I like to pay cash. He told me that was not a problem, I could apply for a store card, receive the discount and pay off the balance right there and then. He was going out of his way to get the best deal for his customer.
As I left the store, I reflected on how easy it had been for me to make my purchases that day. If the friendly shop assistant had not come up to me it is quite possible I would never had made the effort to find those changing rooms and left the store without buying anything.
The conclusion I came to was that not only does great customer service leave customers feeling happy but actually results in them buying more. The bottom line? Train your employees in the art of giving great customer service, and not only will you gain loyal customers, you will see your sales and profits grow.
About the Author
Ellen Goodwright is a freelance writer and customer service raving fan. You can find more tips for improving your customer service at her website, Customer Service Basics.
