We’re now in the Holiday Homestretch, when last minute shoppers are in a state panic. Christmas this year falls on Saturday, so customers who are accustomed to shopping on the Saturday before Christmas will be out of luck. Make sure that your store associates are armed and ready with your list of Top 10 Holiday Gifts and other gift ideas for people of all ages. Set your checkouts with impulse items and pile your speed bump displays high with pre-wrapped gifts. Don't waste a second of last minute sales opportunities!
Your focus should be taking exceptional care of the customers who will shop with you right up until you close your doors on Christmas Eve. Another is how you plan to get rid of the inventory you don’t want to carry into 2011. If department stores and big box retailers are any indication, and they usually are, then 20 percent off isn’t going to spin your doors. Take a realistic markdown and merchandise that product near the front of the store so shoppers can't miss it.
On December 26 you also need to be ready for returns and exchanges. Consistently delivering great service requires the right attitude, and that same right attitude goes for how you handle holiday returns. The customer who returns or exchanges a gift deserves the same care as person who originally made the purchase – how that customer is treated often determines whether that customer will return to shop with you again.
If you own the store, then your return policy is a silent purveyor of your personal view of customer service. We’ve found unbelievably nasty policies in stores where we thought the customer was numero uno. Be your own customer for a moment and take a look at your policies through the eyes of a customer. How do they communicate your message? The written word can be tricky; you may think you are saying one thing, but the customer sees something else. Do your policies "speak” in a friendly voice? Are they written in a polite and respectful way? Do they make customers’ feel like you are on their side?
A return policy that reads: “NO returns. NO exchanges. NO exceptions.” just won’t cut it with today’s customers; it just makes you look unprofessional. A policy that states, “We will gladly refund or exchange your purchase within 30 days. Your receipt guarantees it.” is a much better choice. Make sure your return policy is professionally presented. It should never be a handwritten sign that's tacked or taped somewhere at or near the checkout counter.
Before you open the doors on December 26, take a moment to remind everyone of the following:
On December 26 you also need to be ready for returns and exchanges. Consistently delivering great service requires the right attitude, and that same right attitude goes for how you handle holiday returns. The customer who returns or exchanges a gift deserves the same care as person who originally made the purchase – how that customer is treated often determines whether that customer will return to shop with you again.
If you own the store, then your return policy is a silent purveyor of your personal view of customer service. We’ve found unbelievably nasty policies in stores where we thought the customer was numero uno. Be your own customer for a moment and take a look at your policies through the eyes of a customer. How do they communicate your message? The written word can be tricky; you may think you are saying one thing, but the customer sees something else. Do your policies "speak” in a friendly voice? Are they written in a polite and respectful way? Do they make customers’ feel like you are on their side?
A return policy that reads: “NO returns. NO exchanges. NO exceptions.” just won’t cut it with today’s customers; it just makes you look unprofessional. A policy that states, “We will gladly refund or exchange your purchase within 30 days. Your receipt guarantees it.” is a much better choice. Make sure your return policy is professionally presented. It should never be a handwritten sign that's tacked or taped somewhere at or near the checkout counter.
Before you open the doors on December 26, take a moment to remind everyone of the following:
1. Ask the customer if they'd like you to hold the item at the checkout while they look around for something else. Never automatically assume that every customer wants a refund. Sometimes they come in to make an exchange, but when offered cash, they go for it. Asking this simple question provides you the opportunity to try and save the sale. Ask. Politely. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained!
2. Follow the Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Acknowledge every customer with respect and dignity. And eye contact.
3. Be empathetic. Take a walk in your customers’ shoes and try to see yourself and your store through their eyes; it will make a big difference in how you react to whatever a customer asks of you. And a big difference in what they say about your store later on Facebook and Twitter and everywhere else on-line.
4. Be responsive. Show a willingness to help customers promptly and to their complete satisfaction.
5. Keep your promises. If you make a promise to a customer, make sure that you follow through. How well you keep your word is a direct reflection of who you are.
6. Never tell a customer “We can’t do that” unless you follow with “But here’s what we can do …”
A retail study that found 15 percent of customers will leave your store and never return because of price; 15 percent of customers will leave your store and never return because of product; but 70 percent of customers will leave your store and never return because of the quality of the interaction with the people who work there. Treat customers well in the Holiday Homestretch and they’ll be back to shop with you again in 2011.
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Photo: Baltimore Sun
