Tag Archive for: employee engagement

Window Shoppers: Turn them into Customers [Part 1]

Sales Staff: Hi! Welcome to Sample Store! Were you looking for anything in particular?
Window Shoppers: I’m just browsing. Thanks.

Many customer service representatives are familiar with this exchange. Many people come into stores just to have a quick look around. These window shoppers have a variety of reasons why they might only be browsing. Most of the time, sales staff will leave these people alone, preferring to service people who are actually interested in making a purchase; window shoppers are just a waste of time. Or are they?

What are window shoppers & why do they do it?

Window shoppers are people who browse a shop’s products and services without the intent to make a purchase. Their reasons vary, of course, but when narrowed down it can usually be assumed that it’s one of the following:

1. Wishlisting

Wishlisting involves people browsing products that they don’t actually need/want right at this moment, but they are looking at something they might buy in the future. Call it a daydream. It can also mean that the shopper can’t afford the products in-store at the moment, but is hoping to be able to afford them at some point in their life. These people are looking for inspiration, and are easy to talk to. They’re not ready to purchase now, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored – there’s a potential future sale here, and the pitching should start now.

2. Comparing

A shopper might be checking on the quality or price of products and services to get themselves the best offer available. They’re looking for answers: why should they purchase your product/service over the competitions’? These are the window shoppers really worth talking to: connecting with these people will allow businesses to beat the competition.

3. Waiting

Perhaps the shopper is filling the time before another engagement – picking up their kids from karate practice, or before a dentist appointment. They could be waiting to meet someone, using your store a landmark; they could simply be waiting for a taxi or Uber. The fact is, they’re waiting, and it’s not for you or your sales pitches.

How to tell what type of window shopper you’ve got on your hands…

Window shoppers are easy to dismiss – after all, they’ve inferred that they would rather be left alone, and certainly some of them should be. The trick is to learn to differentiate between a definitive ‘I’m just browsing’ and an open-to-conversation ‘I’m just browsing’.

A lot of this will come from experience – customer service representatives who have been in the game a long time will be able to spot the different window shoppers from a mile away – but for the most part it’s all about paying attention.

We can learn a lot about a person’s openness to sales talk just by actively listening to what they’re saying, and how they’re saying it. Pay attention to the way a window shopper responds to the initial ice-breaker. Do they meet your eyes, do they smile? Is their body language open or closed? Closed would imply that they turn away from you, giving you the distinct impression that they want to be left alone and the conversation is over. Someone who is open to continuing the conversation is more likely to turn towards the sales representative, this should act as an invitation to continue the conversation.

Aside from body language, it’s important to watch window shoppers as they browse your wares. Are they checking for certain elements in particular? Colours, pricing, quality? Depending on the situation, you could attempt to approach them again once you’ve determined that they’re looking at particular things. (Note how I said ‘at particular things’ not ‘for particular things’, remember, they may not be ready to make a purchase just yet.)

Is it possible to convert a window shopper into a customer?

In short? Yes. Every person who walks into a store can be turned into a customer. That’s the purpose of having sales staff in play to start with. Even a window shopper who doesn’t express immediate interest in making a purchase can become a customer.

In Part 2 of this article, we’ll explore the how.

/by

Please the Unpleasable Customer: Can it be done?

There’s just no pleasing some people. This is a fact of life, and it’s certainly a customer service fact. One of the types of customer that every customer service representative has to deal with is the unpleasable customer. The stereotypical name says it all: ‘unpleasable customer’. The question is: are they truly unpleasable? Or is there a way to please the unpleasable customer?

What defines an Unpleasable Customer?

First, it’s important to understand the unpleasable customer. In a previous article I called them the ‘eternal complainers…who are simply impossible to please.’ It does not matter how far a customer service representative is willing to go, this person will never be happy with the product or the level of service. Essentially, they are the product of their own temperament and there is little to be done to improve it. However, it’s important to note here that an unpleasable customer is not necessarily an unpleasant person.

I had a customer once, in a cafe, who ordered a regular latte and a slice of walnut-carrot cake. Everything was brought to her table in the standard condition – that is to say, with the best service that we provided for all our other customers. The customer touched her coffee and summoned me back; it wasn’t warm enough. I made her another. This one was too hot, she asked for cold milk on the side. I brought this to her, with apologies and an explanation – our coffee machine was analogue and did not deliver the precise temperatures (that machine was one of the reasons why people kept coming back, it added romance to the place). She told me that if that was the case we should buy a new coffee machine. I told her I would suggest it. I didn’t tell her that she was the only one who had complained. By this time the cake was cold. It needed reheating. Then the walnuts were too hard, and didn’t we know how to properly prepare nuts before we baked them into cake?

You get the picture. You probably read that in such a tone that painted the woman’s voice in a judgemental and harsh manner. She wasn’t. Nothing we did that day could make her happy, but she was never unkind about it. She could have been nicer, but she was never cruel or mean.

Everything she asked for fell within her expectations.

That is the crux of the matter: customer expectations. Unpleasable customers have impossible expectations. They are customers that ask for above and beyond because that’s what they want. They’re not necessarily doing it to make life difficult – although, that might be the case in some instances.

Can we please the Unpleasable Customer?

The point of customer service, is that it doesn’t matter what the customer asks for or acts like: every customer should be serviced. It goes against the grain of customer service to say that some customers are just unserviceable; a good customer service representative should know how to make every person who walks into their store walk out feeling valued, validated, and more loyal than before. The idea that you cannot please the unpleasable customer goes against customer service doctrine! It just doesn’t seem possible.

The easiest thing to do would be to give up, of course; so much energy is required to get any satisfaction out of helping someone who won’t be helped. It’s like pulling teeth. Surrender doesn’t help in the long run. Ignoring, or mistreating an unpleasable customer will lead to intense negative feedback and advocacy – perhaps far more so than with simply an unhappy customer.

The bottom line is: no, we cannot please the unpleasable customer.

We can, however, make sure that they are treated correctly, if only to avoid the deeper impact of negative advocacy.

How do we Please the Unpleasable Customer?

If servicing an unpleasable customer is all about managing their expectations – however outlandish those might seem – then it goes without saying that the only way to please them is to do the utmost best you can. Unpleasable customers often require extra attention – sometimes even exclusive attention. They might even be better served by a manager or supervisor, depending on how difficult they are being.

To answer the question then: We please the unpleasable customer by being extra courteous, doing our best, offering our best, and by being exceptionally patient.

Don’t think of them as an obstacle. Think of them as a challenge. Difficult as they may be, the unpleasable customer can still become a loyal one.

/by

What happens after the Mystery Shopping Report?

,

After many intense hours of fieldwork, quality analysis, intrinsic research, and valuable insights market research companies proudly deliver the Mystery Shopping Report to your company doorstep. This valuable data is there to help you develop strategies to increase your service and sales performances. It eventually finds its way downstream to one of the many shops that has been visited by one of the many mystery shoppers! And of course, both the sales team and the Shop manager are awaiting this moment with excitement!

So why are we so curious to see this Report?

One of the reasons for this is because many have been working hard, because of less successful previous Reports or because they want to match or even surpass them! Whatever reason the company employees have for being so exciting about all of this, it all comes to the conclusion that Retail is detail!

It will always be a challenge, how to become more detailed and what details need the main focus. And every detail counts obviously! Detail about what shoppers experienced or not experienced in your specific shops or details about what the shopper thought about that big Christmas tree in the middle of the main entrance? All questions that can be answered by that extensive report lying on the coffee table in the canteen.

What to do?

To get to all of this, the shop manager needs to decide what the next step will be and how to address the employees with the new findings of the report. After a short briefing of the shop manager with the exciting news that “it” has arrived, everyone strives for a glimpse of the report. You, the shop manager…Are you going to take the Mystery Shopping Report as a starting point for a training session, are you going to evaluate it step by step, or is it just a reminder of what to do right the next time?

No matter what way you choose as a shop manager, always be reminded of the fact that mystery shopping is a measurement tool for your service delivery and the report is a summary of how your company is doing on delivering service to your customers. And most important question what is your company aiming at? You need a basis that will lead you towards your main service objectives.

Here are five components needed for a better understanding of your Mystery Shopping Report:

  • Intrinsic motivation
  • Participation
  • Commitment
  • Awareness
  • Rewarding

To succeed, you need full participation and interaction of your employees and thus do not make your employees see this whole process as spying or as a performance evaluation! With this mixture your sales department will use the Mystery Shopper report in the most efficient way and you will be able to realize change!

Also read this article: Retail Customer Service: Reality of Retail Industry

On this journey we will take you further into many other steps that will lead us to the best practices for the best service delivery!

/by

5 Customer Types every Business should Understand

,

Customers are the lifeblood of every business. Businesses exist purely based on the sales and services they provide their customers. Understanding customers,  why they do what they do – and buy what they buy! – starts with understanding a few basic customer types. While putting people into strict categories is difficult, and often inadvisable, getting to know a couple of stereotypes will help establish strategies to deal with them as well.

5 General Customer Types:

The Regular

Every store has at least one regular – whether it’s a cafe, supermarket, or retail shop. Regular customers are the ones who return to the store on a consistent basis. In the hospitality industry – cafes, restaurants, etc. – these customers tend to have a standard order, a favourite place to sit, and make it a habit to swing by at the same time each week. They’re predictable, and value predictability – they’re also a business’ bread and butter clientele. They’re most likely to recommend your business to others, and bring their friends and acquaintances to your establishment.

The Hands-off Customer

These customer types are often considered the easiest to service. They come to a store because they’re looking for something specific; they know what they want, what it should cost, and have come to a particular place looking for it. In sales speak, these customers are 90% through the buyer’s journey and don’t necessarily require any hands-on customer service. Asking if they require any assistance or if they’re interested in specials is usually met with a polite “No, thank you.”

The Unpleasable Customer

Everyone who has worked in any customer-facing position knows these customers. These are the eternal complainers, the ones who are simply impossible to please. Even if your business has exactly what they want they will find something that does not meet their standards or expectations. They require extra – often exclusive – attention, and often ask for the supervisor or manager. Truth be told, the only way to manage these customers is to do the best you can, and be forever courteous. Careful handling of this type of customer may not lead to sterling recommendations or any customer advocacy, but it can stop them from complaining to their friends and family – one wrong step with this stereotype and your business could suffer a negative hit of publicity!

The Window Shopper

“Were you after anything particular today?”
“No, thank you. I’m just browsing.”

This little conversation is a common occurrence in most retail outlets, and even in the occasional cafe or restaurant. The Window Shopper comes in two general categories:

    • The Researcher: looking for something but isn’t entirely sure what it is yet – or if your business is the right place to get it.
    • The Browser: literally just looking without any intention to buy anything.

Neither type is a waste of time in any regard and should be considered as a potential customer – maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually.

The Unicorn

The unicorn of all customers: the one who comes in regularly, gushes positivity about your establishment, and just won’t shut up about how amazing your business is when they’re talking with their friends. This perfect, ideal customer fits your dream client exactly; they’re the sort of person you hope will walk in through the door, they’re the one you strive to reach. For example, if you sell minivans, your unicorn might be a soccer mom with a big budget and six kids – oh, and the reason why she’s buying a van is because she’s carpooling with the other mothers at school, to whom she will avidly recommend your van. In marketing terms, she is the ideal customer persona. Unicorns are mythical – they don’t really exist; no matter what industry you are in – but it’s important to understand that they are a dream, a target, however impossible to strive for. The purpose of knowing what your unicorn looks like is to strive to turn every single one of your customers into your ideal customer through great customer service.

By understanding customers, businesses can learn to grow in the right direction to meet their customer expectations, train their customer service representatives, and develop better communication tactics to deal with particular elements of their customer base. While this list generalizes customer types, it’s important to realize that there are certain elements of each stereotype at play in each individual customer.

/by

[Intern Insight] eLearning with Videos: It’s really happening

You know, I am quite new to this term called ‘blog’. I’ve heard of it sure, but never actually wrote one. When I Googled: “how to write a blog” several things popped up, like ‘start with a topic and working title’. Ha, I already forgot that step. This is going well. I’ll be honest with you, I have no clue exactly what I’m doing right now. I studied hospitality management, and here I am, creating videos for an eLearning app for the frontline employees in the retail industry! Yeah, I hear you think: ‘How did she end up doing that?” Yes, good question. I often ask it myself actually.

The funny thing is: it’s super interesting.

It’s like I turned from a hospitality student into a screenwriter and director without any experience. Yeah, ‘just do it’ (as Nike says). It doesn’t matter if you like or if you’ve done it before; no, it’s more diving into the deep end and knowing you can swim. And hey, that is okay! I mean, this is still an internship and it comes with the opportunity to learn new things.

And let me tell you:  I am learning new things.

Not sure if there is a future for me as the next ‘Steven Spielberg’ but I guess you never know where life takes you.

That’s the funny thing about life, it can go either way. But what do I know about life? I am only 21, this is hopefully not even on a quarter yet of what is still to come.

But let’s get serious here.

 

What’s the big deal about learning with videos?

There are many benefits in using videos in educational activities. There even have been multiple studies about this. This is not a big shocker, since there are basically studies about everything, but still. Here are some highlights:

Shepard and Cooper (1982) and Mayer and Gallini (1990) connected visual clues, memory processes, and knowledge retention. Later, Allam (2006) noticed that combining sound and imagery together to discuss a certain topic generating deeper engagement and insights. [Source]

Fascinating right? Over 20 years ago, people recognized the connection between video and learning and yet it still took years for eLearning to actually become a trend, and then a norm. Why did it take so long? But that’s a topic for another time perhaps.

The thing is, this ‘learning with videos’ thing really is happening. There are more than 1 billion active users on YouTube, every minute nearly 400 hours worth of video content is being uploaded to this platform alone. Statistics even show that per mobile session the average time spent on YouTube is 40 minutes. The learning industry has no choice but to adapt to this method of learning via videos. Enter eLearning!

So what are the benefits of using videos for learning?

First of all, videos help keep people engaged with the subject. I mean, speaking as a student, it is much more fun to watch a video than to simply turn a page in a book. Also, videos are visual, and so very demonstration-friendly. For example, explaining a tricky subject is easier with a video than with a written explanation. Try writing down the instructions to how to tie your shoelaces and tell me it’s not easier to watch a video about it instead! It also helps that videos capture attention quickly. Overall they improve the whole learning experience by inviting learners to think and analyze what they just saw, making knowledge easier to absorb and retain.

Here some more benefits:

Improved Comprehension

When you explain something in a classroom, people will nod to indicate their understanding. That means they’ve understood you completely right? Not necessarily! They may not retain the information when they leave the room, and maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to raise their hand to ask for clarification. Chances are when they get home, they may realize a gap between their retained knowledge and the homework they’ve got to do.

Increased Retention

Do you remember sitting in class with the teacher just going on and on about the same subject? And then when class finished you just went out and thought: “What did he just say?” That is an information overload. Our brains can only handle so much at a time. During such a long informative class, you do not have the time to process all the information and are likely to forget most of it.

Enter videos and eLearning. People can watch videos at their own pace, for starters. They can also choose when and where to watch them – at home for example. They can pause it and return to it later if they missed the key points. This way, they not only gain a better understanding but are better able to retain the information being thrown at them. Essentially, videos empower the learner to actually learn.

Concluding thoughts?

Well, if you really want to obtain a more meaningful, immersive and better learning experience for anything. You should definitely consider using videos to get there.

 

This post is brought to you by one of AQ’s Undergraduates, Paula van Staalduinen. As part of our internship programs undergraduates and classic interns are encouraged to take part in company culture. Paula’s primary project focuses on training programs and eLearning and how best to adapt this to industries under pressure.

/by