Skills Needed To Work In Retail

Like any other occupation, working in Retail requires skills. What irks many Retail professionals is the assumption that anyone can work in retail; that it’s a job for people with no experience or just looking to put in some time and make some easy money. To excel in the Retail field, you need these essential skills:

Initiating contact. There are two kinds of employees: one who waits for you to speak to them, and the one who approaches you and initiates contact. If you want to be successful, you must identify and acknowledge people as they enter your store, welcome them and offer assistance.

Be pleasant. Everyone enjoys spending time with friendly people. When interacting with customers, a smile goes a long way to demonstrating you’re approachable and happy to provide advice.

Look for work to do. Nothing is more of turn off to both employers and customers than see staff stand around doing nothing. No, actually there is something worse and that’s the employee standing around doing nothing while texting or watching a YouTube video. There is always work to do if you look for it. Dusting and tidying are two examples.

Math. Customers can’t always figure out how much an item will cost them when the signs say 30% off. They’ll often ask you the employee and so you’ll need some basic math skills – unless you plan on looking it up using the calculator app on your phone. Oh, but you can’t because phones aren’t allowed on the sales floor. No, it’s not your right to have your phone in your pocket while at work. Oh and if the power to the register is out, yes, you’ll have to have math skills to figure things out like making change manually. You can do that right?

Taking inventory. All retail stores have to take inventory so they can check what they believe they have against what they actually have. This is sometimes done after stores close, every employee is called in and is expected to take part. You need a good attitude too, because no one goes home until its done.

Product knowledge. “What does it do?” Your job is to know all about the features of the products you’re selling. A lot of stores have moved to self-service, where the staff in the store are good at taking your money but don’t know much of anything when it comes to the products they sell. These stores don’t typically last long. What’s the different between a Training shoe and a Running shoe? If you sell shoes, you’d better find out.

Marketing. Knowing your products is a good start, but now you have to be skilled at marketing that product to the potential buyer. Why do they just have to have one? How will they benefit from owning what you’re offering? Will it make their life better in some way? How?

Flexibility. A set schedule is a wonderful thing – when every employee shows up as scheduled. However, you might be called to come in with little notice. You might be asked if you can work late, You might find your employer wants you to take your vacation in February or March, work on long weekends and longer hours when the stores extend their hours. No flexibility on your part could mean no job.

Dependability. Showing up when you’re expected to work is pretty basic. People are counting on you to be at work when your name is on the schedule. It’s more than just being physically present though; you’ve got to do what’s expected of you when you’re actually at work. You could find a note telling you to unpack a shipment and check the inventory. You might find directives to change the location of items in the store or put together a marketing promotional kit that arrived just as the store closed the day before. Do what’s expected.

Listening. Great sales people are always listening to customers; listening for opportunities. As customers talk, good employees determine customer’s needs and wants, then produce goods that fulfill those needs. And the best sales people get customers to purchase and leave with products they didn’t even know they needed – until they were shown the product and just had to have one!

Know your policies. Nothing gets customers more upset than being told something by an employee that turns out to be false. Don’t tell people they can bring something back if all sales are final. Don’t promise you can order in an item if it’s being discontinued. Don’t say you’ll hold an item until the end of the next business day but then find out you’re not allowed to do that and it gets sold to another customer. You set people up to be angry with both you and the store.

Shrinkage. No not the Seinfeld episode. Shrinkage is when inventory that supposed to be in stock disappears. Don’t plan on helping yourself to the merchandise when no one is looking. That’s theft and it can not only get you fired, it could lead to criminal charges, a police record and make getting future employment extremely hard or even impossible in some cases.

While this list isn’t complete, it’s a great list of the essentials. You get to practice and improve your interpersonal skills, build self-confidence and assertiveness and if you’re lucky, get some employee discounts or bonuses on what you sell!

The “Must Haves” To Work In Retail

Like any other field of work, there are people who are cut out for the work involved in Retail Sales, and there are those who THINK they can do the job. In fact, I’m always intrigued with the number of people who assume getting a job in Retail will be easy until they find the job they really want.

First off, you have to be comfortable initiating contact with potential customers. As people walk by your store or make that first few steps inside, it’s critically important you visually acknowledge their presence and move to welcome them. This doesn’t mean you jump on them – for most of us don’t appreciate Salespeople who aggressively move to pounce.

Yes, welcoming customers to your store, asking if you can help them in locating any particular item or advising them of specials etc. would seem to be a basic must-have in the field. Yet think of your own trips to the mall and you’ll probably recall walking into certain stores where the staff huddle together in the rear of the store and only seem interested if you approach them items in hand ready to pay.  Maybe you’ve even entered and store, walked around unapproached entirely or acknowledged, and then walked out in 5 minutes with no contact whatsoever.

If you’re an introvert, you can still work successfully in Retail; just view each interaction as a short interaction where you’ll be fortunate in that the conversations will be relatively similar, focused on goods and products, prices and sales. When one conversation ends, you repeat this with others. No long, drawn out conversations where you have to work hard to keep the words flowing and stress about what to say.

Now some basic math skills are a need too. Oh sure the electronic cash registers will compute the correct change to give people, but you will need your math skills just the same. Customers might ask questions of you when you’re 40 feet from the register such as, “How much would this be with tax?” “So these are buy 3 and get one free? If I use my loyalty card and get 15% off how much would I save?” Well, maybe you could walk around with your slim Ipod or cell phone and call up your calculator, but you might not have pockets in your outfit. Oh and what would happen if Interac is out, all sales are cash only and then the power to the register is zapped, meaning you have to figure everything out in your head and make change?

That smile; it’s something that comes so naturally to some and drives others crazy to whom it doesn’t come easy. Smiling faces are approachable and welcoming. Unfortunately, there are some who have a rather serious resting face; the look might be overly serious or even brooding when in fact they’re quite content – even happy. A smiling employee will attract people to them and these faces can actually produce a smile in return on the face of the customers and potential customers with whom they interact. A rather serious face with furrowed brows could be interpreted as you’ll be harder to deal with, so customers may approach you initially anticipating a fight or a challenging interaction.

Now the Labourers will chuckle at this one, but the job is physically demanding. Just beneath that tile you’re standing on in the store is a pad of hard concrete – an oxymoron if there ever was one; ever stood on soft concrete? As you’ll be standing on it hour upon hour, day after day, you’ll need a really good pair of shoes and the stamina to survive your 7 or 8 hour shift. There’s reaching high and bending low, carrying goods from the backroom and hanging them on the sales floor. There’s bending again to tie shoes, dust the lower and upper shelves etc. Oh its physical, make no mistake.

Notice the dusting I threw in the last paragraph? When it’s quiet and there’s an opportunity, find things to do and show initiative. Whether it’s dusting, checking items for price tags, doing your inventory paperwork, tidying up a changing room, removing empty hangers, re-positioning customer handled merchandise, you’ll be wise to take initiative and look for things to do and then DO THEM! Few things will get you fired faster than standing idle throughout your day, leaning on the counter for physical support and … just … waiting …

The last must-have to work in Retail I want to share with you is that you must know what your products will do to improve the lives of those considering purchasing them. Don’t pass this one over as obvious. Don’t think, “I sell shoes! Shoes make walking nicer! Duh!” If this were all you need to know, anyone – so you’re not very vital – could sell shoes. Which shoes are best for walking? Which ones support high arches better than others? Which shoes can accommodate orthotics? Which running shoes are best for running vs. jogging or a workout at the gym? Nope, not all the same!

No matter your products, if you want to work in Retail AND be successful, it takes skills; just as in any other profession if you want to really stand out and excel. Of course you might just, ‘want a job’ and figure ANYONE can work in a store. Well, go ahead and try it and see how long you last. No wait don’t, you might be the next Salesperson I meet.

2 Stores, 2 Salespeople, 2 Experiences

Last evening my wife and I were out for dinner and decided on impulse to head on over to our local mall. We had nothing immediate in mind other than a walk around prior to heading home for the evening. Now I can tell you honestly there was hardly any traffic in the mall, and that set the stage for very different encounters with sales staff in different stores.

Given it was a Thursday evening the first thing I noticed was that many of the stores only had a single Salesperson on the schedule. As the night was light in terms of traffic, it was interesting to note as we entered each store how the activity the person in the store was engaged in and their behaviour changed or not.

One store in the mall is a primary destination for the two of us; it has unique items ranging from swords and fire pots to glass dragon eggs and wind chimes. Every time I go in the store, I’m immediately greeted with a, “Hello how are you today?” which I can only assume is in the training manual. I like that they acknowledge me upon entry, and the subsequent question is whether or not they can be of assistance in finding anything. Last night was no exception. We were greeted cheerfully and engaged in discussion – but only because I’m the talkative type. I had the feeling the Salesperson was happy for someone to both talk and interact with.

As it so happens, they didn’t have an item we were looking for, and so we browsed. The Salesperson moved in synchronization with us around the merchandise; close enough to hear and respond to any inquiry we might make, but just far enough away that she wasn’t a reason to leave. She smiled; she laughed and was the right mixture of attentive and respectful.

Now I contrast this experience with the lone Salesperson in a second store we entered. It was a women’s clothing store; a well-known brand name chain. Here the signs proclaimed up to 80% off and that the entire inventory must go. To me, it was obvious the winter stock needs clearing and the Spring line is the reason.  Upon entering, the person was occupied with a broom and dustpan, sweeping the floors. The word industrious would best describe her; efficient, focused on cleaning and keeping herself busy.

Now being a fashion store for women exclusively, I would have thought she’d attend to my wife; offer to help her and I’d be left to wander. She did something different however. She stood and talked to me about the lack of activity in the mall; told me that if she herself needed something she’d be in a nearby city because they have more stores and more selection. She went on about how the two or three large stores coming to the mall wouldn’t in her opinion; make much of a difference in terms of bringing customers to the mall over the long-term. She was intense, almost bitter, and I just wanted to exit the conversation.

Oddly enough, my wife was ignored throughout her monologue, and was creatively using one garment to lower another garment she was unable to reach directly behind the Salesperson. “Ah my wife could use a hand” I said. Turning she said, “Oh did you want to try that on?” and I was free. While my wife tried on the clothes, I wander to the perimeter of the store and the Salesperson again cleaned. She was thorough and dressed in black looked like a storm cloud moving about on her hands and knees dusting everything that she could find in a meticulous order.

The two Salespeople were very different, and I have to say I would not want to return to the latter one for fear I’d be again trapped into a conversation I didn’t want to engage in with a person holding a negative attitude. While she was an excellent cleaner and no one could find fault with her ability to keep herself busy when no customers were present, she didn’t encourage people to stick around when they did come in.

The first Salesperson on the other hand did have me leaving the store with a good feeling. I felt that I was in control of how much or little we engaged in conversation; and I’d certainly walk in again. Were the two people’s employers able to watch how they interacted with us and hear what they said to us, I wondered if they would be pleased and approve.

There was actually a third experience with another Salesperson; and my wife and I were drawn to her immediately upon entering the store and into an immediate conversation. In fact, my wife would have allowed me to shell out just under $800 on the spot for an item in the store we hadn’t planned on buying. Oh sorry, I failed to mention the Salesperson was holding a miniature poodle puppy in her arms. That’s a real attraction for many people and you can’t help but smile and go, “Awww” as you greet the Salesperson. I resisted any urge to produce my wallet and we exited shortly after before reality completely disappeared.

Wherever you’re employed, never lose sight of the customer; acknowledge their presence, offer your assistance and do it all with a smile. These things get noticed.

Enthusiasm: An Employer’s View

Anyone who has ever met me in person will tell you that I’m a big believer in enthusiasm. I see this word frequently in job postings, and from my conversations with employers, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is the number one thing employers look for in their applicants. But what does enthusiasm translate into on the job?

One business Owner/Manager I spoke with recently put it this way: “No one is going to want this company to succeed as much as I do, but I want employees who come close.” It’s what they do or don’t do when I’m not watching that separates the great employees from the average ones.”

When I was speaking with him about enthusiasm and asking him how significant it was to his business, he suddenly said, “Let me show you what I mean.” He left one of his employees in charge while we exited his store. We walked up the center concourse of the mall and looked in from our vantage point on several stores. He pointed out two employees in one store who had no customers at the moment. These employees were at the check-out talking to each other, their bodies turned sideways to face one another, and one of the two was actually sitting on top of the counter. He said to me, “Neither is a great employee and as an observer, my initial impression is that their conversation is of more importance to them than the business. There’s always something to be done, and those two are bleeding the business. They aren’t invested in its success nor do they have a high level of enthusiasm.

In another store that we looked in on, there was one Salesperson who was speaking with shoppers at the entrance to the store. She was folding clothing and engaged those passing by with a friendly smile and a, “Good morning, how are you today?” He stopped us far enough away from the woman where we couldn’t be overheard and said, “See her? She’s taking the initiative to tidy up without being told to because she recognizes there are things to be done. However, she hasn’t lost sight of the fact that customers are her number one priority, and her smile and small talk acknowledge people, show she’s ready to serve and she looks like she genuinely likes her job. Her enthusiasm is an indication they’ll have a positive interaction and a great experience. Oh and look, she’s drawn someone in who it appears was passing by.”

When we returned to his store location, he sent me on ahead and stayed out of eyesight and asked me to observe his own employees. When I looked in on his staff, I certainly didn’t see staff standing idly and chatting. I saw four staff; two were helping customers, one was checking out a third, and the fourth was replenishing inventory. All four however had another thing in common besides being busy; they all had smiles on their faces and looked like they enjoyed what they were doing at the moment. Not lost on me was that he needed these 4 people as they were busy. Could it be because people were attracted by the expectation of a positive experience with attentive, enthusiastic employees?

Of course the retail sector isn’t the only place one’s enthusiasm can be seen. No matter what the work environment is, enthusiastic employees find ways to make their jobs more meaningful by themselves going about their work with investment. Some people throw themselves into a new job with enthusiasm – and it lasts right up until they pass probation! Then somehow the passion for the job wanes and the job becomes…well…a job. Each day is viewed like some kind of drudgery between the release of Friday at quitting time and Monday when the person is chained to their job for another 5 days. If this is your experience, is this really how you want to live your life? The best thing that could happen might be that you get fired and focus yourself in on getting a job with a better personal fit.

Employer’s value enthusiasm because of what enthusiasm entails. If you’re enthusiastic, you’ll arrive at work with a positive attitude. You’ll be a nicer person to work with as a co-worker and you’ll actually care about the quality of your work each day. Enthusiastic employees look for ways to do things differently, better, quicker and are open to innovation and creativity. In short, enthusiastic workers go about their work with personal pride in both the services and products they provide.

Genuine enthusiasm is hard to beat. You might counter with the argument that, “it’s hard to get all that enthusiastic about minimum wage; so pay me more and you’ll see some enthusiasm.” It doesn’t start with a higher wage; in fact money is a poor motivator if you are trying to sustain enthusiasm. Genuine enthusiasm starts with people first. Find people who are willing to engage and invest themselves in the work to be done with enthusiasm and the rewards will come.

So my advice to you who are looking for work is to communicate your enthusiasm to potential employers. Do some real research to find the right fit, be open and hungry to learn new skills, look happy and act interested. In short, go about your job with enthusiasm or find a new one.

Are There Any Positives In 18,000 Losing Jobs?

Yesterday it was announced in the media that the large United States retail operator Target would be closing its Canadian stores. This announcement throws 18,000 employees out of work and into the job-wanted lines. It also means that a discount retailer is gone from the marketplace. Surely there is nothing good in this story. I believe there is.

First and foremost whenever one business closes up shop, there is an inherent and very real void in the marketplace which means other retailers have an opportunity to grab a share of those customers and thereby solidify their own businesses and the jobs of those they already have on their payrolls. If for example I was employed at another United States based company in Canada – Wal-Mart, I’d be feeling a little bit better about my own job prospects. Some of Target’s customers are now going to shop there and so each employee might get more hours, seasonal lay-offs put on hold etc.

For Canadian shoppers, hopefully any new organization seeking to open up shop in Canada will take into consideration the habits and desires of the unique Canadian shopper and what we want as consumers. Instead of bringing in a tried and true American model of one-stop shopping, they might do their homework launch with more staying power and future jobs have more security.

One thing I was pleased to hear is that Target is providing all their employees with 16 weeks of severance pay. That gives each employee a small buffer of time to find new employment. This is going to perhaps help more in urban areas than rural areas, as jobs in rural areas for such a large number of people out of work will be hard to find. Here in my own town of Lindsay Ontario, I am doubtful that all those out of work will be employed after just four month’s time.

However, let’s keep brainstorming the positives and see what if anything we can find. Those who help people who are out of work such as Employment Counsellors, Social Services Workers and those who administer Employment Insurance Benefits will benefit. Oddly enough whenever people are out of work their own job security rises as they themselves become sought out and relied upon for help getting people back into the workforce and financially supported in the interim.

The other people who immediately come to my own mind are those who are going to be hired by the smaller players. Suppose someone was going to launch a small business but felt previously they just couldn’t compete in the market due to the big box stores. Well here’s a window of opportunity to open up a clothing store for example with decent prices, and that store is going to need 5 – 10 people maybe to run it. If you imagine four or five smaller stores filling the void and each hiring 5 – 10 employees, you could have 50 jobs perhaps coming soon in those communities where the retail giant closed up shop.

There is also a lesson (as there always is) here for any new entrepreneur; do your market research. Too many business owners be they big or small, have a model in their mind of how they want to operate, the merchandise they want to sell, the prices they want to provide and the experience they want the public to have. With such a vision, they fail to really determine what the marketplace wants, the prices they will bear, and they open to great fanfare and then implode on themselves. A huge corporation like Target failed miserably after only two years and lost a small fortune.

There will also be jobs for some in unexpected places. Perhaps architects, building inspectors, construction workers, designers, DZ and AZ truck drivers etc. will be brought in to change that huge single building into smaller retail shops. It could be too that other spin-off jobs will be created and while it may not be the same people laid off who were in sales doing the work, other fields like the trades in this case might benefit.

It is important however to not make light of the 18,000 out of work. For them, this is terrible news and is only bound to increase their stress levels. Some I imagine had trips planned and paid for, home renovations underway, maybe kids entering Universities soon they want to financially help etc. For these people losing employment is devastating. It will be a challenge for some to find work again.

This is a great example of why keeping your resume up-to-date when you are working is so critical and yet many don’t. If you add to it as you take jobs, win in-house awards, take some training etc., it is easier to apply for jobs quickly. You avoid having to sit down and remember dates of training, accomplishments etc. at a time when you are emotionally fragile and in somewhat of a shock due to news you’re losing your job.

So there are lessons here for future retailers, small business owners, those who currently have jobs, those about to be out of work, and yes for you and me too. Not all of us will be able to find positives in such a situation; some of us will benefit and some of us won’t. See what if anything you can learn from such news.

Great Customer Service Creates Jobs

As it’s mid-December, there are large numbers of people world-wide that are making the trek into stores and shops to browse and make purchases for Christmas gifts in addition to the regular shopping they do. This is therefore a time when all shop and business owners would do well to remind their staff about the importance of providing an exceptional shopping experience.

It’s overly simple actually and in an employees own self-interests to excel. Ensure that customers get personalized, attentive service and they’ll come back as well as spread the good word. This in turns means increased sales, more revenue for the employer, and hopefully more hours of work for the employees. And those seasonal employee’s that they took on for the higher crowds might make themselves invaluable to the employer in the process and find themselves hired beyond Christmas only.

The flip side is equally true; stores that don’t rely on great customer service and leave a shopper to find things on their own may find customers leave empty-handed, they then pass on negative experiences to their friends and don’t return themselves. Those seasonal employees don’t generate income for the store, and the store owner dismisses them after the holidays as per their contracts and moves on.

Do some shop owners and large businesses take the increased profits and terminate all the seasonal help anyhow after December? Sure some do. However, if you are an employee trying to catch on, on a more permanent basis, you only improve your odds of being hired longer if you are friendly, customer-focused, complete sales and make additional sales of merchandise.

As an employee, you are also generating a positive reference, putting current experience on your resume and filling in any developing gap when you take a seasonal job. Think of things this way; even if you are looking for a job in a field outside retail, this short-term position is still developing transferable skills you’ll use in the future and providing you with a number of possible answers to those interview questions in your future.

Think about it. You’re dealing with people and that means possible problem-solving experience, dealing with challenging situations, working on your sales pitches and how to sell a product. You’re also getting first-hand experience that could apply to the ‘teamwork’ question. So this short-term job you’ve got could be the current experience you need to demonstrate you have relevant skills to an employer in another field; the one in which your preferred job is found.

Right from the start in some seasonal job, you’d also be wise to think about the last few days you are employed in December. You’re going to probably want to ask your Supervisor to be a positive reference for you aren’t you? So now is the time to work to impress yourself upon them. Being friendly, helpful, willing to do the little things that are asked of you outside the job you were hired to do, and contribute to the stores financial well-being, that could really solidify your value to the Supervisor, and in turn help you when your future employer calls to check up on your performance. Think ahead!

Now on the other hand, there are people who will get hired for Christmas help and go through the motions. They only look as far ahead as the end of their shift, put in minimal effort for minimum pay, and feel that if the employer wants to make huge profits off of them, they should be compensated more than minimum wage. If you feel this way, you probably will have a less enjoyable experience working, and it will show. Don’t appear shocked and hurt in the future if you ask for a good reference and the Supervisor is reluctant or just gives you an average one. It has to start with you.

So it’s not too late being in the middle of the month. You’ve got time to put in a stellar effort and turn things around. Each day you get a choice to do your best or not. And more than each day, you get a chance to change your attitude and increase your performance and therefore value to an employer throughout the day in any given moment. If it doesn’t come naturally to you to be overly friendly and helpful, try it out on the next customer. Interacting with a single customer will only take a few moments; ten at the most I’d reckon. Can you ‘fake it until you make it’ for that short period of time? If you can, duplicate it with the next person, and so on.

Rather than being jealous of other salespeople who have awesome customer service skills, think about watching and learning from them. Even going up to someone and complimenting them on their abilities and asking for their help in developing your own people skills is good advice. We all learn from each other, so why not learn from people who do things better than us?

Be attentive, be friendly, welcome people to the store, thank them for coming in, ask if you could assist them. Tell people about any specials you have and if they want to be left alone, tell them you’ll be happy to help them and all they need do is ask when they are ready. Leave your cellphone in the backroom and focus on your job.

May you have a good seasonal employment experience!

Giving Exceptional Retail Customer Service

So many jobs require customer service skills when you look at job postings and job descriptions. So what’s is customer service anyway, and how do you define the difference between a good customer service experience and an exceptional customer service experience?

First I want to point out a danger that comes in overuse of the words, ‘customer service’ on postings. The simple truth is that seeing it so often repeated, many job seekers almost become numb to the words; not pausing to consider what THIS employer means by the term. You can usually find this information on the company’s website or in any literature they distribute to attract the right people to their staff, and customers to their products and services.

Customer service is about serving others – in this case, the customers of an organization. The most common image that comes to mind for many is a person working in a retail location. Customers come in a store, are greeted (or not) by an employee, are assisted to locate their items of choice (or not) and a sale is concluded (or not).

So let’s run with the retail example just a little. In a small store with only 1 or 2 employees, good customer service involves acknowledging people as they enter the store, asking if they need help, keeping an eye on them should they initially decline help but change their mind, answering their questions and concluding a transaction.

But exceptional customer service is much more. Those that provide exceptional customer service go well beyond the basics and they do it consistently. They read people’s body language; are they in a hurry, just putting in time, keep returning to a certain item on a shelf, look like they’d like to examine something out of reach, or see if their first reaction on picking up an item is to examine the price tag.

Exceptional customer service is also about engaging customers in conversation to the extent that it is welcomed, (again reading people’s reaction is critical). Volunteering information about an item that a customer wouldn’t even know to ask about can demonstrate your superior knowledge of a product, and gives customers additional data they can then use to justify the purchase of a product that they may have otherwise passed over. So for example, in selling a slightly more expensive shoe, the customer may be told about the superior construction, how it will hold up under daily wear better because of the materials used, and its waterproof quality makes it an all-weather choice instead of needing two pairs of something else. Now the customer may or may not opt for the purchase, but they can and often do make the purchase which they would not have otherwise because they could not recognize the additional benefits.

When was the last time a clerk in a store ever called you up to ask you if you were completely satisfied with your purchase, and then made a recommendation for a supplementary purchase? Take a bookstore where you buy a book based on a recommendation from a salesperson in the store. Knowing the genre the book falls into, such as mystery, fantasy or adventure, you might like other books with similar themes, writing styles; especially if its a book which is part of a series. Wouldn’t it be a great idea if they kept your name and number and called you when the next book was due to come out? That would save you from coming in and being disappointed, and they’d benefit because you’d probably buy it off them instead of the competition.

Big box stores have the difficulty of repeating the small store experience. They may or may not greet you at the door, but shoppers are often lost once past the entry by the sales staff. After all, it’s hard to know just which customers have been ignored completely and which ones have been overly greeted and asked if they want help. One common complaint is that there isn’t enough sales people around in big stores, and when you do find one, they often aren’t in the department you need help in. Poor customer service planning by management who has to justify salaries and hiring needs. Problem is, shoppers often don’t look for help for more than 20 seconds, and then they shrug their shoulders, get exasperated and walk away.

Keys to exceptional customer service? Smile, be welcoming and friendly. Thank people for coming in and for their business. Invite customers to return and make them feel that both they and their business is appreciated. Be helpful and offer your expertise and assistance. Rather than being aggressive, be attentive. Look at the flow of the store and walk it like a customer would. Acknowledge customers as they enter, even if you are busy with someone else. If you haven’t got an item, offer to order it in if you can, and let them know you’ll contact them the moment it arrives and provide an estimated date of delivery.

And if you mess up, admit it. Listen to people so you get a good understanding of what they want. Give your customers selection, sell the benefits and value of owning something, and if you don’t know that, find out BEFORE customers arrive. The features of a product and the benefits of ownership are two different things.

Exceptional customer service is lacking and there will always be jobs for those who master it’s delivery.

Only The Beautiful Need Apply

Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to shop in a large retail store in here in Canada; once owned by Canadians but now in the hands of foreign ownership. It’s the kind of store where there are several floors of merchandise, from men’s and ladies wear to sporting goods and home furnishings.

Upon walking in the doors on the street level, we found ourselves having to travel through the department selling fragrances, perfumes, cologne and make-up. The aromatic assault was truly dizzying, as there were with no exaggeration, twenty-five counters of competing products, all of which were staffed by women, and in the aisles the customers traversed, there were a handful of more women distributing sample products, and some occupied applying makeup and fragrances to customers being taught how to best apply various products.

What struck me was that these women all shared a few things in common. First, they were all very well attired. Most had high heels, they wore skirts or dresses, sharp blazers and blouses, fashionable jewellery. and while there was no standard uniform, there was a unity of presentation that communicated beauty and style. And the women themselves in those clothes were beautiful themselves to the eye. Be they blonde, brunette, redhead, black or even greying, each woman was truly beautiful on her own, but together, they were formidable.

They were like Sirens luring Ulysses and his sailors to their doom; irresistible to the eye, though I heard no singing. Their smiles were all punctuated with lipstick or gloss, their eyes set like jewels in the midst of eye liner and shadow the colour of which accented and adorned. While there were a variety of heights among them, from short to tall, each was fit, trim, and attractive. I could without much effort visualize that time of year only a couple of months past when men must have been drawn to the store with no clear idea what to buy their own ladies’, only to leave some time later with an assortment of products these Sirens would place into their bags and ring up at the till. And all the while, batting eyelashes, briefly issuing a coy look, leaning in just enough to intoxicate with their perfume, weaving their spell and long enough to extract the funds from their wallets.

As an Employment Counsellor and Sociology graduate, I always find myself watching people go about their trade, observing people and the skills they employ, and how effective or not they are in their profession. And so it was not unusual for me then to ponder how the employer in this case only had beautiful women doing the job. There were no males working here. And while I personally think there is beauty to be found in all people, we are not all universally blessed with physical beauty, but you wouldn’t know it to walk around in this department. So how is it then, that the employer is able to employ only females and only the physically beautiful of that gender?

Now you might wonder at or even guess the name of the retailer to whom I refer. And likewise, you might wonder why I am being so very careful not to name them outright. The truth of the matter is that I do not find this retailer to be unique in this practice. In fact as we strolled along the busy main street and went in and out of two other large stores, I found the same.

I know of course what they are selling is an image; an promise that if you buy their products and apply them as instructed, you or the one you buy them for will look like these Sirens too. The illusion is hard to resist when you have the evidence standing right in front of you batting those lashes. Unblemished, they know only too well that the number of people who buy the illusion is larger than the number of people who will rival them in the end.

I don’t really judge the employer for hiring and placing these people on the floor one must encounter upon entering. On other floors there were men and women both, and while they were also dressed well, they were entirely different, and you would be able to pick them out as different were you to be asked to do so if they were inserted into the beauty department. So it was really more the placement of the hired personnel. The tactic must be working or the practice and placement would change.

This employer was marketing and branding to maximize the assets available. When applying to work in a large retail store, you’ll be asked to indicate the department you’d like to work in most. Some people are better suited for some jobs than others based on their skills, knowledge, attitude, qualifications and experience. One’s physical appearance is like any other qualification.

And the women in this case? I say good for them if this is where they desire to be. They may be here out of choice or perhaps they feel limited by their beauty for all we know, and would rather be doing work in other departments where they’d be valued for other qualifications and interests. And maybe they’d prefer not to be in retail whatsoever but are trapped by a tight economy.

Just an interesting observation. Oh and yes, I did escape without buying a thing!