5 ways physical retailers can improve the shopping experience by customer service

E-commerce is more popular than ever nowadays, and physical retailers need to improve their customer service in order to compete against them. The point-of-purchase experience is the differentiating factor that customers are looking for, and that’s why it must be memorable.

This factor is a key in order to differentiate yourself from your physical competitors, too. Not offering a good customer service experience can reduce your conversion rates and sales. According to a study by Elogia for Sotto Tempo Advertising, 72% of users believe that the quality of customer service affects their purchase decisions. They see it as a key element after considering whether the product has “an affordable price” and whether the company is one “that inspires confidence in consumers.” If clients have a bad customer experience, they will leave your company and go to a competitor.

Here are the five key principles to an unbeatable purchasing experience for your clients at the point of sale:

1. Don’t make your customers wait unnecessarily

Clients don’t like waiting a long time to be attended. For this reason, you must have a perfectly scaled workforce and optimize it according to shop demand. It means that you must have the perfect number of employees in the hours the store is full in order to resolve all issues and sales without long wait times. On the other hand, when the shop is empty you don´t need many workers, because it is an unnecessary cost and a waste of resources.

2. Have a good work environment and productive employees

You must maximize the productivity of the workforce in your store in order to win the battle against online retailers. To foster a motivated and productive team, you must give your workers good working conditions, listen to their preferences and have perfect workforce scheduling. In the retail sector, due to the shop’s long operating hours, it´s very important to notify employees of their work schedule in advance. This requires careful and correct workforce planning because it will impact the schedule, workload and environment in your store.

3. All your communications should be clear and honest

Whenever you communicate with customers, you must be frank and honest. In case the client has questions or doubts, the chosen worker must answer as soon as possible in a transparent way. When users see that a company has nothing to hide and safeguards their interests, it is then that they begin trust in the brand.

4. Try to make your customer´s life easier

Users value when you try to make their lives easier. That’s why all actions you take to adapt to their situation (giving them flexibility and comfort) will be a plus. Some examples of adaptations include allowing the customer to pay with a card, delivering products to their homes, reserving products or offering the option to pay in installments.

5. Try to track your sales and ask your customers about their opinions and suggestions

Track your sales by asking your clients about the product-service quality. Additionally, let them know that you are open to suggestions or criticisms in order to improve the company. Your costumers can help you to perfect some aspects of your company or resolve problems you didn’t notice before.

You can also encourage them to post about their experiences on social media and share the corporate accounts with them.

If you follow these five objectives, you have a good chance of securing your customer’s loyalty, reducing costs and improving your results.

In conclusion, consider that employees are a critical point in customer service, planning their schedules efficiently and in advance will have a direct impact on the quality of service they provide to your customers. All in all, if you care for your employees, they will care for your clients.