Bringing service back to Department Stores?

[Weston]

Hello all,

Been reading the dept. store thread with interest. I just gained employment working in a large department store that is NOT owned by Federated. I'd love to take your suggestions or ideas for ways to bring a "golden era" level of service to my customers. Thus far I've worked in a couple departments, so any advice is welcome.

Thus far I've just done the usual: held the door for ladies anywhere, helped those in clear distress with packages by carrying them to their car, gift wrapping etc.

I need some seriously old school ideas.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

I've never worked in a department store, but I'd say you're already on to a good start. You seem to already have common courtesy and sense. Keep with that and you'll do just fine.

And, with any luck, your level of service to your customers will catch on and we'll eventually experience it everywhere!


Lee
__________________

We can always hope, anyway!

 

[flat-top]

I've been working in department stores forever. I actually begin working at Macy's on Monday. I'll be running a couple of the Women's departments.
Some of the best service I have provided in my past has always been in the Men's departments. Matching ties and shirts to suits, putting outfits together, etc is always more appreciated by men---especially when you are well-dressed yourself.
Greeting customers honestly, with a "Good Morning" or a "Hello" goes a long way. People expect coworkers these days to be rude, and if you're not, and also not addressing them as part of a sales tactic, they will take notice.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Know the various product lines you sell, and be able to compare & contrast them. Know what items are on the floor in your department, where they're at, and which can be special ordered when they're out of stock or when special options are available. Know how to check if a particular item is available in a size or color that you don't have presently is available at another store in the chain, and how to arrange for the customer to get it. Treat the customer as the reason why you have your job, and not as an interuption to said job. Note which clerks are doing things right and which aren't and learn from it. Please the customer - go the extra mile - make them feel special. Smile. Know how to eat crow and not show it with difficult customers. Know when upcoming sales are happening and what items will be marked down and point that out to customers you know - "That's a lovely shirt, but it's going to be on sale next week - why not wait and buy two?" That sort of thing. Be ready to ask a customer if they want help, but don't pester them over and over and over if they don't need it. Sometimes the customer wants to think about something or consider a few things, and I know it drives me nuts when the same clerk approaches me every 90 seconds to ask if I need some help.

 

[Paisley]

I worked in customer service taking income calls, and I was offered a permanent position at a higher pay rate than my coworkers were. The most important thing I learned was to carefully listen to what the customer was saying. Nobody is going to object to your saying, "Just to make sure I understand, what you want is..." And as Mike in Seattle said, know your products and services by heart.

And I'm sure you don't do this, but I've known of others in customer service who do: adopting a smug attitude. I'm sure it's one reason a lot of people buy their music online.

 

[flat-top]

Treat the customer as the reason why you have your job, and not as an interuption to said job. .

Man, that says it all right there.

 

[KittyT]

Nordstrom has everyone else beat in terms of customer service.

I hate Macy's. HATE. Not as bad as Filene's was though. Good lord.

 

[flat-top]

Nordstrom has everyone else beat in terms of customer service.

I hate Macy's. HATE. Not as bad as Filene's was though. Good lord.

I've never worked at Macy's til now (well, til Monday), and I've heard the horror stories from customers. I'm not sure how much of an impact one person can have, but I'm gonna to bring my level of Old School service and hopefully make a difference.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

If there are 20 people, heck, even 5 people, in line to buy, open another register. Or I will leave my things somewhere and not buy them.

 

[KittyT]

If there are 20 people, heck, even 5 people, in line to buy, open another register. Or I will leave my things somewhere and not buy them.

Or if there's no register in sight that's open! Every time I go to Macy's, I have to circle the entire floor to find an open register. It's ridiculous.

 

[Tomasso]

I've noticed that many of the very successful salespeople keep a customer book (containing predilections, past purchases, contact info, etc...) and call to notify of new arrivals, sales and such.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I've noticed that many of the very successful salespeople keep a customer book (containing predilections, past purchases, contact info, etc...) and call to notify of new arrivals, sales and such.

For this...I would highly recommend a Moleskine Address book. Its conveniently laid out for anything you want to do but by Alphabet. It does not have the typical 'name: address: phone' type slots to fill out...but rather looks like this,

http://www.moleskineus.com/addressbook.html

which means you can write name at the top and then notes about the person's preferences etc.

I use one for friends likes and dislikes, birthdays, allergies to food, anything that I would want to remember...favorite colors or motifs they like....that way when i have them over, I make food they like..or I buy them presents with the right color, or motif.

 

[katiemakeup]

Wow, it's really obvious who has worked in retail and who hasn't.

 

[52Styleline]

conclude the purchase with eye contact and a smile while you thank me for shopping with you. Please Please Please don't send me on my way by telling me to "have a good one".

 

[Spiffy]

Refer to all customers as "Sir" or "Ma'am", even when they yell at you. Practice a professional smile, you will need it when you are being screamed at for circumstances beyond your control.

Can you tell that I'm bitter, and hate working retail?

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Treat the customer as the reason why you have your job, and not as an interuption to said job.

What the gentleman said! Nothing's worse than having an employee who's stocking shelves roll their eyes at you when you ask, like, a question.

A lot of it depends on the company itself, sadly enough - I've worked retail both where the company truly cared about what the customers thought (and what would make them return), and where the company thought that *it* knew what the customers wanted, and by George, they were going to milk 'em out of every last drop! Made providing true "customer service" difficult.

I think you've got the right attitude, and that alone will be a help.

 

[Subvet642]

I will shop at the smaller, independent men's stores whenever possible. I've found that the service at these places is excellent. People who will actually "wait" (I can't think of the correct term at the moment) on you. I will pay more for good service. The Johnston and Murphy chain is excellent. too. In reply to an earlier post; when someone says: "Have a good one", they are wishing you well in their own idiom, and I take it as such.

 

[Daoud]

I wish you well in your endeavour! As someone who spent a number of years in corporate management, I will tell you this- virtually every company of every kind in this country is dedicated, totally dedicated to the bottom line. And the first thing on the top line to get cut to increase the bottom line, is staffing. Most of the situations that folks have been posting about on this thread are a direct result of staffing cuts. There are simply not enough good people on duty to provide a decent level of service, and many times the better, more highly paid salespeople are the first to get the chop when downsizing. That's what happened with the big-box chain Circuit City- revenue was too low, and they downsized most of their more experienced more highly-paid staff. Now, you could go into one of those stores and stand around until you die of old age and nobody would notice. Anyone who cared is long gone.

There are a few outfits left who are bucking this trend, hopefully your organisation is one of them.

 

[der schneider]

I spent seven years working for Redwood and Ross the good sales persons there kept customer info books and besides keeping track of the customers birthday and anniversaries they also had notes on spouses and children. they politely made calls to offer help in finding items for those occaisions.

I spent 10 years at Jacobsons Dept store it was the same there. personal attention to customers and sincere dedication to the job.
Jacobsons was dedicated to the employee's when they first opened. closes sundays only open late on thursday and friday if a holiday was on sunday you had an extra day off besides the holiday.

The sad thing was both stores changed managment and the bottom line was deemed more important than employee and customer loyalty. they are both out of business today.

 

[Paisley]

I wish you well in your endeavour! As someone who spent a number of years in corporate management, I will tell you this- virtually every company of every kind in this country is dedicated, totally dedicated to the bottom line. And the first thing on the top line to get cut to increase the bottom line, is staffing. Most of the situations that folks have been posting about on this thread are a direct result of staffing cuts. There are simply not enough good people on duty to provide a decent level of service, and many times the better, more highly paid salespeople are the first to get the chop when downsizing. That's what happened with the big-box chain Circuit City- revenue was too low, and they downsized most of their more experienced more highly-paid staff. Now, you could go into one of those stores and stand around until you die of old age and nobody would notice. Anyone who cared is long gone.

There are a few outfits left who are bucking this trend, hopefully your organisation is one of them.

There's nothing wrong with being focused on the bottom line. But I think companies make a mistake when they emphasize service, and then skimp on payroll. Yes, you might get 100 resumes for a job listing; that doesn't mean you can replace one somebody with another somebody.