You can have the best products, range and prices in your market, but what truly counts is the experience your customers have when they walk through your door.
Great customer service is vital for a brand's success. In fact, according to Shopify research, 58% of consumers say excellent past customer service influenced their decision to buy.
And according to Salesforce, 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.
That's why it's crucial for your team members to be ready and confident for customer interactions when they start their new roles. RedSeed’s ‘Getting Prepared’ programme is designed to do exactly this!
In this blog, we’ll dive into the importance of preparing your new team members for their roles in retail and explore the key areas of the Getting Prepared programme.
1. How to Make a Great First Impression
Imagine this: a customer walks into your store, and the first team member they see looks like they just got out of bed.
Their hair is a mess, their uniforms untucked, and it smells like they forgot to apply deodorant before starting their shift.›
The customer is taken aback and, as a result, chooses not to engage when approached. The opportunity to make a connection with this customer and open a sale is lost.
This scenario is a clear example of why making a great first impression is crucial in retail.
Your frontline team members are the face of your store. Customers expect to be greeted by someone who looks the part, is enthusiastic, and instils confidence in their ability to help.
The first course in Getting Prepared, ‘Making a Great First Impression’, will help your team understand how their personal presentation, including their clothes, grooming, and hygiene, can significantly influence how customers perceive them and their decision to make a purchase.
By providing valuable insights and practical tips, this course will boost your team's confidence and ensure they consistently present their best selves from day one on the job.
2. Showing a Positive Attitude
Have you ever walked into a store and been greeted with such enthusiasm that it made you smile?
Such experiences leave a lasting impression! Imagine if every one of your team members projected this level of positivity with every customer every day.
It would undoubtedly boost your sales and your store's reputation.
While you can't force your team to adopt a positive attitude, you can help them understand what drives their attitude and how it impacts those around them.
‘Showing a Positive Attitude’ is the second course in the Getting Prepared programme and is designed to help team members be more aware of their own attitudes.
It teaches them how to project positivity, show genuine interest in meeting customer needs, and ultimately, make every customer feel welcome and valued.
With this course, your team members will gain the tools to support customer interactions and drive store success.
3. Keeping a Positive Attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude is not always easy, especially when life throws a curveball, or you just wake up feeling down.
However, in retail, it's crucial that team members can maintain a positive attitude throughout their shift… even on these bad days.
It only takes one negative interaction with a customer to deter them from returning to your store.
‘Keeping a Positive Attitude’ helps team members be more aware of their moods and provides strategies to boost their spirits, even on challenging days.
They learn how to bounce back after setbacks and set aside negative thoughts and challenges until they can address them in a healthy way.
When team members can manage their attitude effectively, they create a positive and motivating environment not only for customers but for their teammates as well.
It’s a skill that will benefit everyone in your store and help your workplace culture and reputation thrive.
4. Applying Yourself
You want your team to give their best effort every day. This level of commitment requires motivation, initiative, and the right mindset.
But how can team members achieve this consistently, especially when they may not feel like it, are anxious, or don't know where to start?
‘Applying Yourself’ helps team members unlock their full potential by teaching them how to show initiative and go that extra mile with customers.
They’ll learn how to embrace challenges by adopting a growth mindset, become more solution-focused when assisting customers, build strong team relationships, and actively seek new responsibilities.
This self-motivation sets them up for success and prepares them for future opportunities for learning and growth.
5. A Warm Welcome
Greeting customers may seem simple, but it's one of the most challenging steps in creating a positive shopping experience.
This initial interaction sets the tone for the entire customer journey within the store. When customers feel warmly welcomed, they are more at ease and inclined to browse, buy, and ultimately return to your store.
So it's crucial to get this right!
‘A Warm Welcome’ teaches your team members the basics of a successful greeting. They’ll learn what to say and how to use their voice so greetings don’t fall flat, sound rehearsed or insincere.
And they’ll learn how to follow up their greeting to break the ice and form the basis for building a connection with their customer.
By helping your team master their greetings, you not only create a positive environment for your customers, but you also enhance your team's personal and professional communication skills.
Summary
Preparing new team members for success in retail is essential for ensuring a positive customer experience and overall store performance.
The Getting Prepared programme focuses on the key basics to help them feel confident in their new role and support their journey in retail.
By investing in these foundational skills, you set your team up for success and better equip them to create positive customer interactions from day one on the shop floor.
When your team is well-prepared, motivated, and feeling capable, your customers will be more satisfied, and your store will thrive.
Remember, in retail, every customer interaction counts, so make sure your team is ready to nail them from day one!
%20(1)%202.webp)
