5 Tips to Providing Great Customer Service

Smiling: You do not have to smile all the time. It looks insincere if you try it and your face will hurt at the end of the day, if not sooner. However, try your best to keep your face neutral when you are not attending customers and when a customer approaches, that is the time to bring out your smile. Most people respond to a smile in a positive way and will usually smile in return, opening the transaction on a friendly note.

Offering to Help: Some people need the assistance of a sales clerk every time they shop. Other customers just want to be left alone to collect their purchases unless they have a question. If you greet the former without offering help, they may get offended, but if you offer to help the latter kind instead of just greeting them, they may be put off. Fortunately, there is an easy way to find out which a customer is, without offending either kind of shopper. When the customer walks in, in addition to smiling at them, simply state "Please let me know if you need any help." This way you appear attentive, yet not intrusive.

Looking Busy: If you are standing around looking bored, slouching on the counter, it sends the wrong message. It may say to potential shoppers, "This job is dull because our merchandise is dull and the people who come in here are dull." Obviously, there may not be a real task every minute of the day when you work the counter. However, if you find things to keep your hands occupied, even simple busywork cleaning, it accomplishes two things. First, it keeps you from being so bored - time will seem to move more quickly when you are engaged in an activity. It will also stop the customer thinking your store is dull, etc, and instead send the message "The clerk stopped what s/he was doing to help me because I am important."

Get Off the Phone: And not just your cell phone. While personal calls should obviously be terminated when a customer is present, there is a tendency to give priority to customers on the phone. That should be avoided. Do not be afraid to put a phone customer on hold for the customer who is live in front of you. While the one on the phone might come into the store later, they might not, even if you never put them on hold. The one in front of you took the time to come into the store and needs your help right away.

Be Positive: If a customer asks for something that you know is not store policy, don't say "We can't do that" or even "I don't think we can do that." It sounds too much like "I won't do that." Instead, use positive phrasing and go the extra mile. "I'm not sure if we can do that, but let me check with my manager."