Retailers Service Strategies

Excerpts from Karen's book:
"People can see that you are busy. When you take the trouble to
make a personal contact, they appreciate it and almost always
give you the time to return. Research shows that if spoken to or
acknowledged in some way, customers will wait up to twenty-five
minutes to be accommodated."

This would take us into the area of service strategies. It is
considered and I believe that currently there is little
difference between sales promotion activities and services in
department stores (except perhaps for salespeople) and sales
promotion and service at the mass merchants.  Discounting
initially years ago , offered hardly any services beyond checkout
personnel and in-store signs. Promotional activities were
confined to newspaper advertisement . As the years go by and
price competition from department stores, specialty stores, and
the national chains dilute the market, discount retailers began
to take notice of all of the elements in retail promotion mix -
sales promotion activities, personal selling and customer
service, store designing and layout.

A famous saying "Make a salesperson and you make a sale" stands
out. Actually sales training doesn't cost - it pays. Whenever the
customer walks through the door, the expertise of the sales
person often not always determines what will and will not be
sold. Although training is not a substitute for the selection and
recruiting , good people can be educated to be professional salespeople.

Most competing stores are now carrying the same in-season stock
at the same prices. Retailers today are looking for other means
of establishing itself in the community and differentiating
itself from the competition.  Customer service has emerged as the
major priority for a lot of retailers. Apart from the training of
sales consultants or associates other programs have emerged. I am
sure you can list other I may forgot.  Customer comment cards,
professional shopping groups, and customer service survey weeks
during which the store invites customers to evaluate customer
service . Through these programs, stores recognize sales
associates who provide outstanding service and reward them for
their performance. Today's customers are well educated and
respond positively to stores' efforts.

Other efforts include, fair and liberal return policy. Customers
with little time to shop are provided personal shopping services,
alterations, gift wrapping, package delivery and shopping by mail
or phone.  Groceries have been added to department stores. Credit
promotion where major stores create and promote their own credit
cards.  Some stores offer two levels of credit- regular charge
and a preferred charge for customers meeting higher criteria.

So retailers who understand the importance of positioning within
the marketplace, and by providing high levels of service and
quality goods and well determined store design and layout
strategies and other selling enhancements, the store can
distinguish itself from its rivals and maintain its competitive edge.

Derrick W Robinson
SMART SUCCESSFUL MARKETING
E-Mail: Derrick W Robinson

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DerrickWRobinson