OPINION
The journey should be joyful , not a pitched battle against the employee ’ s own ignorance of the products .
about the different characteristics of feet . In this way , the employee can walk the shopper through the whole process of product selection , trying on , and decision-making , leading to the optimal purchase and repeat visits .
Can ’ t be bothered The final type of customer service is , unfortunately , all too common . This is the store where the customer enters and no one looks up from their phones . Phone addiction is arguably the most depressing commercial and social problem in all of Asia . Incredibly , retail managers often don ’ t enforce phone bans on the shop floor . Perhaps this is because the managers themselves have the same addiction .
The cures are simple 1 . Staff selection and training processes are the frontline cures for the Thai customer service disease . Retailers need to be hiring people who can do more than just play games on the phone and interact with their friends on social media . Hiring should focus on marrying the passions and technical knowledge of the candidate with the products themselves . Love of the product sells because the enthusiasm is infectious . The employee should want the customer to buy because ( s ) he wants the customer to enjoy the product as much as ( s ) he does .
2 . Enforce bans on all private use of phones by staff on the shop floor . Recognise it and treat it for what it is : an addiction that kills productivity .
3 . Train staff to have a lighter touch when it comes to customer contact . Most customers want to know that an employee is available in the vicinity if there is a question to be answered . So instead of following and hovering , employees would do better to convey easy accessibility but from a distance . It doesn ’ t prevent the employee from being the intermediary between customer and checkout counter if there is a commission or bonus points to be had .
4 . Ensure staff know things that the customer might find useful , as opposed to doing things that the customer can do quite easily without assistance , such as read a label .
These four relatively simple things that would make the shopping experience more enjoyable and efficient , and drive sales and repeat visits .
Michael Baker is a retail consultant and former head of research at the International Council of Shopping Centers :
38 www . insideretail . asia August 2024