Are you customer-oriented, motivated by working towards set goals and striving to provide greater value to both your employer and customers?
The introduction above is taken directly from a job advertisement for indoor retail staff. But what does it really mean to be customer-oriented, and how can you uphold it in situations involving steep sales goals?
What does it mean to be customer-oriented?
Being customer-oriented means that you conduct yourself in a manner that provides the customer with a positive experience both before and after a purchase. You strive to increase customer loyalty so that consumers will elect to return to you and your store again. The term ”customer-oriented” can often be seen in job descriptions, but in everyday speech in retail, the expression “the customer is king” is commonly used instead.
Are your customers coming back?
Most salespeople claim to be customer-oriented, but recommendations and decisions are not always based on the customer’s needs. Sometimes the salesperson may make a decision based on something else – for example, some brands arrange sales competitions to incentivise retail staff to recommend their products. In another example, the milk is placed at the far end of a grocery store in order to make consumers shop more due to increased exposure to other goods. In both of these situations, the customer is not king.
If you want to live by the motto “The customer is king”, then you must change your behavior accordingly.
Seize the opportunity
In order for the customer to feel like a king, their needs, interests and actions should be your primary focus. Take advantage of the opportunity to center the customer and face-to-face interactions, as that is the one thing that e-commerce cannot do better. Prioritise having a satisfied customer beyond just making a sale, as it will pay off in the long run. A successful example of this is that one of the world’s leading electronics giants has chosen to measure customer satisfaction in their stores instead of sales.
If you need help with sales training in your store, get in touch with us to learn more about how we can be of service.