Training Retail Basics

~ RETAIL TIRE TOPICS ~ • ~ CHAPTER 1: Retail Environment

• ~ CHAPTER 2: Retail Basics

• ~ CHAPTER 3: Customer Service

• ~ CHAPTER 4: Sale Process & “G”

• ~ CHAPTER 5: Sale Process – “Q”

• ~ CHAPTER 6: Sale Process – “P”

• ~ CHAPTER 7: Sale Process – “C”

• ~ CHAPTER 8: Sale Process – “Plus”

• ~ CHAPTER 9: Consumer Value

• ~ CHAPTER 10: Retail Success

• ~ CHAPTER 11: Retail Focus Quotes

• ~ QUIZ: Retail Tire Information

CHAPTER 3 ~ CUSTOMER SERVICE ~

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Customer Service Rules:

• Make the customer feel heard

• Make the customer feel understood

• Make the customer feel liked

• Make the customer feel respected

• Make the customer feel helped

• Make the customer feel appreciated

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• What Business Are You Really In? –Automotive? –Under-Car? –Repair? –Transportation? –Tire? • It MUST be defined as a part of your

strategic plan!

SERVICE

BUSINESS!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Would you like to treat your customers as you would like to be treated, or better? – YOU have the Power to provide world class service!

• Would you like to have more product &/or service knowledge? – YOU have the Power to learn the features and benefits

and practice!

• Do you know what “IT” is? – YOU have the Power to discover “IT” by asking

questions and listening to the reply!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Everyone in business that comes in contact with a customer makes an impression!

– Good or bad depends on you.

– Know your role in the company.

– Know the parameters that you have responsibilities.

• In the eyes of the customer – YOU are the company!

– You always have to have your game face ON!

– You have the greatest influence on the customer and the business you are employed.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• GOLDEN RULE: Treat people as you would want to be treated.

• “Revised” - GOLDEN RULE

“Treat people the way THEY want to be treated”,

“Better than the way YOU might want to be treated”!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Remember;

•People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much

You care!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• There are three “no-compromise” rules:

– Patience

• Customers, Staff, SELF

– Diplomacy

• Price negotiation, handling objections, addressing errors, etc.

– Great Communication Skills

• Practice, practice, practice! – Interpersonal, phone, e-mail, and other electronic methods

– An improving Communication goal takes a continuous effort by everyone! The lack thereof shows up all to frequently and usually ends up being negative one way or the other.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication Cornerstones:

– TRUST; • Build it and they will come (and tend to stay)!

• Do what you say you will, when you say you will.

• Return calls, honor appointments, and commitments.

– UNDERSTAND; • Listen vs. hearing, become a people pupil.

– Not like you may be accused of by your spouse at home!

– EMPATHY; • It’s about what the Customer thinks, Not You.

– RESOLUTION; • Learn what it will take to resolve an issue and be flexible.

You may just want to ask what it will take, what’s satisfactory?

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• There are no misunderstandings in any relationship;

• There are only failures to communicate!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• How well we communicate is Not determined by how well

we say things,

but how well we are understood!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• People don’t buy because they understand,

They buy because they feel understood!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• Understanding;

– Don’t interrupt your potential customer’s situation explanation.

– Clarify, by restating what you heard them say.

– Smile and nod your head in acknowledgement of your understanding.

– See things from the customer’s point of view.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• “Nothing in life is more important than the ability to

communicate effectively”

• Gerald Ford – Past U. S. President

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• The Process of Communication:

• There is nothing we do more often,

THAN Mess Up!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• The Process of Communication:

• In Fact,

• A large percentage of what we say gets misinterpreted

and

a large percentage of what we hear is misunderstood!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Communication:

• Less is More…..

• The less you say to your prospects and customers,

the smarter you’ll sound!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Nine Tips for Successful Communication:

– Sincerely listen

– Pay compliments

– Remember names

– Maintain eye contact

– Remember common interests and reference

– Exhibit positive body language

– Always be up to date on current events

– Do not interrupt or monopolize the conversation

– Make the Customer Feel Important

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Successful Communication:

– Eye contact is the most important

body language indicator

– Three steps to more effective eye contact;

• Eye contact builds credibility, conveys trust and accents your important points

– Keep blinking at a minimum

• Look the person directly in the eye as much as possible

– At a minimum, whenever they are talking

• Look at only the left eye

– Focus your eye contact on 1 eye

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Customers NEVER Forget:

– Attitudes

– Promises

– Issue Management (Problem Solving)

– The small Stuff

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Issue Management;

– How you handle “customer issues” (a complaint, a dissatisfaction)

goes a long way in what type of, • Reputation you build.

• Customer trust you earn.

• Word of mouth advertising you receive.

• Customer traffic that comes to your store.

• Creating repeat customer’s.

– Handling a “customer issue” satisfactorily from the consumer’s perspective will earn you repeat business.

– Ultimately resulting in Retail Success or failure!

• Issue Management;

• L.E.A.P. into handling customer complaints

• L = Listen – focus on their concerns

• E = Empathize – put yourself in their shoes

• A = Acknowledge – tell them you understand (if you and/or when you do!)

• P = Pamper – go the extra mile to make it right

• Your objective is to satisfy the customer so that they will return to your store in the future.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Issue Management;

– Why we Lose Customers

• 1% Die

• 3% Move

• 5% Other Interests

• 9% Lose to Competition

• 14% Product Dissatisfaction

•68% POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

CUSTOMER SERVICE • What’s some of the “small stuff”?

– Business appearance (Image)

• Restrooms

– Clean, Clean, Clean, Stocked appropriately, Baby changing area

• Waiting area

– Furniture, TV, Internet, Magazine’s, Coffee, Soda, Snacks, etc.

• Parking access

• Open hours (convenience for their time constrained lives)

– Staff appearance (Image)

– Staff - attitude, polite, knowledge, greeting etc.

– Vehicle condition when “job” completed

• Grease/oil on steering wheel, mirrors or seat, radio on different station, vacuumed, washed etc.

– Payment method options

• Cash, Check, Credit/Debit Card, Open Account

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• What retailer provided you with the “best” customer service you personally experienced? – How?

– Would you go back to patronize them again?

– Did you tell anyone about your experience?

• What retailer provided you with the “worst” customer service you personally experienced? – How?

– Would you go back to patronize them again?

– Did you tell anyone about your experience?

• Ah, ha! You remembered both experiences!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• When a customer enters your store with a Problem, what do you do?

– Panic

– Ignore/Dismiss it

– Treat it as a Great Opportunity • The majority of consumers will continue to patronize a business that

has satisfactorily addressed a problem they encountered!

• If the customer service you provide meets or exceeds their expectations,

– The consumer will become an advocate of your business

– Become a repeat customer

– Tell others of their experience, positively

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• YOU have the greatest impact!

– Not the business, the product, the price …..

• Formulate a consistent customer service process.

– This reduces mistakes, missed opportunities, mis-understanding and mis-interpretation amongst customers and staff.

• Create a competitive advantage that cannot be copied.

– Customer service is one area that is not easy to duplicate!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• World-class customer service

is not easy to duplicate! – Do You have the desire to provide exceptional customer

service?

– Do You have the attitude that you will provide exceptional customer service?

– Do You have assets to allow you to provide exceptional customer service? • Staff, Location, Facility, Equipment, Image, Professional Expertise,

Internal Systems, Supplier Support, Business Plan, etc.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Excellent customer service is a result of exceeding

the customer’s needs…

real or perceived!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Excellent is something that your customers are happy to pay for again and again!

• Give them reasons to feel like family and your customers will always come home.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Six Steps to Delivering Exceptional Service:

1. Evaluate, meet and exceed your customer’s expectations.

2. Keep your customer’s coming back for more.

3. Solve problems and turn complainers into business advocates.

4. Anticipate your customer’s needs and deliver service that goes the extra mile.

5. Follow up with your customers. – Do you have a follow up / reminder file program?

6. Always be there for your customers.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Three of the Biggest Service Mistakes:

1. Not Smiling!

2. Not acknowledging a Customer’s request or problem.

3. An immediate rejection of a Customer’s request.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• You have the keys to the bus!

– Which direction you take is up to You!

– How fast you get to your destination is up to You!

• Customer Service really depends on each of

“U” • Be the reason they stay and become repeat customers,

not the reason they leave!

CHAPTER 3 RETAIL TIRE INFORMATION

Customer Service CONCLUSION

Thank – You for Your Participation, Attention and Business!

Please proceed to the next Chapter!

Information provided by multiple resources;

For

Participating!

RETAIL BASIC TIRE TRAINING

INFORMATION PRESENTATION

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