On two recent occasions, I had bad encounters of the sales clerk kind. The first was in a small chain clothing store where at checkout I asked if I could apply two different coupons I had (hey, no harm in asking…usually). The sales clerk said no. OK. So I continue checking out. But the sales clerk standing next to her at the register made a snide remark under her breath.
The exact same thing happened at Barnes & Noble in the Village. This time it was aggravated when another sales clerk said, “Yahoo” as I walked away. And he wasn’t talking about the internet service.
Both instances left a bad taste in my mouth and a bad impression of the store employees.
If you’re going to send coupons, a sales tactic designed to drive traffic to your store or website, then your staff MUST respect them when they appear at the register. Snottiness undercuts the store’s efforts to maximize sales at this peak time of year. Or any time for that matter.
Your whole sales and marketing effort can be torpedoed by sales clerks. Especially holiday temps. Your business culture must ooze through the pores of every employee, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.
A successful illustrator acquaintance hired a rep. Months later business had fallen off. On a phone call a client said that he loved the illustrator’s work but his rep was an a**hole. Rep fired immediately. Most of the damage was repaired. But not so easily in today’s economic environment.
Watch out for this in your business. It can be a $$$ killer.
Send in mystery shoppers. Follow up with your clients on a regular basis. Have open ended conversations so they have an opportunity to talk freely.
And remember, your whole sales cycle can be sabotaged by one lousy employee. So put as much effort into hiring the right people as you do your sales and marketing.
Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.
Exceedingly poor example. Most retailers clearly state that only one coupon may be applied to a purchase and most consumers are aware of this policy. You were pushing it.
Great, thats an awesome read.