I think about customer service as being a key factor in having a successful store. This is because I feel it’s so important to understand people and their relationships.
At Koh Living we feel very passionate about bricks and mortar and the role they play in society in keeping communities booming and connected. As part of this, I always think about what we can do to instil more life into retail and bring more people onto the streets and ultimately, into our store.
An important area I also like to think about is motivating and inspiring the staff in my store.
The people in your shop should be inspired to go to work every day; they will then naturally talk to customers with this sense of inspiration and freshness.
In order to have consistently good customer service, it might work better if you and/or your staff actually feel inspired to provide good service as opposed to relying on self-motivation.
It’s not about giving them the usual tips and tricks on how to talk to customers… it’s more about getting them to connect and relate to customers.
I always look for ways to do this that might be out of the box, much more than just ‘being nice and asking questions’.
One technique I suggest is that you first work out what your highest values and goals are. Then, write 100 reasons why performing awesome customer service will help you achieve these.
For example, if travel is one of your goals, make a list of 100 reasons why great customer service will get you on that Caribbean cruise. This might be a better way to inspire you into effecting change, as opposed to forcibly motivating yourself or your staff.
When one has to rely on self-motivation, the results are often temporary. So, take some time to understand what your staff value and see if you can inspire them to see the link between providing good customer service and achieving what is important to them and what they value.
Last month, in our Mornington store, we experienced a 30 per cent growth over January 2017. My highest value/goal is mental and physical wellness. I believe that having more money will allow me to eat organic food, get regular massages, see the Chinese doctor, go to a spa, and regularly attend my yoga classes.
A major factor in making more money in retail is building relationships with the people who come into one’s store. So, a key focus for me is to ensure that our customers are getting awesome service so that we sell more (then I can pay for my regular yoga membership).
My classes keep me healthy with a vibrant energy that I can return to the benefit of my customers. All the dots join. Just find what you and your staff value most in life and join the links.
Using this style of staff motivation could be the extra inspiration your store is looking for.
By Tui Cordemans, founder of Koh Living
